The Global Leukodystrophy Initiative Clinical Trials Network (GLIA-CTN) is excited to announce several funded and unfunded grant opportunities for the FY27 performance period, which begins on September 1, 2026. Opportunities are designed for both scientific and non-scientific audiences with various levels of funded and unfunded support.
Please click the links below to navigate to and learn more about each award mechanism:
GLIA-CTN Career Development AwardFY27 Request For Applications (RFA)
Award Purpose: The GLIA-CTN Career Development Award is a mentored award designed to provide "protected time" for clinically trained individuals to receive supervised training in biomedical research related to leukodystrophies. A long-term goal is to establish a Leukodystrophy Center at each award recipient’s local institution. The award supports a period of supervised research, in conjunction with career development opportunities, for physician-scientists who require additional mentored training and support during development of an innovative research project.
Application Deadline: Applications must be received no later than February 28, 2026 (11:59PM EST).
Number of Awards: One GLIA-CTN Career Development Award will be awarded in FY27 with a start date no later than September 1, 2026.
Funding Period: Support will be provided for a one-year period.
Level of Support: The GLIA-CTN Career Development Award will provide up to $85,000 for research and salary, inclusive of appropriate fringe and indirect costs. We recommend that the applicant ask for a waiver of indirect costs. No greater than 8% indirect costs are permitted.
Eligibility Criteria: Candidates for the award must have a doctoral degree within the health professions (e.g., MD, DO, DDS, DMD, OD, DC, PharmD) and be actively affiliated with a US-based academic and/or health care institution. Individuals with degrees in nursing research and/or practice, who are licensed to practice clinically, may be eligible. There are also certain circumstances in which individuals with a PhD may be eligible, outlined below.
Innovative, early-stage applications addressing key knowledge gaps that are without evidence of alternate means of funding (i.e., “high-risk/high-yield”) are encouraged.
Eligible applications will meet the following key criteria.
The application must relate to a specific established leukodystrophy (see Vanderver et al., Mol Genet Metab. 2015; doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2015.01.006);
The application should include a preliminary feasibility assessment for the creation of a leukodystrophy center at the applicant’s institution. Preference will be given to applications that include an institutional letter of support to provide matching funding and resource allocation for the creation of such a center, including clinical care, diagnostic, and research resources that address the unique needs of patients with inherited white matter diseases;
The applicant must have adequate training to care for patients with leukodystrophy;
The application must include a pathway to additional funding or a subsequent career development award;
Although applicants must identify mentorship within the GLIA-CTN, co-mentorship beyond the GLIA-CTN will be permitted if appropriate to the scientific goals and academic development of the applicant;
The applicant must demonstrate willingness to collaborate with the GLIA-CTN in a sustainable way, including adoption of centralized/standardized data collection tools managed by the GLIA-CTN Biomedical Informatics and Statistical Core (BISC);
The applicant must be within five years of completion of last training (i.e., last clinical or research fellowship);
Applicants holding a PhD only must demonstrate integration with the clinical team at their site, as well as partnership with clinicians to facilitate the establishment of a local Leukodystrophy Center.
The applicant must describe scientific methods that demonstrate adequate rigor and replication to translate the proposed research project into future clinical studies (i.e., description of alternative approaches or “Go/No-Go” criteria).
Applications should also meet the following feasibility criteria.
The applicant must demonstrate approval by their local Institutional Review Board (IRB) and, if appropriate, their Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) prior to accepting award funding.
For pilot projects involving interventional approaches, the application must include a protocol synopsis and evidence of submission to appropriate regulatory bodies prior to submission.
International Applicants: At this time, only US-based investigators are eligible to apply for funding through a GLIA-CTN Career Development Award. We hope to be able to include international applicants in future award cycles. In the meantime, alternative funding mechanisms may be available to support international researchers interested in proposing either a new pilot project or collaborating on an existing project within one of the key disease areas outlined in Appendix A of the Request for Applications (RFA), available for download here. Please contact GLIA-CTN Administrative Director, Omar Sherbini, MPH, at email@theglia.org or 215-590-3068 for additional details.
