Available Grant Programs
For Fiscal Year 2025-2026
APDA proudly invests in the most promising clinicians and scientific projects focused on the discovery of the cause(s) and finding the cure for Parkinson’s disease. APDA is committed to scientific research and has been a funding partner in most major Parkinson’s disease scientific breakthroughs investing more than $62 million in research since 1961. Many APDA-funded researchers have successfully leveraged pilot data to secure multimillion-dollar grants through the National Institutes of Health.
Available Grant Programs
APDA’s focus is to bring the best new talent to the field of Parkinson’s disease research through the following grant programs:
George C. Cotzias, MD, Memorial Fellowships:
Academic Years 2025-2028
Letter of Intent due: Dec 16, 2024
Invitation for full application: Early February 2025
Full Application due: April 2025
Dr. George C. Cotzias was a pathfinder in the pharmacologic exploration of brain function and in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease with levodopa. The American Parkinson Disease Association established the George C. Cotzias Memorial Fellowship to honor the memory of the late Dr. Cotzias and to stimulate young neurologists to follow his leadership.
A Cotzias applicant must be a physician who is licensed to practice medicine in the US and who is completing, or has completed, training in a clinical discipline concerned with disorders of the nervous system (i.e. adult neurology, child neurology, neurosurgery, neuropathology).
One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) will be awarded each year for salary and research expenses for three consecutive years (totaling $300,000), provided that the required conditions are met to the satisfaction of the APDA Scientific Advisory Board and the APDA Board of Directors.
The applicants will receive notification of the decision in June 2025. The APDA grant years run from September 1 to August 31, 2025-2028.
Research Grants: Academic Year 2025-2026
Letter of Intent due: Dec 16, 2024.
Invitation for full application: Early February 2025
Full Application due: April 2025
One-year grants up to a maximum of $75,000 will be awarded to research scientists (MD, MD/PhD, or PhD).
APDA Research Grants are intended to support research aimed at developing new insights into the pathophysiology, etiology, and/or treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Grant proposals can address research questions anywhere along the pipeline from basic science to rehabilitation-focused projects. APDA seeks to promote the entry of new investigators into the field of Parkinson’s research, as well as to support important new ideas in the field.
The applicants will receive notification of the decision in June 2025. The APDA grant year runs from September 1 to August 31, 2025-2026.
APDA Diversity in Parkinson’s Disease Research Grant:
Academic Year 2025-2026
Letter of Intent due: Dec 16, 2024.
Invitation for full application: Early February 2025
Full Application due: April 2025
One-year grant up to a maximum of $75,000 will be awarded to research scientists (MD, MD/PhD, or PhD).
The APDA Diversity in PD Research Grant is a one-year grant to study the health inequities and/or differences among under-studied PD communities, across the spectrum of ethnicity, ancestry, geography, socioeconomic conditions, and gender. This award is open to all researchers.
Current research has established the following:
- Diagnosis of PD among some under-studied communities is delayed.
- Some under-studied communities are less likely to receive quality PD care.
- Clinical trial enrollment among certain under-studied communities does not match their representation in the population.
- Differences among various under-studied PD populations have not been fully explored.
Projects should address one of these four issues. Projects can be designed to detect inequities or differences, understand the reasons for the inequities or differences, or test an intervention to improve disparities.
The applicants will receive notification of the decision in June 2025. The APDA grant year runs from September 1 to August 31, 2025-2026.
Post-Doctoral Fellowships: Academic Years 2025-2027
Letter of Intent due: Dec 16, 2024.
Invitation for full application: Early February 2025
Full Application due: April 2025
Two-year fellowships up to a maximum of $50,000 per year will be awarded to post-doctoral (MD, MD/PhD, or PhD) research trainees.
APDA Post-doc Fellowships are intended to support post-doctoral trainees at U.S. research institutions whose research training focuses on new insights into the pathophysiology, etiology, and/or treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Proposals can address research questions anywhere along the pipeline from basic science to rehabilitation-focused projects.
The applicants will receive notification of the decision in June 2025. The APDA grant year runs from September 1 to August 31, 2025-2027.
APDA Social Sciences in PD Research Grant
Letter of intent due – December 16th, 2024
Invitation for full application – February, 2025
Full application due – April, 2025
Beyond the clinical symptoms of PD, individuals and their care partners are often socially challenged with issues like stigma, isolation, and a lack of accessible support networks. These social issues can exacerbate the already considerable burden of the disease, leading to a diminished quality of life for those affected.
This year, APDA is pleased to announce our fifth grant category: the Social Sciences in PD Research Grant. It is a one-year grant of up to a maximum of $75,000, awarded to research scientists studying social issues related to PD in the United States. Researchers from various fields including sociology, psychology, public health, health communication, social work, health policy and management, gerontology, rehabilitation science, physical therapy, occupational therapy, etc. may wish to apply.
The applicants will receive notification of the decision in June 2025. The APDA grant year runs from September 1 to August 31, 2025-2026.
Review Process and the APDA Scientific Advisory Board
American Parkinson Disease Association grants are awarded through a competitive application process and reviewed by APDA’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB is comprised of scientists with nationally recognized expertise in a variety of leading-edge research areas within the field of Parkinson’s disease. A rigorous review and scoring process of the applications is conducted by the SAB when it convenes annually to review the proposals.
More Information
For further information please contact Dr. Elvin Yao, Senior Programs and Research Manager at eyao@apdaparkinson.org