Contract Research Organization (CRO) Grant

The MS Society of Canada is pleased to announce the launch of a new research funding competition – the Contract Research Organization (CRO) Grant. The CRO Grant will enable principal investigators to apply for funding to pay for specific research services offered by CROs and specialized drug discovery and development organizations, with the aim of advancing research and development of treatments for progressive MS.

CROs have emerged as valuable partners in drug development, as they possess the expertise and infrastructure to conduct scientific experiments that test, validate and de-risk early stage drug discoveries. CROs offer a range of services that reduce time and costs associated with drug discovery research. In addition, they offer a high standard of quality which diminishes the chances of error and eliminates the need for hiring and training research staff.

For details please review the Request for Applications.

Amount and Term

Applicants can request a maximum of up to 100,000 CAD to pay for CRO services for up to a 1 year term. Budget breakdown and adequate justification of expenses and selection of CRO must be provided in the application.

Eligibility

Interested applicants must be eligible by their host institutions to apply for and hold a grant, and must hold a faculty appointment at a Canadian institution. The CRO does not have to be based in Canada.

CRO Services which are deemed eligible for funding are:

  • Experiments intended to optimize the therapeutic potential of fundamental progressive MS research findings, and move them through the critical early stages of drug discovery (target validation, screening, hit to lead identification, lead optimization, candidate selection, etc.). Examples include:
    • Target validation assays
    • Library screens
    • Pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics studies
    • Toxicology studies

Other services such as project management or consulting fees, experiments that cannot be conducted at the investigator’s host institution, or highly specialized experiments that only the selected CRO can perform, may be considered provided that the applicant has provided adequate justification.

Application Timeline

This is an open competition with no set deadline. Interested candidates can submit an application at any time unless otherwise stated. Review of applications will take place at the following scheduled Translational and Commercial Research Advisory Committee (TCRAC) meeting.