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Certified Headache Specialists For Kids & Teens Comprehensive Headache Centers
We are at the threshold of an explosion in the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of migraine, and with the help of MRF, more answers will soon be found.
- Joel Saper, MD, Research Advisory Board Chair

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If you are interested in applying for a RFP when it becomes available or if you have any questions, email

Guidelines for Research Proposal Submission/Application

GRANT AWARD: A maximum of $50,000 will be awarded for each grant.

GRANT DURATION: The expected project duration is one year.

FUNDING RESTRICTIONS: All grants must be used exclusively for research and directly related research equipment. Capital expenditures, administrative costs including IRB approval, publication costs and travel costs, and institutional overhead will not be funded. Fringe benefits on salaries are capped at 25%.

REVIEW: The proposals will be reviewed by MRF’s Medical Advisory Board (MAB) in consultation with AMD. If any member of the MAB/AMD has a conflict of interest with a particular proposal or proposer, she/he will abstain from the review process on that proposal. Once the review is complete, the MAB will advise MRF’s Board of Directors, which will make the final decision about the awarding of grants by the end of the year.

Due to the large number of grant requests we receive, applications must follow the required format and conform to the guidelines to be considered.

Applications Must Include the Following:

  1. Project title.
  2. Principal Investigator contact information: name, mailing address, phone number, and email address for each PI.  Designate one PI who will be responsible for the project. You may list multiple Co-Investigators.
  3. Institutional Grants Administration Officer contact information: name, mailing address, phone number and email address.
  4. Location(s) where the research will be conducted.
  5. Lay abstract. Provide a succinct lay summary of the project. Include your hypothesis, why it is innovative, and how it will lead to a better understanding of migraine or the treatment of migraine patients. (Specific aims should appear in Section 6.) 350 word limit.
  6. Specific Aims. List and number the aims. Include an explanation of each aim in your proposal. Note that all of your designated aims will comprise the scope of the grant.
  7. Explain how long you think it will take to complete this project. For clinical projects, also briefly explain your plan for recruiting participants.
  8. Has work already begun on this line of inquiry? If yes, explain.
  9. Does this research duplicate other research, either in your lab/clinic or elsewhere? If yes, explain.
  10. Do you have any pending applications for research funding that include this project? If yes, explain.
  11. Your Proposal. Describe your overall research plan. Include benchmarks, endpoints, and a brief explanation of how you arrived at your sample size. Five page limit. If you include references, they will not count toward the page limit.
  12. Attach a detailed Budget. Note the limitations on funding described in the Guidelines above.
  13. Attach an NIH Biosketch or equivalent for the Principal Investigator(s).