Institutional Commitment: Successful applications will include an institutional letter of support outlining matching funding and resource allocation for the creation of a Leukodystrophy Center. Please see Eligibility Criteria for details.
Resource Utilization: Applications that include a plan to leverage central GLIA-CTN resources in one or more of the following ways will be prioritized:
Use of existing phenotype and longitudinal natural history previously collected through the consortium’s central repository, known as the Myelin Disorders Biorepository Project (MDBP);
Use of banked and/or prospectively collected biospecimen obtained by one or more clinical research centers currently participating in the GLIA-CTN;
Inclusion of one or more GLIA-CTN Principal and/or Site Investigators in project design and/or execution;
Inclusion of one or more GLIA-CTN Advocacy Committee Members/Organizations in project design and/or execution.
Reporting Requirements: Standard reporting requirements include the following.
A progress report will be expected at six (6) months following award, and a final report will be expected at twelve (12) months following award;
Funds will be disbursed within thirty (30) days of the project start date;
Publication in the form of an abstract at a national or international meeting or submission of a manuscript for publication is expected within twelve (12) months of completion of the award;
The awardee is expected to attend, and be prepared to discuss their career development project, at the GLIA-CTN Annual Instigator Meeting in Summer 2026, and attend the next GLIA Scientific Meeting in Spring 2027.
Data Sharing Requirements: IRB/IACUC protocols must include language that permits protected health information (PHI) to be shared with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and with the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC) designated by the National Institutes of Health.
Suggested Application Structure: The GLIA-CTN Career Development Committee recommends the following application structure.
Pilot Proposal (2-3 Pages): Background, Innovation, Approach (inc. Specific Aims, Preliminary Data and Methods), Project Timeline, and Future Directions;
Career and Program Development (2 Pages): Candidate Background and Goals, Training Objectives, GLIA-CTN Mentor, Coursework and Seminars, Leukodystrophy Program Development, Program Structure, and Future Development;
Bibliography (1 Page)*
*In standard NIH format per https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm.
Review Criteria: The following criteria will be considered during the review process.
Does the application meet the eligibility requirements?
Does the proposed research have the potential to improve care of patients?
Have efforts been made to connect with leaders in advocacy organization(s) related to the disease(s) of focus in the application, or is there a clearly outlined plan to do so?
Are the aims well defined?
Is the approach innovative?
Are the methods appropriate?
Will the collected data answer the stated aims?
Is the budget adequate and the timeline realistic?
Is there strong institutional support for creation of a local Leukodystrophy Center?
Review Process: All applications will undergo the following two-stage process.
Applicants will submit a first-round application for review by the GLIA-CTN Career Development Committee. Feedback will be provided to all applicants.
Applicants with strong proposals will be invited to incorporate the Committee’s feedback and submit a revised application for a second round of review.
Disorders/Topics of Interest: Proposals focused on leukodystrophies listed in Appendix A of the RFA will be given priority. Please click here for access to the full RFA. Applicants interested in other conditions should contact the GLIA-CTN Career Development Committee before submitting a new application.
Questions: Questions regarding the application requirements, submission guidelines, etc. may be directed to GLIA-CTN Administrative Director, Omar Sherbini, MPH at email@theglia.orgor 215-590-3068.
GLIA-CTN Pilot Project AwardFY27 Request For Applications (RFA)
Award Purpose: The primary goal of the GLIA-CTN Pilot Project Award is to generate preliminary research data needed to secure more substantial funding through traditional federal, institutional, and/or industry grant mechanisms. Recognizing the importance of creating a sustainable infrastructure for collaborative research and excellence in clinical care, the GLIA-CTN Pilot Project Award is designed to enhance clinical trial readiness in the leukodystrophies through clinical/translational research in biomarkers, or assays to assess therapeutics, or other initiatives directed towards clinical trial readiness.
A full-length copy of the RFA is available here.
Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Number of Awards: At least two GLIA-CTN Pilot Project Awards will be funded annually. Additional awards may be granted during a single funding period at the discretion of the GLIA-CTN Career Development Committee, and as permitted by available funding.
Funding Period: Support will be provided for a one-year period beginning no later than September 1, 2026.
