DoD Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Therapeutic Idea Award

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The ALSRP Therapeutic Idea Award (TIA) mechanism was first offered in FY10. Since then, 113 TIA applications have been received, and 11 have been recommended for funding. The TIA is designed to promote new ideas that are still in the early stages of development with the potential to yield highly impactful data and new avenues of investigation for novel therapeutics for ALS treatment. This mechanism supports conceptually innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that could ultimately lead to critical discoveries or major advancement in ALS therapeutics. Proposed research projects should include a well-formulated, testable hypothesis based on strong scientific rationale that holds translational potential to improve ALS treatment and/or advances a novel treatment modality. Projects that focus primarily on investigating the pathophysiology of ALS are outside the scientific scope of this mechanism. Presentation of preliminary data is not consistent with the intent of the Therapeutic Idea Award mechanism. While the inclusion of preliminary data is not prohibited, the strength of the application should not rely on preliminary data. Innovation and impact are the most important aspects of the TIA. Innovation: Research deemed innovative may introduce a new paradigm, challenge current paradigms, introduce novel concepts or agents, or exhibit other uniquely creative qualities that may lead to potential therapeutics for ALS. The following list, although not all-inclusive, provides examples of research that is NOT innovative and will not be considered for funding under this mechanism: • Investigating the next logical step or continuation of a previous or ongoing research project. • Proposing work that is an incremental advancement of published data. • Proposing a project whose scope is primarily small-molecule or genomic/proteomic screening. • Exploring a previously tested hypothesis in a different cell line or in a new population. • Using a published series of in vitro assays to further characterize a model system. • Incorporating known biomarkers into in vitro or clinical models of ALS. Impact: The ALSRP TIA aims to support research that has high potential to significantly impact development of therapeutics for ALS. Potential therapeutic impact as well as steps toward clinical translation of projected study outcomes should be outlined in the Impact/Transition Statement (Attachment 6) for the application.

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