Funding Opportunities

Research Focus

Emily’s Entourage provides funding to support high-impact research led by top researchers around the world that have the greatest potential to reach patients quickly. The organization focuses on nonsense mutations of Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Learn about projects that have been funded.

Types of Funding 

Catalyst for the Cure Grants

• The Catalyst for the Cure initiative is a groundbreaking initiative that supports key research areas to enable and stimulate novel therapeutic development for individuals with CF without available therapies with a focus on CFTR nonsense mutations. The projects funded by this initiative are intended to speed breakthroughs that can reach patients in the short to mid term.
• Typically funding support lasts for 2 years with a funding level set at $100,000 per year (with 10% overheads). Continuation of funding is contingent on progress, which is reported every six months. Specific areas of interest for the program include (but are not limited to):
  • • Novel antimicrobial approaches, with specific emphasis on MRSA, broad-spectrum antimicrobials, and antimicrobial resistance (‘buying time’ initiative)
    • Genetic strategies to repair nonsense mutations (‘alternative approaches’ initiative)
    • Genetic approaches to restore CFTR function (‘alternative approaches’ initiative)
    • Mechanisms to bypass CFTR loss of function (i.e. modulators of alternative ion conductance pathways and ion selective pores) (‘mutation agnostic approaches’)

Strategic Investments

• Emily’s Entourage collaborates with public, private and nonprofit organizations—from biotechnology to pharmaceuticals to academia—to develop unique partnerships that support the expeditious development of therapies and a cure for nonsense mutations of Cystic Fibrosis.

Contracted Projects and Other Grants

• Emily’s Entourage provides additional grant funding through a variety of mechanisms, such as pilot and independent grants. Previous pilot grants have been provided directly by Emily’s Entourage and then administered through, and matched by, the Penn Medicine Orphan Disease Center’s Million Dollar Bike Ride Pilot Grant Program

More Information 

If you are interested in applying or having more questions about funding opportunities, please contact us.