The Orphan Disease Center (ODC) at the University of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with the Loulou Foundation, is pleased to announce the 2024 CDKL5 Program of Excellence Pilot Grant Program.
The deadline for the Letters of Interest (LOIs) is Friday, February 16, 2024, 5pm EST.
CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (CDD) is a monogenic, neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by treatment-resistant epilepsy and severe neurodevelopmental delay. The disease is caused by loss-of-function mutations in a protein kinase called CDKL5 which is responsible for normal neuronal function.
On behalf of our member institutions, we are pleased to share the call for grant applications that progress the discovery or development of treatments and/or cures for CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder. Because many gaps still remain in understanding the biology of CDKL5 and its role in neurological development and function, applications that address such gaps in basic science are welcome, provided that they are tethered to the development of a potential therapy.
The 2024 CDKL5 Pilot Grant Program Request for Applications (RFA) is available here. The priority will be given to grants that cover the following areas:
- Novel therapeutic approaches for CDD
- Establishment of the link between molecular function of CDKL5 and disease pathophysiology
- Systems biology and computational modeling approaches
- Discovery and validation of CDKL5 biomarkers (molecular and functional)
Grant criteria, the entire RFA, and additional program details can be found here.