Objective:
This program seeks to fund clinical testing on personalized approaches for understanding, assessing and improving gait in Parkinson’s disease (PD) to address the wide variances of gait challenges across the continuum of the disease. The program aims to establish standardized assessment and tailor treatments to individual symptoms that improves gait and motor-cognitive functions.
Funding will support clinical research projects that will identify:
-
CLEARER DEFINITION | Advance understanding of the multifaceted pathophysiological mechanisms of gait challenges in PD to help design personalized treatments.
-
SENSITIVE MEASURES | Develop or deploy unique assessments to derive metrics to advance development of individualized or on-demand treatment of gait challenges.
-
BETTER TREATMENTS | Conduct interventional studies testing personalized interventions to reduce or delay gait impairments in PD. Priority will be given to approaches that target both motor and non-motor contributors to gait challenges.
MJFF will prioritize projects with the strongest potential to advance knowledge. Priority will be given to studies that are:
-
Multi-centric, fostering a comprehensive approach or facilitating longitudinal work
-
Cross disciplinary with collaborators from multiple areas of expertise (e.g. clinicians, pathologists, experts in imaging, statisticians/epidemiologists, etc.)
-
Willing to share data in a pre-competitive manner to help progress in the field.
MJFF will NOT consider applications for pre-clinical/small model studies.
The program works in two stages:
-
Applicants may submit a pre-proposal for initial consideration by MJFF. This stage is your first and best opportunity to determine if MJFF is the right partner for you.
-
Applicants whose pre-proposal is selected for further consideration will be invited to submit a full proposal. Invited applicants will have the opportunity to consult with MJFF on proposal development.
For questions about the application process, please email grants@michaeljfox.org.