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Spinal Cord Injury Research on the Translational Spectrum Postdoctoral Fellowships

Craig H. Neilsen Foundation

Overview: This funding is for postdoctoral training specialization in the field of SCI and to prepare the fellow to move into an independent research position. Fellowships directly support the applicant (Fellow) while they are mentored (or co-mentored) by an investigator experienced in SCI research. The proposal should be written by the Fellow, with input from the mentor(s).

Key criteria include how the training and environment provided by the mentor(s) will enhance the Fellow’s research career and qualifications, as well as the scientific merit of the proposal and its relevance to the Neilsen Foundation’s mission.

Funding for the two-year project is up to $100,000/year for a maximum total cost of $200,000.

Details for this category:

• Fellows must have attained their doctoral degree or an equivalent terminal professional degree by the LOI submission deadline and have held that degree no longer than five years before the FGA submission deadline. For Fellows with a MD, the five-year eligibility period begins after completion of the residency program.

• A two-page Training Plan is required when submitting a FGA.

Allowable budget categories include:

• Personnel Costs: Fellowship budgets should cover 100% of the Fellow’s salary, plus fringe benefits up to 50% of salary. No funding for other personnel (e.g., technical staff) is allowed.

• Non-Personnel Costs: The purpose of allowing non-personnel costs is to support the advancement of the Fellow’s career in SCI research. The Neilsen Foundation will allow up to $35,000 over the course of the two-year grant for non-personnel costs, provided the Fellow’s salary and fringe (as noted above) are fully covered and total costs do not exceed $100,000 per year. It is expected that the mentor(s) will make available necessary general office equipment and supplies; however, funds for travel, publication costs, supplies, and/or equipment can be expended in the categories listed below.

 Travel: Support for conference travel is limited to $6,000 during the grant term. Additional professional development-related travel for the Fellow is allowed with adequate justification. Travel for other personnel is not allowed.

 Training/Education: Appropriate educational expenses for the Fellow, such as relevant coursework and SCI professional memberships, can be included.

 Publications: Publication costs are allowed where the Fellow is a contributing author. Allowable costs include open-access fees; all publications resulting from Neilsen Foundation funding should be publicly available.

 Supplies: All items (e.g., glassware, chemicals, animal costs, electrodes) other than those described below in Equipment are allowed. A computing device or computer software is considered a supply if the acquisition cost is less than $5,000, regardless of the length of its useful life.

 Equipment: An item having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit is considered equipment. Requests should not exceed $10,000 for the two-year project. All requests must be justified and include a description of how the equipment will support the advancement of the Fellow’s career.

• Other Costs: Refer to Budget instructions in ProposalCentral and list under “Other:”

 Childcare costs are allowable, as described above, up to $2,500 per year.

 Budget may include accommodations for a Fellow with a disability. Accommodation expenses are not subject to the limit on non-personnel costs.

• Indirect Costs: The Neilsen Foundation does not allow indirect costs (i.e., administrative, overhead, per capita infrastructure costs, etc.) on its Postdoctoral Fellowships.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

🧠 1. Strict Focus on Spinal Cord Injury (Non-Negotiable)

All funded projects must directly address:
- Spinal cord injury (SCI)—acute, chronic, or rehabilitation phases
Includes:
- Mechanistic, preclinical, clinical, and psychosocial research

👉 Non-SCI topics are not eligible

🔄 2. Strong Translational Continuum (Top Predictor)

The foundation explicitly supports:

Research across the “translational spectrum”
- Basic → preclinical → clinical → implementation

👉 Projects must show:
Clear pathway toward improving treatment, function, or care

🎯 3. Clear Impact on Function & Quality of Life (Most Critical)

Successful proposals demonstrate:

Improvements in:
- Functional recovery
- Complication management
- Independence and participation

👉 Central evaluation question:
“Will this improve life outcomes for people with SCI?”

🔬 4. High Scientific Merit & Innovation

Funded projects must show:

Novelty + strong scientific rationale
Potential to advance understanding or treatment

👉 Required across all portfolios (basic to clinical)

🧪 5. Feasible, Milestone-Driven Research Plan

Typical grants:
- 2–3 years
- ~$200K–$800K
Must include:
- Clear aims
- Achievable timeline
- Defined deliverables

👉 Overly ambitious or vague proposals are commonly rejected

🤝 6. Inclusion of People with Lived SCI Experience (Unique Predictor)

Increasing emphasis on:
- Patient involvement in research design and execution

👉 Meaningful engagement strengthens proposals

🧬 7. Broad Portfolio Alignment (Choose the Right Track)

Higher success when aligned with one of the foundation’s key programs:

Research

Translational SCI research
Psychosocial research

Programs

Community independence
Accessibility & inclusion

👉 Correct program fit significantly affects success

👩‍🔬 8. Investigator Development (Early-Career Advantage)

