Unlike large pharmaceutical companies, small biotech companies and academic labs often lack the necessary resources to conduct essential early research. To complicate matters, limited data sharing across industry, academia, and researchers creates barriers that can slow the pace of discovery.
To bridge these critical gaps, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and Spinal Research (UK) are partnering on a novel approach to advancing SCI research with a joint call for request for applications (RFA). The new initiative aims to strengthen the research pipeline by supporting critical early-stage research. “This RFA provides crucial support for preclinical studies, helping researchers establish key factors such as potency, selectivity, and biological mechanisms of action of potential therapeutics,” says Marco Baptista, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. “Our goal is to promote an understanding of proposed therapeutics to encourage greater investment -- research dollars -- and prepare for the next stages of scientific development." Funding awards of up to $250,000 will be announced in 2025.
Investing in Research and Data Sharing
Data sharing between researchers, industry leaders, and academic institutions is a key component in driving progress. By fostering an environment where discoveries and insights are openly shared, Reeve aims to accelerate the development of effective therapies.
“Supported projects must contribute to open data-sharing initiatives, ensuring research findings are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR),” Baptista says. “We also encourage open-access publications to maximize the impact of discoveries across the field.”
Charting the Path to Clinical Success
Unlike traditional funding sources that prioritize late-stage clinical trials, the Reeve Foundation is investing in early-stage translational work to ensure that promising discoveries have the solid scientific foundation required to advance successfully.
“We’re addressing a need in a way that’s quite unique. Many small biotech and academic labs don’t have access to the same resources as big pharma, and that can stall critical research projects,” Baptista says. “We’re here to help researchers collect the data they’ll need for eventual clinical success.”
By prioritizing early-stage discovery and providing financial and strategic support, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is strengthening the future of SCI therapeutics and advancing the potential for transformative treatments.
