Cure SMA is pleased to announce that they are accepting grant applications for funding of research projects and postdoctoral fellowships, under a competitive review by their Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

View the SAB roster

Timeline: 

• RFP Release Date: June 15, 2026  
• Proposal Due Date: September 4, 2026 (midnight ET)  
• Award Notification: By January 1, 2027  

For more information or if you have questions, please contact Jackie Glascock PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at  

To Apply:

Cure SMA is now utilizing Proposal Central for all applications. Please click here to be directed to this funding opportunity. For questions pertaining to grants, please contact

Program Overview:  

The deadline for submission is Friday, September 4, 2026. We anticipate awarding $1,000,000 in total funding comprised of 6-7 grants. Historically, Cure SMA is able to fund ~25% of proposals submitted each funding round.  

Research Grant Funding:  

Applications will be accepted for one or two years of funding with a maximum funding level per year of $75,000 and a total award of $150,000 (including 8% overhead) over the duration of the entire project. Both primary investigators and postdoctoral fellows are encouraged to apply. Please note the postdoctoral applicants must include a letter of support from their supervisor.  

Scientific Priorities:  

Cure SMA encourages applications on novel research that will enhance our understanding of SMA disease pathology at the molecular, cellular, and biochemical level; generate key reagents and tools to facilitate drug development and clinical trials; and identify new therapeutic strategies for SMA. Particular interests exist in understanding mechanisms underlying the pathology of disease and/or identifying drug targets synergistic with SMN-upregulating therapeutics for use in older/symptomatic patients. Cure SMA welcomes high risk, high reward projects and values the ability to provide seed funding for these types of exploratory projects. Please note that all projects, including those that are high risk, are generally not awarded maximum funding without compelling preliminary data.  

• Application Process: Please click here to view the full RFP and link to apply within the Proposal Central platform.  
• Review Criteria: All applications are reviewed by our Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), on both scientific quality and relevance to the Cure SMA research mission of accelerating the discovery of safe and effective treatments for SMA.  

Cure SMA’s basic research RFP is now open. Please see the full RFP here. Email Cure SMA’s research team at  with any questions. You can apply for funding here.