NTSAD Grant Opportunities
Learn More about Funding for Research on Tay-Sachs, Canavan, GM1 Gangliosidosis, and Sandhoff Diseases
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Since its inception in 2002, the National Tay-Sachs & Allied Diseases Association (NTSAD) Research Initiative has awarded more than 75 grants and provided more than $5.1 million in funding. The data generated in some of these projects funded by NTSAD grant opportunities were leveraged to obtain future funding from larger National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, resulting in over $30 million toward finding cures.
Research Initiative Program
The NTSAD Research Initiative program funds cutting-edge research to find treatments and cures for Tay-Sachs, Canavan, GM1 gangliosidosis, and Sandhoff diseases. Investigators who work on projects relevant to our mission are encouraged to apply for NTSAD grant opportunities. Proposals are evaluated by members of our Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) and the Research Committee, which is made up of our Community members.
Current NTSAD Grant Opportunities
Annual Request for Proposals
Every autumn, we issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for innovative research projects that study Tay-Sachs, Canavan, GM1, and Sandhoff diseases. During some grant cycles, we highlight particular areas of funding interest, such as translational and clinical studies.
Off-Cycle Grants
NTSAD also supports off-cycle grants, travel awards, and special projects that fit within our research priorities.
If you are conducting research related to Tay-Sachs, Canavan, GM1, or Sandhoff diseases, please contact our Research Director, Valerie Greger (vgreger@ntsad.org) about submitting a proposal for NTSAD grant opportunities.
How to Apply
The 2025 NTSAD Research Initiative Program Request for Proposals (RFP) is now open.
We are currently soliciting proposals for innovative research projects. Due to prior commitments to support ongoing GM1 and GM2 research, this year’s request for proposals is focused on research on Canavan Disease only. We are interested in all aspects of therapeutic discovery. Basic research and translational studies are strongly encouraged to generate strong preliminary data to enable major funding by other third parties in the future.
Letters of intent will be accepted through 5:00pm EST on December 2, 2024.
Download the instructions to apply here.
2024 Grant Recipients
Amanda Gross, PhD, Auburn University, and Jessica Larsen, PhD, Clemson University
Project
Nanoparticle Distributed Intravenous EnzymeAccording to Genome.gov, an enzyme is a biological catalyst and is almost always a protein. It speeds up the rate of a specific chemical reaction in the cell. The enzyme is not destroyed during the reaction and is used over and over. More Replacement Therapy (NanoDIVERT) for Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases
Project Type
Basic Research
Angela Gritti, PhD, IRCCS, Ospedale San Raffaele
Project
Enhancing the therapeutic potential of hematopoietic stem cell geneOften referred to as the "unit of heredity." A gene is composed of a sequence of DNA required to produce a functional protein. therapy to treat GM2 gangliosidosis (Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff)
Project Type
Gene and Cell Therapy
Past Grant Recipients
Discover the innovative Research Initiative program grants funded in prior cycles. Download the complete list of grant recipients since 2002.
| Year | Investigators | Project | Type of Project |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Amanda Nagy, MD and Florian Eichler, MD Massachusetts General Hospital |
Characterization of Progressive Neuroimaging and Pathologic Changes in Canavan Disease | n/a |
| 2023 | Jennifer Kwon, MD and Julie Kissell, PhD candidate University of Wisconsin |
Development of a Disease-Specific Clinical Rating Scale for the Late-Onset GM2 Gangliosidoses | n/a |
| 2023 | Dominic Gessler, MD and Guangping Gao, PhD UMass Medical |
Non-Invasive MRI-based Therapeutic Outcome Prediction Modeling Using Machine Learning | n/a |
| 2022 | Elise Townsend, DPT, PhD, PCS Massachusetts General Hospital |
Construction and Validation of the Infantile GM2 Rating Scale | Clinical Trial Readiness |
| 2022 | Amanda Gross, PhD Auburn University |
Dual Site Administration of AAV Gene Therapy for the Treatment of Feline GM1 Gangliosidosis | Gene Therapy |
| 2022 | Michael Gelb, PhD & Hamid Khaledi, PhD GelbChem |
Newborn Screening Assay Development (bridge grant) | Diagnostics |
| 2018 | Tony Futerman, PhD Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel |
Role of microglia in Sandhoff disease pathology | Basic Research |
| 2018 | Alessandra d’Azzo, PhD St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital |
Role of the Plasma membrae-ER Contact Sites in GM1-mediated Neuronal Cell Death | Basic Research |
| 2018 | Xuntian Jiang, PhD Washington University |
Oligosaccharide BiomarkersA measurable substance in an organism whose presence is indicative of some phenomenon such as disease, infection, or environmental exposure. for Disease Progression and AAV Therapeutic Efficacy in GM1 Gangliosidosis | Biomarkers |
| 2017 | Miguel Sena-Esteves, PhD U Massachusetts Medical Center |
Accelerated program for CSF delivery of AAV gene therapy for Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff patients (off-cycle) | Gene Therapy |
| 2017 | Miguel Sena-Esteves, PhD U Massachusetts Medical Center |
Amendment to 2015 grant for Pre-Clinical studies (off-cycle) | – |
| 2017 | Alessandra Biffi, MD Children’s Hospital, Boston |
Proof of concept study of HSC gene therapy for Tay-Sachs disease gene and cell therapy | Gene and Cell Therapy |
| 2017 | Heather Gray-Edwards, PhD Auburn University |
Minimally invasive delivery of AAV gene therapy in the Tay-Sachs Sheep gene therapy | Gene Therapy |
| 2017 | Tim Wood, PhD Greenwood Genetic Center, SC Stephane Demotz, PhD Dorphan, Switzerland |
Development of a quantitative method for the determination of a pentasaccharide in GM1-gangliosidosis patient cells to assess the potential therapeutic efficacy of a beta-galactosidase pharmacological chaperone drug candidate | Biomarkers |
| 2016 | Beverly Davidson, PhD Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia |
Identifying Novel Therapeutics for Treating GM2 Gangliosidoses | Gene and Cell Therapy |
| 2016 | Angela Gritti, PhD San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Italy |
Novel combined gene-cell therapy strategies to provide full rescue of the Sandhoff pathological phenotype | – |
