The Children’s Tumor Foundation Drug Discovery Initiative (DDI) Award program provides seed grants for pilot preclinical screening of candidate neurofibromatosis drug therapies. To date the Foundation has funded over 30 DDI Awards including FIVE recently selected to be announced in the next few weeks.
The DDI Awards program has primed a pipeline of candidate NF drug therapies; helped investigators generate the results needed to secure larger government grants; and importantly, stimulated collaboration between NF researchers and a number of biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
The DDI Award application is brief just 3 pages – and the Foundation endeavors to have fast turnaround, and fund awards within 8 weeks of the deadline. For 2010, DDI Awards are available as follows: $15,000 for an in vitro (cell-based) study; $30,000 for an in vivo (animal-based) study. In addition $50,000 DDI Awards are available for continued bridge support of particularly outstanding in vivo Awards. There are two application deadlines in 2010: February 26 and August 31.