Level of Support: The GLIA-CTN Pilot Project Award will provide up to $15,000 for research and salary, inclusive of appropriate fringe and indirect costs. We recommend that the applicant ask for a waiver of indirect costs. No greater than 8% indirect costs are permitted.
Eligibility Criteria: Candidates for the award must have a doctoral degree within the health professions (e.g., MD, DO, DDS, DMD, OD, DC, PharmD) and be actively affiliated with a US-based academic and/or health care institution. Individuals with degrees in nursing research and/or practice, who are licensed to practice clinically, may be eligible. There are also certain circumstances in which individuals with a PhD may be eligible, outlined below.
Innovative, early-stage applications addressing key knowledge gaps that are without evidence of alternate means of funding (i.e., “high-risk/high-yield”) are encouraged.
Eligible applications will meet the following key criteria.
The application must relate to a specific established leukodystrophy (see Vanderver et al., Mol Genet Metab. 2015; doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2015.01.006);
All projects must be performed using patient samples, imaging or clinical data. Please contact the GLIA-CTN to assess that the funding proposal is responsive to the overall funding structure of the Rare Disease Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) prior to submission;
The applicant must demonstrate willingness to collaborate with the GLIA-CTN in a sustainable way, including adoption of centralized/standardized data collection tools managed by the GLIA-CTN Biomedical Informatics and Statistical Core (BISC);
Applicants holding a PhD only must demonstrate integration with the clinical team at their site, as well as partnership with clinicians to facilitate the establishment of a local Leukodystrophy Center.
The applicant must describe scientific methods that demonstrate adequate rigor and replication to translate the proposed research project into future clinical studies (i.e., description of alternative approaches or “Go/No-Go” criteria).
Applications should also meet the following feasibility criteria.
The applicant must demonstrate approval by their local Institutional Review Board (IRB) and, if appropriate, their Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) prior to accepting award funding.
For pilot projects involving interventional approaches, the application must include a protocol synopsis and evidence of submission to appropriate regulatory bodies prior to submission.
International Applicants: Please note that this time, only US-based investigators are eligible to apply for funding through a GLIA-CTN Pilot Project Award. We hope to be able to include international applicants in future award cycles. In the meantime, alternative funding mechanisms may be available to support international researchers interested in proposing a new project or collaborating on an existing project within one of the key disease areas outlined in Appendix A.
Resource Utilization: Applications that include a plan to leverage central GLIA-CTN resources in one or more of the following ways will be prioritized:
Use of existing phenotype and longitudinal natural history previously collected through the consortium’s central repository, known as the Myelin Disorders Biorepository Project (MDBP);
Use of banked and/or prospectively collected biospecimen obtained by one or more clinical research centers currently participating in the GLIA-CTN;
Inclusion of one or more GLIA-CTN Principal and/or Site Investigators in project design and/or execution;
Inclusion of one or more GLIA-CTN Advocacy Committee Members/Organizations.
Reporting Requirements: Standard reporting requirements include the following.
A progress report will be expected at six (6) months following award, and a final report will be expected at twelve (12) months following award;
Funds will be disbursed within thirty (30) days of the project start date;
Publication in the form of an abstract at a national or international meeting or submission of a manuscript for publication is expected within twelve (12) months of completion of the award;
The awardee is expected to attend, and be prepared to discuss their career development project, at the GLIA-CTN Annual Instigator Meeting (Summer 2026), and attend the next GLIA Scientific Meeting (Spring 2027) after completion of their award.
Data Sharing Requirements: IRB/IACUC protocols must include language that permits Protected Health Information (PHI) to be shared with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and with the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC) designated by the National Institutes of Health.
Suggested Application Structure: The GLIA-CTN Career Development Committee recommends the following application structure.
Project Proposal (2-3 Pages): Background, Innovation, Approach (inc. Specific Aims, Preliminary Data and Methods), Project Timeline, and Future Directions;
Bibliography (1 Page)
Biosketch*
*In standard NIH format per https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm.
Review Criteria: The following criteria will be considered during the review process.
Does the application meet the eligibility requirements?
