CurePSP’s Biomarker Accelerator Program funds projects that take an existing biomarker discovery in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and move it a step closer to use in research or the clinic. It’s open to investigators in the US and internationally, and letters of intent are due by 15 December 2026.
PSP is a primary tauopathy, sitting alongside the frontotemporal dementias and corticobasal degeneration, and it’s often misdiagnosed early on as Parkinson’s. Reliable biomarkers would help with earlier diagnosis, with choosing patients for trials, and with tracking whether treatments work. If you’re new to how biomarkers earn their place in studies, our blog on how we use biomarkers in dementia trials is a good primer.
What it funds
Awards are worth up to $500,000 in total, over up to three years. No indirect costs are allowed, so the budget should cover direct project costs only, and it should line up with your aims, milestones and timeline.
This is not discovery funding. Proposals need to build on findings that already exist and push them forward, for example by:
- Validating or replicating an existing biomarker finding.
- Developing an assay or tool to measure it.
- Integrating biomarkers across different modalities.
Diagnostic biomarkers are the main priority, but CurePSP will consider any context of use that advances PSP research or clinical care. Discoveries can come from preclinical models, biofluids, tissue, proteomics, imaging or genetic data, among other sources. The full lists of eligible and ineligible topics are in the application instructions.
Who can apply
The principal investigator must be a full-time faculty member or paid employee of the applying organisation. Researchers at academic institutions and small companies, non-profit or for-profit, can apply, and partnerships between academia and larger companies are allowed.
Postdoctoral researchers can’t apply as PI. Early career researchers can still be part of a team, though, and CurePSP says priority may go to interdisciplinary teams and to proposals that involve early career researchers. Current CurePSP awardees are eligible as long as the new project doesn’t directly overlap with their funded grant.
How it works
It’s a two-stage process. You submit a letter of intent first, through ProposalCentral, and only those invited go on to send a full proposal. Letters of intent are reviewed against:
- How well they fit the call’s priorities, especially accelerating PSP biomarkers.
- Preliminary data, the strength of the case and the plan for translation.
- Potential impact on PSP research or clinical care.
- The quality of the specific aims and the scientific rigour.
You’ll be told by email whether you’re invited to the next stage, but no formal feedback is given.
Key dates
- Letter of intent deadline: Tuesday 15 December 2026, 5pm US Eastern (10pm UK)
- Letter of intent decisions: by 31 January 2027
- Full proposal deadline (invited applicants): Wednesday 31 March 2027, 5pm US Eastern
How to apply
Read the full request for applications, then submit your letter of intent through ProposalCentral. Questions go to info@curepsp.org.
Read the full details and apply
Visit funding web page
(https://www.psp.org/biomarker-accelerator-application)