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Research Funding Opportunities
2026 Cure CMD Request for Applications (RFA)
International Research Grants in Congenital Muscular Dystrophy
Congenital Onset Laminopathies (L-CMD)
Congenital Onset Dystroglycanopathies (αDG)
Key Dates:
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Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline: Monday, July 27, 2026, 11:59 pm applicant’s local time
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Full Proposal Deadline (By Invitation Only): Monday, September 14, 2026, 11:59 pm applicant’s local time
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Notification of Selected Grants: On or before Friday, October 16, 2026 (pacific time)
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Funding start date: Awarded grants may begin on or after Monday, November 15, 2026, pending completion of signed agreement
Cure CMD is pleased to announce the availability of international research grant funds for two specific subtypes of Congenital Muscular Dystrophy: Congenital Onset Laminopathies (L-CMD) & Congenital Onset Dystroglycanopathies (αDG).
We welcome letters of intent for meaningful research that could translate into a treatment or care optimization, propelling our mission in support of those living with congenital muscular dystrophy.
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Each CMD subtype constitutes a separate application for research project awards, independent of the other CMD subtype (funding award levels vary by subtype, see below).
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Applicants must be affiliated with an accredited academic institution and in good standing. Inclusion of junior investigators in your proposed project is encouraged.
2026 Research Grant Opportunities
Funding is available for research projects focused on L-CMD, up to $100,000 for up to Two Years.
Purpose: The goal of this funding opportunity is to advance our understanding of LMNA‑related congenital muscular dystrophy (L‑CMD), and to accelerate the development of meaningful therapeutic strategies with translational potential. We seek proposals that elucidate underlying disease mechanisms, drive preclinical therapeutic development, and support the translation of promising approaches toward clinical application.
Because cardiac involvement is the most urgent and life‑limiting complication for many individuals with L-CMD, we are particularly interested in applications that investigate or test therapeutic strategies targeting L-CMD‑associated cardiomyopathy, conduction defects, or other cardiac pathologies. However, proposals addressing skeletal muscle weakness alone or in combination with cardiomyopathy remain fully within scope.
Areas of Interest: We welcome proposals across the therapeutic development spectrum. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
Defining disease mechanisms — elucidating molecular, cellular, and system-level pathways that drive L-CMD pathology, including cardiac, skeletal muscle, and multisystem involvement.
Identifying therapeutic targets — discovering and validating novel drug targets, or developing gene therapy, gene‑editing, or gene‑modulation approaches with translational potential.
Testing therapeutic strategies — evaluating interventions aimed at improving any aspect of disease burden, including cardiac function, muscle weakness, respiratory insufficiency, contractures, or other incapacitating consequences of LMNA mutations.
In addition, we will consider applications that create, refine, or expand disease models, such as humanized animal models, patient‑derived cellular systems, or other platforms that enable mechanistic or translational research. We also encourage proposals focused on biomarker discovery, cardiac or neuromuscular outcome measures, or other tools that strengthen the field’s ability to assess therapeutic impact and advance L-CMD toward clinical trial readiness.
Funding is available for research projects focused on the Dystroglycanopathies, up to $50,000 for up to Two Years.
Purpose: The goal of this funding opportunity is to advance our understanding of congenital α‑dystroglycanopathies and to accelerate the development of meaningful therapeutic strategies with translational potential. We seek proposals that elucidate underlying disease mechanisms, drive preclinical therapeutic development, and support the translation of promising approaches toward clinical application.
Although muscle weakness is a hallmark of α‑dystroglycanopathies, most congenital forms also involve significant abnormalities in brain development, often presenting as cognitive impairment, seizures, and visual dysfunction. These neurological complications represent a major source of burden for affected individuals and their families.
To ensure that research efforts reflect the full spectrum of disease impact, we strongly encourage applications that investigate the cognitive and neural manifestations of α‑dystroglycanopathy, either as a primary focus or in combination with muscle‑directed approaches. We also welcome therapeutic research with potential platform applicability, recognizing that the numerous genes associated with α‑DG may benefit from such technical and regulatory advantage.
Areas of Interest: We welcome proposals across the therapeutic development spectrum. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
Defining disease mechanisms — elucidating molecular, cellular, and system-level pathways that drive congenital α‑dystroglycanopathies, including both muscle and CNS involvement.
Identifying therapeutic targets — discovering and validating novel drug targets, or developing gene therapy, gene‑editing, or gene‑modulation, or other platform‑oriented therapeutic strategies with translational potential.
Testing therapeutic approaches — evaluating strategies aimed at improving any aspect of disease burden, including muscle weakness and the broader incapacitating consequences of αDG (e.g., cognitive impairment, seizures, visual dysfunction, cardiac involvement, respiratory insufficiency, or contractures).