Have efforts been made to connect with leaders in advocacy organization(s) related to the disease(s) of focus in the application, or is there a clearly outlined plan to do so?
Are the aims well defined?
Is the approach innovative?
Are the methods appropriate?
Will the collected data answer the stated aims?
Is the budget adequate and the timeline realistic?
Is this project expected to enhance clinical trial implementation in the near future?
Review Process: All applications will undergo the following two-stage process.
Applicants will submit a first-round application for review by the GLIA-CTN Career Development Committee. Feedback will be provided to all applicants.
Applicants with strong proposals will be invited to incorporate the Committee’s feedback and submit a revised application for a second round of review.
Disorders/Topics of Interest: Proposals focused on leukodystrophies listed in Appendix A of the RFA will be given priority. Click here for details. Applicants interested in conditions not included on the list below should contact the GLIA-CTN Career Development Committee before submitting a new application.
Questions: Questions regarding the application requirements, submission guidelines, etc. may be directed to GLIA-CTN Administrative Director, Omar Sherbini, MPH at email@theglia.orgor 215-590-3068.
GLIA-CTN Community AwardFY27 Request For Applications (RFA)
Award Purpose: The GLIA-CTN Community Award is intended to encourage continued network growth, diverse membership, and an expanded leukodystrophy workforce by providing investigators external to the GLIA-CTN with in-kind infrastructure support for novel projects. Award recipients will work closely with the GLIA-CTN Biomedical Informatics and Statistical Core (BISC) to refine data collection and management plans, and will benefit from generous access to GLIA-CTN data and/or samples, as well as consultation and support by GLIA-CTN staff with expertise in data management, database design, outcome development and validation, regulatory affairs, etc.
A full-length copy of the RFA is available here.
Application Deadline: Applications are currently being accepted on a rolling basis.
Number of Awards: At least one GLIA-CTN Career Development Pilot Project Award will be funded annually. Multiple awards may be granted during a single funding period at the discretion of the GLIA-CTN Career Development and Pilot Project Committee, as permitted by available funding.
Support Period: Support will be provided for a one-year project beginning no later than September 1, 2026.
Level of Support: Awardees will receive up to one (1) year of in-kind support from the GLIA-CTN, including ad hoc virtual consultation meetings and regular email correspondence with the assigned administrative and/or technical contacts within the GLIA-CTN.
Eligibility Criteria: Candidates for the award must have a doctoral degree within the health professions (e.g., MD, DO, DDS, DMD, OD, DC, PharmD) and be actively affiliated with a US-based academic and/or health care institution. Individuals with degrees in nursing research and/or practice, who are licensed to practice clinically, may be eligible. There are also certain circumstances in which individuals with a PhD may be eligible, outlined below.
Innovative, early-stage applications addressing key knowledge gaps that are without evidence of alternate means of funding (i.e., “high-risk/high-yield”) are encouraged.
Eligible applications will meet the following key criteria.
The application must relate to a specific established leukodystrophy (Vanderver et al., Mol Genet Metab. 2015; doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2015.01.006);
All projects must be performed using patient samples, imaging and/or clinical data. Please contact the GLIA-CTN to assess that the proposal is responsive to the overall structure of the Rare Disease Clinical Research Network prior to submission;
The applicant must demonstrate willingness to collaborate with the GLIA-CTN in a sustainable way, including adoption of centralized/standardized data collection tools managed by the GLIA-CTN Biomedical Informatics and Statistical Core (BISC);
Applicants holding a PhD only must demonstrate integration with the clinical team at their site.
The applicant must describe scientific methods that demonstrate adequate rigor and replication to translate the proposed research project into future clinical studies (i.e., description of alternative approaches or “Go/No-Go” criteria).
Applications should also meet the following feasibility criteria.
The applicant must demonstrate approval by their local Institutional Review Board (IRB) and, if appropriate, their Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) prior to accepting award funding.
For pilot projects involving interventional approaches, the application must include a protocol synopsis and evidence of submission to appropriate regulatory bodies prior to submission.
