Researchers
Research Opportunities
The Alpha-1 Foundation offers research opportunities for both in-cycle and out-of-cycle timelines. Please read the following for more information on these 2 types of grants.
IN-CYCLE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES INFORMATION
LETTER OF INTENT INFORMATION
Deadline for our receipt of your in-cycle LOI, Biosketch and Keyword List: September 18, 2009
The first step in the process of a grant application to the Alpha-1 Foundation is to submit an LOI, Biographical Sketch for the LOI and LOI Keyword list. All three documents must be submitted to the Foundation by September 18, 2009 in order to be invited to submit a full grant application. The submission of an LOI is required for each grant category. An applicant must submit an LOI in order to submit a grant application. A grant application that is submitted without an LOI will result in an automatic denial of funding and the application will be returned to the investigator. Click the following links for information and instructions regarding the submission of an, LOI and grant application:
Letter of Intent and Grant Application Timeline 
Letter of Intent and Grant Application Instructions
Biographical Sketch for the LOI
Letter of Intent and Grant Application Keywords List
For information about the Foundation’s in-cycle grant opportunities, please contact Jamie Lamson, Grants Coordinator, at jlamson@alphaone.org or at 305-567-9888 ext 242.
GRANT APPLICATION INFORMATION
Deadline for our receipt of your in-cycle grant application: February 17, 2010
If your LOI is approved, the Alpha-1 Foundation will invite you to submit a full grant application. Please note that a LOI must be submitted, reviewed and approved prior to submitting a grant application. Click the following links for information and instructions regarding the submission of a grant application:
Letter of Intent and Grant Application Timeline
Letter of Intent and Grant Application Instructions
Grant Application Forms
Terms and Conditions that Govern Grant Awards 
Frequently Asked Questions.
For information about the Alpha-1 Foundation’s in-cycle grant application process or requirements, please contact Randel Plant, Director of Research Administration, at rplant@alphaone.org or at 305-567-9888 ext 252.
IN CYCLE RESEARCH GRANT CATEGORIES:
Bridge Grant
Funding Level: Maximum of $25,000 may be requested.
Period: Up to 1 year of support is available.
The objective of this grant is to provide support for excellent Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) Deficiency-related research projects that have been submitted to and approved by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), but cannot be supported by the available NIH funds. Thus, this award complements the granting mechanism of the NIH for projects of potential interest to individuals served by the Alpha-1 Foundation. Funds provided by the Alpha-1 Foundation through this program are intended to lead to the development of sufficient preliminary data to make AAT-related applications highly competitive in the NIH review process. Information derived from Alpha-1 Foundation supported research studies is intended to lead to solicitation of additional, subsequent funds from other agencies such as the NIH.
Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (ELSI) Related to AAT Deficiency
Funding Levels: ELSI projects may be submitted under the following grant categories: Pilot & Feasibility, Postdoctoral Research Fellowship or Research. Please see the funding levels stated above for each respective grant category.
Period: Up to 2 years of support is available, depending on the grant category in which the grant is submitted. Please see the periods stated above for each respective grant category.
The objective of this grant is to provide funds to encourage the development of new information that contributes to the understanding of bioethical, legal, economic and/or social issues associated with AAT Deficiency. Proposals may come from a broad spectrum of disciplines, including humanities, social and natural sciences, and health professions. In particular, this grant mechanism seeks to support the development of novel approaches relating to informed consent, conflicts of interest, organ allocation, genetic testing and/or genetic discrimination; however, applications may address all of the following or other related areas:
- Surveying attitudes about genetic testing and screening; changing physician behavior and standards of care regarding testing; confidential testing; genetic counseling; public awareness and education about Alpha-1.
- Improving the quality of life of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficient patients and their families; chronic illness, terminal illness, advance CARE planning, and end of life issues; employment issues; family planning issues; investigations of the social or economic impacts of a diagnosis of AAT Deficiency including stigma post-diagnosis.
- The provision of an informed consent associated with AAT Deficiency testing, medical treatments, participation in research, or transplantation; other issues relating to participation in clinical trials or research studies.
- Issues relating to genetic discrimination including access to insurance coverage, social services, medical care, employment, and/or military service; the protection of confidentiality of patients and their families; legislation relating to genetic disease and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficient individuals.
