CERF Awards in ALS/MND

The Cullen Education and Research Fund has decided to promote research into aspects of muscle atrophy and loss of functionality associated with motor neuron disease / amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (MND/ALS) with awards accompanied by financial supports ranging from €100,000 to €1,000,000.

The Cullen Education and Research Fund Prizes aim to facilitate a more normal lifestyle for people with MND/ALS while - ideally - extending life expectancy.

The €1 Million CERF Medical Prize and €500,000 CERF Engineering Prize

The judging panel will consider any solution that gives an MND/ALS patient independence and allows them to breathe, walk, talk, lift a coffee, drive a car and otherwise operate independently. The CERF prize will catalyze development of new approaches to preserve or improve function by any means, including - but not limited to - biological, chemical, mechanical or electrical.

Motor Neuron Disease, also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a global disease in which an affected person loses muscle strength, which leads, in turn, to reduced function.  

What are we looking for?

The key goal of the CERF Medical Prize initiative is to find a successful approach to improve usable muscle strength in MND/ALS patients. We want:

• Approaches that stop muscle wasting indefinitely and restore usefulness.

• Approaches which could also prolong life.

• Approaches that are biologic, mechanical, electrical, etc. There are no limitations on eligible ideas.

• We have a preference for approaches that are long lasting.

NB: The ability of the entrants to achieve sustained improvement in strength, function or wasting will be assessed by a panel of people living with MND/ALS, carers and clinician scientists.

Competition Timeline

Applications for the CERF Prize are currently closed.

• Download the brief application form from the Applications page. Your application must include a brief outline of your proposal to solve this challenge, and emailed to applications@cerfprize.com .

• Once you have submitted your initial application, you will be provided with a confidentiality agreement and once all parties have signed, we will request a more detailed project proposal.

31st March 2021 - Full Submission Deadline

• Entrants are asked to submit a fully detailed project entry by March 31st 2021.

• The submission must consist of a written presentation and may, if desired, include a visual presentation also (ie. video, slideshow etc.).

• Entrants are expected to have begun testing their solution, where possible, by this time.

• The most promising entries will be invited to present their work to the judging panel in mid 2021.

Things to note;

• While the prize will not be awarded before December 31st 2020, we reserve the right to award it at any time from that date should the panel feel that the challenge has been sufficiently met.

• We reserve the right not to award the prize, should the panel feel that no project has sufficiently met the prize challenge.

• Entrants are welcome to approach us to discuss their projects during the development stage - ie. after initial submission and before the Full Submission Deadline. Smaller laboratories and individual entrants may apply for support from CERF to develop their projects.