Awards for All Clinicians

The Paul Oreffice Innovations in Care Awards provide pilot funding for clinically-oriented research of new care delivery models for people living with Parkinson's disease (PD). Clinicians of all stages (from fellows to established faculty) may apply. Up to two awards will be funded through this mechanism. It is anticipated that successful recipients will present their work at a Parkinson’s Foundation conference during the award timeframe.

The primary goals of this RFA are:

1. Identify and fund innovative practices in clinical care that can improve the health and quality of life for PwP
2. Build an evidence base that can inform recommendations for standards of care and potentially be incorporated into the National Parkinson's project
3. Fund projects that can generate pilot data and potentially attract further funding from other sources.

The Paul Oreffice Innovations in Care Awards are for a maximum of $200,000 over two years. Support will be administered in three tranches, the first two being 45% of the total award and the final being 10% of the total award. An interim progress report will be required for release of the second year of funds and a final report will be required for the release of the final payment. Up to 10% of the total award, i.e., $10,000 per year, may be used to defray indirect costs. Salary/fringe support is capped at $75,000 per year.

The Paul Oreffice Innovations in Care Awards are open to all clinicians who are licensed to care for patients in the United States. Physicians must have completed a residency in neurology or be able to justify the relevance of their training pathway is of benefit to people with PD. Allied health professionals must hold an advanced degree, typically a PhD. All applicants must demonstrate a significant focus on PD.

Applicants who are fellows, in a mentored status or within 2 years of starting an independent position must identify an appropriate mentor to provide oversight of the proposed project. A letter of support from the mentor detailing their experience, past mentoring success, and planned mentoring role will also be required.

Applications should be hypothesis driven and impactful. Involvement of people with PD in the project design and implementation is strongly preferred. Projects should be clinically-based and demonstrate impactful, outside-the-box thinking. Applications should fall into one of the following categories identified by the National Roundtable:

A.  Care models (telehealth, APPs, etc.)

B.  Technology (wearables, AI)

C.  Resilience (diet, exercise, meditation, narrative)

Please see Award Deadlines for current dates.

• Applications for the Paul Oreffice Innovations in Care Awards will initially be screened with a letter of intent.
• Proposals deemed meritorious and of interest will be invited for a full application.
• A detailed budget is required with full application.