For Researchers
NF Northeast is committed to advancing biomedical research in fields relevant to neurofibromatosis. NF Northeast has been funding research proposals since 1990. Click Here to see the list of projects funded by NFNE. To date, we have granted close to $3,000,000 to fund proposals from researchers/institutions within and outside of the Northeastern United States. Fields of research include basic science, translational, and applied clinical trials.
Grants & Seed Funds
The NF Northeast Medical and Science Committee reviews applications and provides funding support to successful awardees. The grants are typically awarded for 1- to 2-year periods with direct cost budgets with an option for renewal based on available funds. The funding may include partial support to supplement existing grants.
NF Northeast also invites applications for “seed funds” to initiate projects that allow the investigator to generate early data and seek larger funds from other granting agencies and/or pharmaceutical industry support. Often, it is the funding from NF Northeast that inspires early discovery which later becomes a much larger and promising project.
Since joining other NF organizations from around the country in 1996 to create the National NF Advocacy Coalition, we at NF Northeast have worked closely with members of the United States House and Senate to secure over $600 million for NF research, not only at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) but also through the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP).
For more information on grants/seed funds, please contact Sharon Klein at sklein@nfnortheast.org.
Grant Application
Neurofibromatosis Northeast (NFNE) offers annual research funding to support biomedical projects relevant to neurofibromatosis. Awards of up to $75,000 (inclusive of 10% indirect costs) are available for one-year projects, with early-career faculty especially encouraged to apply.
2026 Application Timeline
- July 1, 2026 — Application period opens
- September 15, 2026 — Proposals due (5:00 PM)
- October 30, 2026 — Award notifications
- November 18, 2026 — Funding begins
Applications must be submitted as a single PDF and include a cover letter, project proposal (max 3 pages), lay summary, budget with justification, CV, and conflict of interest disclosure. Full application instructions and requirements are outlined in the attached document.
Applications for the 2026 NF Northeast Research Award will open on July 1, 2026. Please check back then to apply!
Any additional inquiries should be sent to Sharon Klein (Executive Director) at info@nfnortheast.org.
NetworkEdge
The NetworkEdge is a timely review that summarizes recent highlights from NF research and clinical trials sponsored by the NF Network in partnership with NF Northeast.
Bite-sized pieces of information allow you to easily find and focus on those topics of most interest to you, whether it is NF1 learning disabilities studies, NF2 clinical trial updates, or schwannomatosis news.
To read the most current issue or access archived issues of The NetworkEdge, go to:
The NetworkEdge Volume 22 (Spring 2023)
The NetworkEdge Volume 21 (Winter 2022)
The NetworkEdge Volume 20 (Fall 2021)
The NetworkEdge Volume 19 (Spring 2021)
NFNE Resources and Links
To learn more about clinical trials and how they work, Click Here.
To view the most up-to-date list of clinical trials, Click Here.
Neurofibromatosis Research Program Opportunities
NF Northeast is a member of NORD and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council
Members of the NFNE Medical and Scientific Committee:
Nicole Ullrich, MD: Director of Neuro-Oncology at Children’s Hospital Boston and Director of Neurologic Neuro-Oncology at Dana-Farber since 2005. Dr. Ullrich serves as Primary Investigator of the multicenter NF Clinical Trials Consortium that has now opened 12 planned clinical trials as interventions for complications of NF1, including plexiform neurofibromas, brain tumors, and cognitive difficulties.
Lori Ryan, RN, MS: Chair of the Medical and Science Committee at NFNE. Lori has served on the peer review panel for the Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.
Marissa Powers, PhD: Marissa received a BS in Science in Biomedical Engineering from Trinity College and her PhD in Biomedical Engineering (Neuroprosthetics) from Drexel University. She is currently a Solutions Architect at Intel Corporation in Health Sciences.
John Thomson: John served as Vice President of Strategic Research Alliances Networks at Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. Prior to that, he spent about five years as the Vice President of Research in charge of Vertex’s Cambridge, MA-based discovery research. He joined Vertex in 1989 as a founding scientist.
D. Bradley Welling, MD, PhD: Dr. Welling is the Walter Augustus Lecompte Distinguished Professor of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery in the Harvard School of Medicine and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Welling’s clinical practice focused on the surgical treatment of cranial base tumors, hearing preservation and restoration. He has long-standing extramural NIH and Department of Defense research funding for NF2-related schwannomatosis.
