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Design and Development/Assistive Technology Grants

Paralyzed Veterans of America

Design and Development - of new or improved rehabilitative and assistive technology/devices for people with SCI/D to improve function, which also includes improving the identification, selection and utilization of these devices.

NEW! The Research Foundations now supports one, two or three year grants in the four areas of emphasis. Grants in Basic Science, Clinical Applications, and Design & Development categories will now be funded up to $200,000 for the grant period and Grants in the Fellowship category will now be funded up to $150,000 for the grant period.

The Research Foundation is focused on funding projects grounded in basic laboratory science and the education of scientists working on breakthroughs directed toward a cure for paralysis, secondary health effects and technologies associated with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D). These projects should be designed to find better treatments and cures for paralysis and support efforts to improve the quality of life of individuals with SCI/D until improved clinical treatments, technologies or cures are discovered, as well as to train post-doctoral fellow investigators and encourage them to specialize in the area of spinal cord research.

REVIEW PROCESS

Grant applications undergo a stringent, independent peer review for scientific merit and relevance to spinal cord dysfunction. A panel of reviewers, assigned by the Peer Review Contractor, will evaluate each eligible application.

Reviewers will utilize the following criteria to evaluate the applications:

Innovation and Significance
Approach
Feasibility
Investigators
Facilities
Budget

The PVA Research Foundation Board of Directors, composed entirely of Paralyzed Veterans of America members, considers reports from the peer review. Final funding decisions rest solely with the Directors.

At the close of the grant cycle, upon notification of grant decisions, applicants will receive copies of their grant reviews.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Mission-Relevant Scope

PVA supports projects in four focus areas:

Basic science targeting cures for spinal cord injury/disease (SCI/D)

Clinical studies examining medical, psychosocial, functional aspects of SCI/D

Design & development of assistive/rehabilitative technologies

Fellowships for early-career researchers peeref.comguidestar.org+2pva.org+2peeref.com+2

🎯 Successful proposals align clearly with one of these categories.

⏱ 2. Feasible, Well-Structured Study Design

Applicants are evaluated on:

Innovation & significance

Approach and feasibility

Investigator qualifications

Institutional resources

Budget appropriateness arxiv.org

🎯 High-scoring submissions include clear hypotheses, methods, measurable objectives, and realistic timelines.

🏥 3. Investigator & Institutional Strength

Strong qualifications: PIs with relevant advanced degrees (PhD/MD) or promising fellows

Institutional commitments: access to labs, equipment, clinical sites

Degree of independence: particularly evaluated in fellowship proposals peeref.com

🎯 Letters of support and research environment clarity enhance competitiveness.

💡 4. Innovation & Translational Potential

Basic science proposals should push toward new cures.

Design & Development projects must offer functional gains.

Clinical applications need focus on real-world interventions (e.g., pain management, mobility) peeref.com+13pva.org+13arxiv.org+13

🎯 The more immediate the impact on people living with paralysis, the stronger the proposal.

🎓 5. Early-Career & Fellowship Goals

Postdoctoral applicants should be within 4 years of their PhD/MD completion to be eligible

Strong mentorship and evidence of capacity building are expected

🎯 Fellowship proposals with clear training plans and mentorship score highly.

💲 6. Budget Alignment & Grant Duration

Up to $200K for Basic, Clinical, Design categories (1–3 years)

Up to $150K for Fellowships (1–3 years) pva.org

🎯 Budgets must match scope and justify direct research costs appropriately.

📝 7. Rigorous Peer Review & Final Approval

Multi-step evaluation: Expert peer review followed by PVA Directors’ decisions arxiv.org

🎯 Applications must excel across all review criteria: innovation, approach, feasibility, investigator, environment, and budget.

✅ Summary Table

Predictor	Details
Category Alignment	Basic, Clinical, Tech development, or Fellowship
Approach & Feasibility	Clear aims, methods, milestones
PI Qualifications	Degree, experience, independence
Institutional Support	Facilities, sites, collaborator letters
Innovation & Impact	Potential to improve SCI patient lives
Training Plan	For fellowships, mentorship and career goals
Budget & Duration	Up to $200K/$150K with clear scope
Peer Review Readiness	Strong across all evaluation dimensions

💡 Tips to Strengthen Your Application

Pick the right category – match your project to PVA’s mission.

Craft a solid plan – define aims, methods, and evaluation metrics.

Build institutional support – show letters, facilities, and collaboration.

Focus on innovation and impact – highlight patient or veteran benefits.

Map training goals – especially for fellowships.

Align budget to scope – be transparent and justify all costs.

Specialties

Others

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible grantee institutions must be located in the United States or Canada. However, investigators and fellows are not required to be U.S. or Canadian citizens. All grant applicants must have a professional degree: Ph.D. or M.D. preferred.

Senior fellows are encouraged to apply as principal investigators. Post-doctoral scientists are eligible to apply for fellowship support within four years of receiving a Ph.D. or completing M.D. residency. Graduate students can participate in Foundation-related research and be paid from a Foundation award. However, graduate students cannot apply for a Foundation grant as a fellow or as a principal investigator.

Eligible Countries:

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Paralyzed Veterans of America

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 1875 Eye Street NW Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20006 (800)-424-8200

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