Research

Research Grant Program

2026 PCDH19 Research Grant Applications Now Open

Up to $100,000 will be awarded to support basic and/or clinical research advancing the understanding and treatment of PCDH19 Epilepsy.

Submission deadline: May 1, 2026.

Applicants are required to scroll down to review the full application guidelines and eligibility requirements before submitting. Applications that do not follow the guidelines will not be considered.

Who Should Apply

The PCDH19 Alliance Research Grant Program is open to qualified investigators conducting basic, translational, or clinical research related to PCDH19 Epilepsy. Applicants may include academic researchers, clinician-scientists, and research teams affiliated with universities, hospitals, or recognized research institutions.

Our Goal

Focused on a Cure

The goal of the PCDH19 Alliance Research Grant Program is to fund research directly towards understanding the expression of the PCDH19 gene and the function of the PCDH19 protein, finding therapeutic treatments, and a cure for PCDH19 Epilepsy.
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We also hope that the projects we fund will lead to additional research support from government or other funding agencies. We are pleased to be able to support many different types of projects, each critical for advancing all phases of PCDH19 research, from basic to clinical to treatment.

These grants are crucial for allowing investigators to gain enough data to be able to attract even larger, multi-year commitments from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other traditional medical research funding organizations. The number of awards is contingent upon the availability of funds for that cycle.
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The PCDH19 Alliance also thanks the family foundation that has joined us to keep research moving forward.
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The Alliance’s next Research Grant Cycle will open in early 2026. Submission deadline is May 1, 2026. Please sign up for our PCDH19 Alliance Newsletter to receive updates!

AREAS OF INTEREST

Focused on

The PCDH19 Alliance welcomes proposals across a broad range of research areas relevant to PCDH19 Epilepsy, including but not limited to:

Basic & Translational Research

  • PCDH19 gene regulation, expression, and molecular function

  • Cellular and neurobiological mechanisms underlying PCDH19 Epilepsy

  • Disease modeling (in vitro, in vivo, or computational)

  • Biomarker discovery and validation

Clinical & Therapeutic Research

  • Therapeutic target identification and drug development

  • Clinical studies related to seizure management or treatment response

  • Precision medicine approaches for PCDH19

  • Natural history studies that inform therapeutic development

Neuropsychiatric, Behavioral & Quality-of-Life Research

  • Neuropsychiatric, cognitive, or behavioral comorbidities and outcomes associated with PCDH19

  • Psychological or trauma-related effects associated with recurrent seizures, living with a disability

  • Functional outcomes affecting daily living, independence, and long-term well-being

Research Grant Application Guidelines

  • Overview

    Download the Face Page.

  • Application Content
    • Scientific Abstract and Lay abstract – 1 page or less
    • ​Budget Page
    • Budget Justification Page
    • ​Hypothesis and Specific Aims – 1 page
    • ​Research Design – 4 pages, including background, preliminary data, experimental plan and methods
    • A statement on how the research will advance the understanding, treatment or care of people with PCDH19 Epilepsy – ½ page
    • ​Citations – no limit
    • ​CV

  • Budget

    Applicants must submit a detailed budget outlining how grant funds will be used over the one-year project period.

    • Budgets should be reasonable, justified, and aligned with the proposed research scope.

    • Funds may be used for research-related expenses including personnel support, supplies, assays, and data analysis.

    • Indirect costs, institutional overhead, or expenses unrelated to the proposed research are not supported.

    • If the total budget for your project exceeds the amount you are requesting from us, your budget page must include a breakdown of how all funds, including those from other sources, will be used.

  • Submissions

    ​Email completed submissions to julie@pcdh19info.org​.

  • Review and Evaluation Criteria

    Applications will be evaluated by our Scientific Advisory Board and  based on the following criteria:

    • Scientific rigor and methodological soundness

    • Relevance to PCDH19 Epilepsy

    • Innovation and potential impact

    • Feasibility within the proposed budget and timeline

    • Potential to support future funding or downstream research

The cure is out there. Help us find it.

Your donation brings us one step closer to a cure for PCDH19 epilepsy.

Donate Now