International Applicants: Please note that this time, only US-based investigators are eligible to apply for a GLIA-CTN Community Award. We hope to be able to include international applicants in future award cycles. In the meantime, alternative support mechanisms may be available to support international researchers interested in proposing a new project or collaborating on an existing project within one of the key disease areas outlined in Appendix A of the full RFA, available here.
Institutional Commitment: Successful applications will include an institutional letter of support outlining matching funding and resource allocation for the creation of a Leukodystrophy Center. Please see Section VII (Eligibility Criteria) for details.
Resource Utilization: Applications that include a plan to leverage central GLIA-CTN resources in one or more of the following ways will be prioritized:
Use of existing phenotype and longitudinal natural history previously collected through the consortium’s central repository, known as the Myelin Disorders Biorepository Project (MDBP);
Use of banked and/or prospectively collected biospecimen obtained by one or more clinical research centers currently participating in the GLIA-CTN;
Inclusion of one or more GLIA-CTN Principal and/or Site Investigators in project design and/or execution;
Interaction with and/or support from disease-specific patient advocacy organization(s).
Reporting Requirements: Standard reporting requirements include the following.
An interim progress report will be expected at six (6 )months following award, and a final report will be expected at twelve (12) months following award.
Publication in the form of an abstract at a national or international meeting or submission of a manuscript for publication is expected within twelve (12) months of completion of the award.
The awardee is encouraged to attend, and be prepared to discuss their career development project, at the GLIA-CTN Annual Instigator Meeting in Summer 2026, as well as the next GLIA Scientific Meeting in Spring 2027.
Data Sharing Requirements: IRB/IACUC protocols must include language that permits protected health information (PHI) to be shared with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and with the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC) designated by the National Institutes of Health.
Suggested Application Structure: The GLIA-CTN Career Development and Pilot Project Committee recommends the following application structure.
Project Proposal (2-3 Pages): Background, Innovation, Approach (inc. Specific Aims, Preliminary Data and Methods), Project Timeline, and Future Directions;
Bibliography
Biosketch*
*In standard NIH format per https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm.
Review Criteria: The following criteria will be considered during the review process.
Does the application meet the eligibility requirements?
Have efforts been made to connect with leaders in advocacy organization(s) related to the disease(s) of focus in the application, or is there a clearly outlined plan to do so?
Does the proposed research have the potential to improve care of patients?
Are the aims well defined?
Is the approach innovative?
Are the methods appropriate?
Will the collected data answer the stated aims?
Is this project expected to enable early feasibility studies for new natural history studies?
Review Criteria: All applications will undergo the following two-stage process..
Applicants will submit a first-round application for review by the GLIA-CTN Career Development Committee. Feedback will be provided to all applicants.
Applicants with strong proposals will be invited to incorporate the Committee’s feedback and submit a revised application for a second round of review?
Review Criteria: Proposals focused on leukodystrophies listed in Appendix A will be given priority. Applicants interested in conditions not included on the list below should contact the GLIA-CTN Career Development Committee before submitting a new application.
Questions: Questions regarding the application requirements, submission guidelines, etc. may be directed to GLIA-CTN Administrative Director, Omar Sherbini, MPH at email@theglia.org or 215-590-3068.
GLIA-CTN Advocacy Advancement AwardFY27 Request For Applications (RFA)
Award Purpose: The Global Leukodystrophy Initiative Clinical Trials Network (GLIA-CTN) is a consortium of institutions, clinicians, scientists, and patient advocacy leaders working together to promote advances in the diagnosis and treatment of leukodystrophies. The Advocacy Advancement Award is intended to serve as a mechanism for patient advocacy leaders to answer concrete questions relevant to their own constituents by leveraging shared data, expertise, and resources available through the GLIA-CTN.
Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Number of Awards: Two Advocacy Advancement Awards will be granted annually, with a new project starting every six (6) months. Additional awards may be granted during a given fiscal year at the discretion of the GLIA-CTN Executive Committee, and as permitted by available resources..
Support Period: Support will be provided for a six (6) month project.
Level of Support: Awardees will receive up to six (6) months’ worth of in-kind support from the GLIA-CTN, including at least one (1) monthly virtual meeting with the assigned administrative and/or technical contact(s) within the GLIA-CTN, supplemented by email correspondence.