- Equitable distribution of available medical therapies; availability and allocation of organs for transplantation associated with AAT Deficiency.
- Intellectual property rights; ownership of tissue, organs and DNA associated with research studies and clinical trials; patents relating to genetic research.
All proposals must be hypothesis-generating or hypothesis-testing, or generate new information on conceptual topics relevant to the Foundation’s research mission. Applicants may submit this application as a Pilot and Feasibility Grant, Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Grant or Research Grant. Projects submitted for Research Grant funding must provide sufficient preliminary data to justify the Foundation’s support.
Pilot and Feasibility Grant
Funding Level: Maximum of $40,000 may be requested.
Period: Up to 1 year of support is available.
The objective of this grant is to provide funds to encourage the development and testing of new hypotheses and/or new methods in research areas relevant to AAT Deficiency. Proposed work must be hypothesis generating or hypothesis testing, reflecting innovative approaches to important questions in AAT research or development of novel methods, and providing sufficient preliminary data to justify the Foundation’s support. Results from Pilot and Feasibility Grants should lead to the submission of applications for funding from other agencies (i.e. NIH). At the conclusion of the funding term, applicants are expected to apply for further funding by other mechanisms or from outside agencies. The award is not intended to support continuation of programs begun under other granting mechanisms.
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Grant
Funding Level: Maximum of $35,000 per year may be requested.
Period: Up to 2 years of support is available.
The objective of this grant is to provide support for postdoctoral research fellows who are starting their research careers and are working in the laboratories of established researchers or conducting research with the mentorship of established researchers. In addition, this grant category is intended to provide support for postdoctoral research fellows who intend to purse a career in AAT research. Applications will be accepted from candidates holding an M.D., Ph.D. or equivalent degrees who are interested in conducting basic science, clinical research, or ethic, legal, social issues studies related to AAT Deficiency. Applicants must indicate a commitment to AAT-related research by focusing 50% of their time to AAT Deficiency research or clinical practice.
Research Grant
Funding Level: Maximum of $65,000 per year may be requested.
Period: Up to 2 years of support is available.
The objective of this grant is to provide funds to encourage the development of new information that contributes to the understanding of the basic biology of AAT expression, and the pathogenesis/management of AAT Deficiency. In addition, consideration will be given to those projects that provide insight into the development of information that may contribute to new therapies for AAT Deficiency. All proposals must be hypothesis generating or hypothesis testing and provide sufficient preliminary data to justify the Alpha-1 Foundation’s support.
Scientific Meeting Sponsorship Grant
Funding Level: Grants are generally funded at the $5,000 level. The funds are restricted for use during a specified period of time.
Period: Varies according to request.
The objective of this grant is to provide support for scientific meetings, workshops or conferences relevant to AAT Deficiency and the Alpha-1 Foundation’s mission statement.
Travel Grant
There are 2 types of Travel Grants:
Funding Level: Grants are generally funded at a level of $1,000. The funds are restricted for use during a specified period of time.
Period: Varies according to request.
- The Alpha-1 Foundation provides funds to support travel to attend a scientific conference or meeting to present AAT-related abstracts or posters at national and international meetings. Candidates must have an M.D., Ph.D. or equivalent degree, and at least one year of recent research experience related to AAT Deficiency. The award is intended primarily for travel support for an award recipient. If the grant is to be used for specialized training, a letter of support for the individual must be presented, and clearly indicate the visitor’s role, time commitment and objectives for the proposed training as well as institutional commitment.
- The Alpha-1 Foundation provides funds to support cross training at an established Alpha-1 laboratory by an established Alpha-1 investigator. Training may include training on diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, research related techniques, training on specialized equipment or software applicable to AAT-related research.
OUT-OF-CYCLE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES INFORMATION
The first step in the process of submitting a Foundation initiated Request For Application (RFA) application is to submit an LOI, Biographical Sketch for the LOI and LOI Keyword list. The submission of an LOI is required for each RFA. An applicant must submit an LOI and be invited by the Foundation to submit a grant application. A grant application that is submitted without an LOI will result in an automatic denial of funding and the application will be returned to the investigator. For information about the Alpha-1 Foundation’s out-of-cycle grant opportunities, please contact Randel Plant, Director of Research Administration, at: rplant@alphaone.org or at 305-567-9888 ext 252.
