Request for Proposals (RFP)
The Kissick Family Foundation Frontotemporal Dementia Grant Program intends to award up to five two-year research grants led by doctoral-level investigators at qualifying research-based institutions worldwide. Projects will be eligible for up to $500,000 in funding over two years, inclusive of indirect costs.
Please download the RFP for further details.
To be eligible for this opportunity, a letter of intent of up to 750 words is due by Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Full proposals for selected applicants are due Tuesday, February 9, 2027. All materials should be submitted on this page through the program's SurveyMonkey Apply portal.
To learn more about this opportunity, researchers are invited to join an informational webinar on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 11 a.m. EDT. A registration link for the webinar can be found here.
About FTD
FTD is a family of neurodegenerative conditions that cause changes in behavior, mood, executive function, language, memory, and motor function. Based on brain pathology, FTD could account for as many as 10–20 percent of all dementia cases. The disease is underdiagnosed, and a true global prevalence estimate is hindered by a general lack of awareness and the complex nature of its detection. The hallmark biological trait of FTD is a progressive deterioration of the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes, but specific biomarkers or treatments for FTD have not been developed. Research into FTD linked to the known autosomal dominant genes GRN, MAPT, and C9orf72 drives most of the current scientific development. Yet only about 25–30 percent of patients have identified genetic causes, pointing to the need for targeted research to understand sporadic FTD that occurs outside of the autosomal dominant forms.
Scientific Scope
The Kissick Family Foundation FTD Grant Program aims to accelerate basic discoveries, introduce novel research approaches, and, ultimately, improve patient outcomes for people living with FTD. A broad range of topics is responsive to this call. For example, proposals may target the disease’s basic biology, propose computational and data-driven approaches that can generate new insights, develop and validate biomarkers that can be used to diagnose and track disease progression more effectively, or preclinically assess novel therapeutic targets.
All responsive applications must examine factors that are not exclusive to the autosomal dominant genetic pathways and instead must have clear relevance to sporadic FTD. Emerging scientific evidence suggests that genetically autosomal dominant and sporadic FTD share common biological processes, such as pathological protein aggregation, impaired cellular waste management, and neuroinflammation; further study of these and other cellular mechanisms is in scope for this program and may accelerate discovery in all forms of FTD research.
Additionally, projects may include the use of GRN, MAPT, or C9orf72 models with justification of how findings will inform sporadic FTD beyond known genetic causes. We encourage applications targeting any proteinopathies or molecular subtypes of sporadic FTD and recognize that insights from rarer proteinopathies may also advance understanding of broader FTD mechanisms. Finally, computational approaches using datasets that include other dementias or neurodegenerative diseases are welcome, but applications should specifically indicate their relevance to sporadic FTD.
We will prioritize proposals that use intentionally creative approaches and interrogate emerging hypotheses to advance the fundamental understanding of sporadic FTD. Informed by the current state of the field, example topics include but are not restricted to:
Interactions between co-pathologies and their influence on disease progression
Computational approaches, including AI and machine learning, to uncover hidden patterns in complex datasets, enhance biomarker discovery, and enable predictive modeling of FTD
Clinical biomarkers—including fluid (e.g., CSF, blood), imaging-based, proteomic, and genetic markers—to support early diagnosis, disease staging, patient stratification, and progression monitoring
Synaptic dysfunction and alterations in neural circuitry as early contributors to FTD pathogenesis
Innovative approaches to identify novel genetic risk factors and/or disease pathways implicated in sporadic FTD
Proteinopathies and molecular subtypes that define distinct forms of FTD and inform targeted therapeutic development
Novel neuroimaging methods and modalities that enable tracking of FTD-related changes in living tissue
Microglia and other non-neuronal cells implicated in FTD pathogenesis
Environmental and exposome-related factors that influence disease risk, onset, or progression
Development and application of innovative experimental models, including models that more faithfully recapitulate sporadic FTD biology
This list of topics should be considered non-exhaustive and illustrative; we welcome any novel, insightful, and high-quality research that advances our understanding of sporadic FTD.
We also encourage applicants from outside traditional FTD research domains or disciplinary origins, including investigators working with emerging technologies, novel tools, or methodologies that could be applied to FTD, even if not previously used in this context. This includes, but is not limited to, researchers in computational biology, imaging, AI/machine learning, immunology, structural biology, systems neuroscience, and biophysics. Regardless of the applicant’s discipline, representation on the investigative team should include sufficient knowledge of FTD biology.
Finally, the Kissick Family Foundation is committed to cultivating a robust and diverse FTD research ecosystem and therefore strongly encourages early-career and newly independent investigators to apply.
