Bridge Funding for Disrupted Neurodegenerative Research Grant Program (BFDN)

The Bridge Funding for Disrupted Neurodegenerative Research (BFDN) program supports continuity of career support for early-career researchers whose neurodegenerative-disease research has been disrupted by recent changes in US federal research funding. It funds salary and other direct costs of research projects, for bridge periods of three to 12 months, for US and international projects. Proposed budgets should not exceed US$250,000, and the applicant's institution must commit up to 25% cost share, which can be financial, protected time or other support. Letters of intent are due by 5 p.m. ET on 29 January 2027 and 30 April 2027 (earlier rounds closed 30 July and 30 October 2026); invited applicants receive a full-application deadline within four weeks of invitation, and award notifications come within three months of LOI submission. Letters of intent go through ProposalCentral; full applications are submitted through ProposalCentral (Alzheimer's Association) or SmartSimple (The Michael J. Fox Foundation).

Applicants must be within seven years of their designation as an Early Stage Investigator (ESI) under the NIH definition and must demonstrate research disruption caused by recent US federal funding challenges, providing the federal agency review, communication or summary statement that documents the delay. Projects that were not funded because of specific payline cutoffs are not supported. The institution must commit up to 25% cost share. Full eligibility criteria are in the RFA.