Supports:
- Postdoctoral fellowships
- Early-stage researchers

👉 Strong mentorship + career trajectory improves success

🌍 9. Real-World Applicability & Scalability

Preference for:
- Interventions usable in clinical or community settings
Includes:
- Rehabilitation
- Assistive technologies
- Community integration programs

👉 Practical implementation is highly valued

📑 10. Competitive, Two-Stage Review Process

Typical process:
1. Letter of Intent (LOI)
2. Invited full proposal

👉 Only top LOIs proceed → clarity and alignment early is critical

📊 Summary: Key Predictors (Ranked)

Highest impact factors:

SCI-specific focus
Translational pathway
Patient/functional impact

Moderate predictors:
4. Scientific merit & innovation
5. Feasibility
6. Program alignment

Supporting factors:
7. Patient involvement
8. Investigator strength
9. Real-world applicability

💡 Insider Insight

Compared to NIH or general neuroscience funders:

Craig H. Neilsen Foundation is:
👉 highly mission-driven (SCI only)
👉 strongly translational + quality-of-life focused

👉 Winning formula:
SCI relevance + translational pathway + real-world impact

Specialties

Clinical Trials

Pulmonology

Eligibility Requirements

The following applies to all funding categories:

• Applicants must have a doctoral degree or equivalent professional degree (e.g., PhD, MD, DVM).

 Non-fellowship applicants must demonstrate appropriate experience to serve as an independent PI. The Neilsen Foundation encourages eligible PIs who represent a wide range of disciplines to apply; however, it is required that relevant SCI expertise be represented on the proposed research project team. • The grantee organization must be a nonprofit academic/research institution or rehabilitation facility located in the United States or Canada with the capability to conduct grant-funded research.

 The Applicant named in a grant application must be employed by and deemed eligible by the grantee organization to apply for a grant and is expected to be responsible for conduct of the research. The Applicant is not required to be a citizen of the United States or Canada.

 Each application must include the appropriate endorsement of an institutional official who is responsible for the administration of grant funds (hereafter known as the “Grants Administrator”).

• Neilsen Foundation grants are not awarded to individuals, private foundations, or non-functionally integrated Type III supporting organizations.

• A PI may submit only one application in each cycle in this portfolio (see PART 3, Section A., Concurrent Grants Across Neilsen Foundation Portfolios).

• The Neilsen Foundation does not recognize Co-Principal Investigators—if two or more investigators are working together on a research project, name only one as the Applicant; the other(s) should be listed as collaborator(s). Collaborators and/or consultants do not need to be affiliated with the same institution as the PI; a subcontract may be used to support a domestic or international collaborator or consultant.

• Multiple PIs from an institution may submit concurrent, independent applications in a given grant cycle. In such cases, each project must be distinct, with non-overlapping Aims.

• The Neilsen Foundation discourages Postdoctoral Fellows and their mentor(s) from submitting concurrent applications with overlapping Aims to multiple funding categories within this portfolio.

• It may not be necessary to provide preliminary data. Neilsen Foundation funding may be sought to allow the Applicant to obtain data to establish a line of research if the proposal provides strong rationale (i.e., support from the literature or use in an indication other than SCI) that justifies testing the hypotheses with the proposed experimental design. However, if feasibility issues add an unacceptable risk of failure, reviewers may note that preliminary data to address this risk should have been provided.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS AND CONSIDERATIONS

• All application materials and communications (including IRB/IACUC approvals) must be in English, and budgets must be in U.S. dollars.

• The Neilsen Foundation values inclusion and accessibility to foster equitable opportunities and diverse points of view, and encourages grantees to promote them within their organization and the communities they serve.

• Applicants should carefully review each funding category to ensure they meet the requirements before submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI).

• Annual funding for multi-year awards is contingent on acceptance of annual progress and expenditure reports. Acceptance of final research and final expenditure reports is required at the end of the grant term to receive final payment.

• Perceived or real conflicts of interest (e.g., company shareholder providing a device for a study or program) must be disclosed in both the LOI and FGA.

• The grantee organization retains title to Intellectual Property developed with this funding.

• Human interventional studies funded by the Neilsen Foundation must be registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.

• Rigor, transparency, and reproducibility in research are fundamental to scientific progress. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate how the proposed experimental design, methodology, and analysis ensure well-controlled and unbiased results (see Appendix 4). Applicants should address the rigor of the research upon which the proposed study is based.

 The Neilsen Foundation strongly encourages data sharing consistent with FAIR Data Principles (https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/) and open access (see PART 2, Section C., Publication and Data Sharing). Grantees should describe plans to make all reports and datasets openly accessible no later than one year after publication and will be required in any future applications to provide links to all reports and datasets from funded studies.

• Childcare cost reimbursement should adhere to the Grantee’s institutional guidelines or, in the absence of such guidance, may include expenses for the care of children up to age 13, or children up to age 18 who are physically or mentally incapable of self-care. The Neilsen Foundation does not review the eligibility of dependents or caregivers.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Craig H. Neilsen Foundation

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 16830 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 352 Encino, CA 91436

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