Kissick Family Foundation Frontotemporal Dementia Grant Program
Request for Proposals (RFP)
The Kissick Family Foundation Frontotemporal Dementia Grant Program intends to award up to five two-year research grants led by doctoral-level investigators at qualifying research-based institutions worldwide. Projects will be eligible for up to $500,000 in funding over two years, inclusive of indirect costs.
Please download the RFP for further details.
To be eligible for this opportunity, a letter of intent of up to 750 words is due by Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Full proposals for selected applicants are due Tuesday, February 9, 2027. All materials should be submitted on this page through the program's SurveyMonkey Apply portal.
To learn more about this opportunity, researchers are invited to join an informational webinar on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 11 a.m. EDT. A registration link for the webinar can be found here.
About FTD
FTD is a family of neurodegenerative conditions that cause changes in behavior, mood, executive function, language, memory, and motor function. Based on brain pathology, FTD could account for as many as 10–20 percent of all dementia cases. The disease is underdiagnosed, and a true global prevalence estimate is hindered by a general lack of awareness and the complex nature of its detection. The hallmark biological trait of FTD is a progressive deterioration of the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes, but specific biomarkers or treatments for FTD have not been developed. Research into FTD linked to the known autosomal dominant genes GRN, MAPT, and C9orf72 drives most of the current scientific development. Yet only about 25–30 percent of patients have identified genetic causes, pointing to the need for targeted research to understand sporadic FTD that occurs outside of the autosomal dominant forms.
Scientific Scope
The Kissick Family Foundation FTD Grant Program aims to accelerate basic discoveries, introduce novel research approaches, and, ultimately, improve patient outcomes for people living with FTD. A broad range of topics is responsive to this call. For example, proposals may target the disease’s basic biology, propose computational and data-driven approaches that can generate new insights, develop and validate biomarkers that can be used to diagnose and track disease progression more effectively, or preclinically assess novel therapeutic targets.
All responsive applications must examine factors that are not exclusive to the autosomal dominant genetic pathways and instead must have clear relevance to sporadic FTD. Emerging scientific evidence suggests that genetically autosomal dominant and sporadic FTD share common biological processes, such as pathological protein aggregation, impaired cellular waste management, and neuroinflammation; further study of these and other cellular mechanisms is in scope for this program and may accelerate discovery in all forms of FTD research.
Additionally, projects may include the use of GRN, MAPT, or C9orf72 models with justification of how findings will inform sporadic FTD beyond known genetic causes. We encourage applications targeting any proteinopathies or molecular subtypes of sporadic FTD and recognize that insights from rarer proteinopathies may also advance understanding of broader FTD mechanisms. Finally, computational approaches using datasets that include other dementias or neurodegenerative diseases are welcome, but applications should specifically indicate their relevance to sporadic FTD.
We will prioritize proposals that use intentionally creative approaches and interrogate emerging hypotheses to advance the fundamental understanding of sporadic FTD. Informed by the current state of the field, example topics include but are not restricted to:
Interactions between co-pathologies and their influence on disease progression
Computational approaches, including AI and machine learning, to uncover hidden patterns in complex datasets, enhance biomarker discovery, and enable predictive modeling of FTD
Clinical biomarkers—including fluid (e.g., CSF, blood), imaging-based, proteomic, and genetic markers—to support early diagnosis, disease staging, patient stratification, and progression monitoring
Synaptic dysfunction and alterations in neural circuitry as early contributors to FTD pathogenesis
Innovative approaches to identify novel genetic risk factors and/or disease pathways implicated in sporadic FTD
Proteinopathies and molecular subtypes that define distinct forms of FTD and inform targeted therapeutic development
Novel neuroimaging methods and modalities that enable tracking of FTD-related changes in living tissue
Microglia and other non-neuronal cells implicated in FTD pathogenesis
Environmental and exposome-related factors that influence disease risk, onset, or progression
Development and application of innovative experimental models, including models that more faithfully recapitulate sporadic FTD biology
This list of topics should be considered non-exhaustive and illustrative; we welcome any novel, insightful, and high-quality research that advances our understanding of sporadic FTD.
We also encourage applicants from outside traditional FTD research domains or disciplinary origins, including investigators working with emerging technologies, novel tools, or methodologies that could be applied to FTD, even if not previously used in this context. This includes, but is not limited to, researchers in computational biology, imaging, AI/machine learning, immunology, structural biology, systems neuroscience, and biophysics. Regardless of the applicant’s discipline, representation on the investigative team should include sufficient knowledge of FTD biology.
Finally, the Kissick Family Foundation is committed to cultivating a robust and diverse FTD research ecosystem and therefore strongly encourages early-career and newly independent investigators to apply.