Eligibility Criteria: Any registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on promoting awareness, research, and/or fundraising for leukodystrophy research is eligible to apply for the GLIACTN Advocacy Advancement Award. Eligible applications will meet the following key criteria.
The application must relate to a specific established leukodystrophy (Vanderver et al., Mol Genet Metab. 2015; doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2015.01.006);
The applicant must provide a detailed explanation of how the project will support their leukodystrophy community, and, if applicable, describe how the deliverables may be translated into future research opportunities;
The applicant must be willing to meet with the assigned GLIA-CTN administrative and/or technical representative(s) on a monthly basis for the duration of the six-month award. Meetings will be used to share progress updates, discuss conceptual and/or technical challenges, and coordinate next steps of the project. Meetings will occur virtually via Microsoft Teams at a mutually convenient day/time;
The applicant must be willing to speak about their project at the GLIA-CTN Administrative Meeting following completion of their six-month award period..
Applications should also meet the following feasibility criteria:
The applicant must demonstrate that efforts have been made to evaluate project feasibility, including confirmation that of relevant data and/or technical resources exist within the GLIA-CTN, demonstration that the project goals are achievable within the six-month timeline, etc.;
Prospective applicants are encouraged to arrange a feasibility consultation with representatives from the GLIA-CTN prior to submitting an application;
While not strictly required, preference may be given to projects that promote collaboration across multiple advocacy communities and/or disorders, as well as projects focusing on broadly applicable outcomes (e.g., development of tools that can be easily repurposed in other leukodystrophies).
Resource Utilization: Applications that include a plan to leverage central GLIA-CTN resources in one or more of the following ways will be prioritized:
Use of existing demographic and/or natural history previously collected through the consortium’s central repository, known as the Myelin Disorders Biorepository Project (MDBP);
Collaboration with one or more of the following GLIA-CTN Core Groups.
Reporting Requirements: Standard reporting requirements include the following.
The awardee will share a monthly progress note with the GLIA-CTN Executive Committee. This need not be more detailed than a 2-3 paragraph email summarizing key advances, challenges, etc. relevant to the project. These updates will allow the GLIA-CTN Executive Committee to more easily identify opportunities to streamline the project workflow;
The awardee is expected to attend, and be prepared to discuss their Advocacy Advancement Award, at the GLIA-CTN Administrative Meeting following completion of their six-month award period.
Suggested Application Structure: The GLIA-CTN Career Development and Pilot Project Committee recommends the following application structure.
Project Proposal (2-3 Pages): Background, Approach (inc. Aims, Preliminary Data, Feasibility, and Methods), Project Timeline, and Future Directions
Organization Overview (1 Page): Advocacy Organization History, Leadership Structure, Disease Focus, Nonprofit Status (If Applicable), Research Activities (if Applicable), Fundraising Activities (If Applicable), Key Initiatives/Projects.
Review Criteria: The following criteria will be considered during the review process.
Does the application meet the eligibility requirements?
Have efforts been made to assess feasibility through consultation with GLIACTN technical leaders?
Are the aims well-defined? Are data and/or tools currently available through the GLIA-CTN answer the stated aims?
Has the applicant demonstrated how the project will advance knowledge within their leukodystrophy community?
Can the project be completed within the standard six-month award period?
Review Process: All applications will undergo the following two-stage process.
Applicants will submit a first-round application for review by the GLIA-CTN Executive Committee. Feedback will be provided to all applicants.
Applicants with strong proposals will be invited to incorporate the Committee’s feedback and submit a revised application for a final round of review.
Disorders/Topics of Interest: Proposals focused on the following key areas will be given priority during the review process: Defining burden of disease for a specific leukodystrophy, developing disease-specific educational materials, expanding the existing interactive dashboard to include new leukodystrophies and/or new domains not currently represented, or generating basic summary data to support upcoming FDA interactions such as Patient Listening Sessions and/or Patient-focused Drug Development (PFDD) meetings.
Questions: Questions regarding the application requirements, submission guidelines, etc. may be directed to GLIA-CTN Administrative Director, Omar Sherbini, at sherbinio@chop.edu.