Apply for a Research Grant
BrightFocus provides research funds for U.S. domestic as well as international researchers pursuing pioneering research leading to greater understanding, prevention, and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Request for Proposals →
Macular Degeneration Research Request for Proposals→
National Glaucoma Research Request for Proposals→
To start a new application and upload attachments, you must use our ProposalCentral application portal to apply online. Note: Your organization must be registered with ProposalCentral to apply.
Our Funding Philosophy
It is our firm belief that having the courage to invest in innovative ideas will lead to revolutionary therapies. BrightFocus provides initial funding for highly innovative experimental ideas, including interdisciplinary investigations that may apply to two or three of the BrightFocus disease interests. Most of the awardees use the BrightFocus award funds to demonstrate key findings that lead to later interest and additional funding from industrial or governmental funding agencies.
Grant Application Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to applicants’ frequently asked questions, from eligibility to the review process, categorized by each disease program.
Guidelines
From file type and size to formatting requirements, ensure your application checks the necessary boxes.
Terms & Conditions
Your guide to understanding the conditions of funding and the definitions and abbreviations used throughout the grant agreement.
News
Recent News & Breakthroughs
BrightFocus Foundation Announces Appointment of Two New Board Members
BrightFocus Foundation, a leading nonprofit funder of innovative research to defeat Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma, has appointed John S. Penn, PhD, a renowned vision scientist and professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Dale Young, chairman and CEO of Summit Financial Group, to its board of directors.
BrightFocus Foundation Appoints David Lowing as Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations
BrightFocus Foundation appoints David Lowing to lead corporate and foundation relations. With nearly 20 years of experience, including roles at Conquer Cancer and CHOP, he will expand partnerships and funding for research on Alzheimer’s, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.
Could Listening in to Cellular Communication Help Treat Glaucoma?
By unlocking the secrets of how cells communicate, this first-of-its-kind BrightFocus National Glaucoma Research-funded study could help prevent vision loss and restore sight for those living with the disease.
Turning Back the Biological Clock on Aged and Injured Eye Cells
A de-aging technique offers hope for halting damage in early macular degeneration.
A BrightFocus-Funded Non-Invasive Treatment Slows Alzheimer’s Progression in Yearlong Study
Sinaptica Therapeutics unveils breakthrough Phase 2 results for an experimental non-invasive treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
Breaking News Dispatch: A Non-Invasive Alzheimer’s Treatment, Early Detection, and More
Get the latest in Alzheimer’s screening and treatments.
New Research Links Blue Light to Macular Degeneration Risk, Antioxidants May Offer Hope
Blue light may damage the eyes by causing unstable “free radicals” to form, which increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration. BrightFocus-funded research offers a potential way to protect the eyes from blue light.
Could Finding and Treating Tiny Blood Clots in the Brain Delay Alzheimer’s?
A BrightFocus-funded scientist is investigating a novel imaging tool that could be used to find treatable blood clots in the brain and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
BrightFocus Workshop Helps Shape Future Alzheimer’s Leaders
Students and senior Alzheimer’s researchers gathered in Chicago for an immersive workshop hosted by BrightFocus Foundation.