In addition, we will consider applications that create, refine, or expand disease models, such as 3D mini‑brains, humanized animal models, and patient‑derived cellular systems. We also encourage proposals focused on biomarker discovery, functional outcome measures, or other tools that strengthen the field’s ability to assess therapeutic impact and advance congenital‑onset αDG toward clinical trial readiness.
Application & Grant Details
Applicants must:
Hold an MD, PhD, or equivalent degree, and have an independent research laboratory at an accredited scientific institution.
Assume administrative and financial responsibility for the grant.
Have access to institutional resources necessary for successful project execution.
There are no geographic restrictions.
A two-page LOI is required by Monday, July 27, 2026 prior to submitting a full proposal. LOIs should include:
Lay Summary: Briefly describe the project and its potential impact on therapeutic development in simple terms.
Introduction: Provide background and significance of the research.
Specific Aims: Clearly outline the research goals.
Methodology: Briefly describe the research material & methods.
Budget & Key Personnel: Briefly describe the overall budget you will request and the key personnel, with affiliations, involved in the proposed project.
Applicants chosen to submit a full application (deadline: Monday, September 14, 2026), will be provided an application template that will include the following:
Abstracts
Lay Abstract: 300 words summarizing the research in non-technical language.
Scientific Abstract: 300 words outlining the study's aims, significance, methodology, and expected outcomes.
Research Plan (Maximum 5 pages, excluding references & appendices)
Hypothesis & Specific Aims (1 page max)
Clearly state the hypothesis and research objectives.
Background & Significance (1 page max)
Describe the scientific rationale and potential impact on CMD treatment.
Preliminary Data (1 page max)
Summarize prior work, including relevant publications and supporting data.
Research Design & Methods (2 pages max)
Detail experimental approach, timeline, and methodologies.
Success Criteria (1 page max)
Define milestones, evaluation methods, and statistical analyses.
References (1 page max)
Appendices (1 page max)
If needed, add an Appendix including more detailed preliminary results (1 page max).
Proof of regulatory approvals of clinical and animal studies.
Team & Budget
Research Team: Description of key personnel, roles, and NIH-format biosketches.
Budget & Justification: Personnel, equipment, supplies, and other expenses.
A maximum of 10% Indirect Costs will be allowed.
Grant Funding Terms & Reporting include the following:
Written progress reports and virtual check-ins are required semiannually (template will be provided).
Clinical and animal studies require regulatory approvals before funding is initiated.
All funded projects will abide by our Grant Guidelines and Grant Policies, please review these before submitting your application.
After reviewing the submitted LOIs (deadline: 27 July 2026), invited applicants will receive by email the Cure CMD Grant Application Template.
Deadline for submission is 14 September 2026.
Cure CMD will fund direct costs, and up to 10% indirect costs.
Grant proposals may not exceed 24 months in duration.
Awardees are required to complete semi-annual research updates in the form of a brief written progress report and submit it at grants@curecmd.org (template will be provided by Cure CMD). Awardees are also required to discuss a slide presentation via video conference between investigator(s) and Cure CMD’s Scientific Director, Dr. Gustavo Dziewczapolski. The slide deck must be received no less than 48 hours prior to the conference call at grants@curecmd.org
Grant awards are made in semi-annual allocations for the duration of the grant. Following the initial payment, all subsequent payments are contingent upon receipt and satisfactory review of semi-annual research updates. Cure CMD reserves the right to terminate any grant award for inadequate progress, failure to submit semi-annual updates, or deviation in scope of the original research without seeking prior approval to do so.
A detailed budget & justification must be submitted with all proposals. Allowable expenses include but are not limited to: laboratory reagents and supplies; animal, tissue and cell expenses; personnel costs/salary. A maximum of 10% Indirect Costs/Overhead will be allowed. Expenses not allowed include: travel to meetings and conferences, membership to scientific societies.
If human subjects are used in the proposed study, the study must be approved by the investigator’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). Funding will not be provided until proof of IRB approval is demonstrated. Human subjects studied during research conducted for this grant are under no circumstances the responsibility of Cure CMD.
If animals are used in the proposed study, the study must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (or equivalent) indicating that appropriate precautions have been taken to ensure that proper treatment, care, and humane conditions have been provided. Funding will not be provided until proof of committee approval is demonstrated.
Research Grants will be peer reviewed by Cure CMD’s Scientific Advisory Board and external reviewers as required, with announcement of award recipients on or before October 16, 2026. The earliest funding allocations will begin November 15, 2026, and every six months thereafter for the duration of the grant, pending receipt and approval of semi-annual research updates.
