Academic Proposals

CHDI Foundation is exclusively dedicated to collaboratively developing therapeutics that will substantially improve the lives of individuals with HD. To prioritize where our resources will be most effective in HD therapeutic development, we have organized our preclinical research programs into four interconnected Thematic Areas that focus on what we consider the most promising therapeutic areas and the means to pharmacologically interrogate them; namely 1) targeting  mutant  huntingtin DNA, RNA, and protein, 2) targeting somatic instability and mismatch handling and repair mechanisms related to modifier genes, 3) targeting the non-mismatch repair genetic modifiers, and 4) targeting gene editing of the causative triplet repeat mutation in the huntingtin gene.

To implement our diverse research portfolio, we fund and work with academic researcher colleagues around the world. CHDI is not a general research funding body that issues financial grants, nor do we have a research proposal submission cycle. However, we are receptive to novel ideas and will explore new areas of biology that have relevance to HD, particularly when there is either robust human data evidence or the therapeutic approach has disease-modifying potential. Initial proposals are reviewed on a rolling basis by team members. If we are interested in your proposal, then a science director will invite you to submit a full proposal and budget for further review and consideration – see the schematic below.

If we are interested in funding your research proposal then typically CHDI and your research institution will enter into a research agreement that defines a detailed project description, milestones with deliverables, and a specific budget. CHDI scientists will be involved in the design and oversight of the project and will work with you to develop a mutually agreeable research plan. The investigator must conduct the research as specified in the contract and deliver progress reports to receive continued support. Under our standard research agreement, the research institution owns the data and intellectual property generated during the project and has the sole and exclusive right to publish.

If you would like to apply for research funding from CHDI then please submit a short summary of your proposal to .

Typical timeline for proposal consideration:

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to process an academic research proposal?

Proposals will be assigned to the most relevant Thematic Area and reviewed extensively by our science directors. Initial review usually takes about 4 weeks. If there is mutual interest to enter into a research agreement, a work plan and budget will be drafted by the principal investigator and CHDI science director; agreement execution may take an additional 3-6 months.

Does CHDI give access to materials, reagents, animals, or specialized services?

Dependent upon project specifics, CHDI can make certain materials, such as reagents, antibodies, cell lines, animal models, and human biosamples, available to the collaborating academic laboratory, as well as specialized third-party services (e.g., HTT assays, sequencing, etc.).

What kind of costs are included in CHDI funding?

CHDI has a detailed budget policy. We support standardized full-time employee costs for postdocs and experienced research personnel, consumables, animals, and various other costs, including limited travel, publication, and overhead. CHDI does not normally support graduate students, training, administrative staff, equipment costs, or office supplies.