Protecting the rights and welfare of human research participants is a top priority of Cure CMD. We require that all institutions maintain appropriate policies and procedures for the protection of human subjects. In addition, Cure CMD encourages a research environment in which ethical and productive investigation is valued. If applicable, a copy of the informed consent form for any human subjects for the project as well as proof of current project approval by an Institutional Review Board (or similar oversight committee) must be provided to Cure CMD before funding for a project will be released.
Similarly, all projects must conform to regulations for the safe and humane treatment of animals. Specifically, Cure CMD stipulates that animals may be used in funded research only when no other means of obtaining scientifically sound, valid, and useful results are available. Furthermore, only the minimum number of appropriate animals required to obtain and validate results should be used; and in cases requiring the death of an animal, only the most appropriate and humane form of animal sacrifice consistent with the purpose of the research shall be employed.
It is Cure CMD’s expectation that any results and accomplishments from research it has funded will be made public, preferably through a high quality, peer-reviewed journal article and preferably with open access, in order to maximize progress toward understanding treatments for CMD. Cure CMD also expects that products resulting from research funded by the organization will be made available to other researchers on a reasonable basis. Cure CMD considers a one-year period of exclusivity for the creator laboratory to be reasonable. Furthermore, it is expected that such products will be made available to non-commercial laboratories at cost, and to commercial enterprises for a reasonable licensing fee.
Cure CMD will not challenge any decision concerning patent applications that might be made by a grantee for inventions resulting from work performed under a Cure CMD research grant. All inventions or discoveries made in whole or in part with funding from Cure CMD must be reported to Cure CMD at the earliest practical time. The grantee must also notify Cure CMD immediately of any decision to apply for a patent or other legal protection. This information will be kept confidential.
In any published report of research, funded in part or in whole by Cure CMD, the organization must be cited as a source of funds and sent a copy of the publication.
Within 60 days following the end of the grant period, the principal investigator is required to submit a final written report on the research that resulted from the grant. This final report should include an updated Impact Statement and a Lay Summary of the results to be shared publicly with the CMD community.
A final detailed accounting of funds spent must be provided within 60 days following the end of the grant period. If the grant period is longer than one year, annual financial reports must also be filed on the grant commencement anniversary. At the end of the grant period, any unused funds must be returned to Cure CMD, unless a detailed request for a no-cost extension is provided and approved prior to the end of the grant period.
Any change in a budget category equal to or greater than 10% of the total research grant must be requested in writing by the principal investigator and approved by Cure CMD’s Board of Directors prior to being executed.
Cure CMD must be notified immediately following any change of either the principal investigator or the institution with which they are associated, or if the investigator will be absent from the institution for more than 30 days. Cure CMD reserves the right to subsequently request a written status report on the progress of the funded research project, as well as an accounting of funds spent, to determine the final dispensation of any funds remaining in either circumstance.
Cure CMD reserves the right to suspend or cancel a grant at any time, at its sole discretion, for failure to abide by Cure CMD research grant policies. Upon receiving notice of project suspension or cancellation, financial support for any further work on the project will cease. The principal investigator must then submit a project status report, and the institution must submit a complete accounting of funds expended to date. All unused funds must be returned to Cure CMD immediately.
A grantee may terminate a grant by sending notice in writing to Cure CMD, providing both a written accounting of funds expended to date and a project status report, and returning all unused funds to Cure CMD.
To properly evaluate applications, each proposal will be reviewed by members of Cure CMD’s Scientific Advisory Board who have not also submitted applications in a competing category. Outside reviewers will be utilized to supplement SAB peer review. The applicant may furnish Cure CMD with a list of 3 individuals who would be appropriate outside reviewers. These individuals must be qualified to review your application, have not worked with or for you during the prior three years, and have no conflict of
interest. In addition, at the time of submission, the applicant may identify any potential reviewers whose review would constitute a conflict of interest.
Some information about research grants awarded by Cure CMD will be made available to its constituents and to the general public. This information will include the title of the project, the principal investigator, the grantee institution, the amount of the grant award, the impact statement, and the lay and technical abstracts provided as part of the grant application. No privileged or confidential information or trade secrets previously identified as such will be divulged.
The nature of this arrangement is a funding agreement; no employment or agency relationship is hereby created.
The principal investigator and grantee institution indemnify and hold harmless Cure CMD, its board, officers, employees, agents, advisors, and constituents from any claim, judgment, awarded damage, settlement, liability negligence, or malpractice arising from research or investigation in relation to a research grant funded by Cure CMD.
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