The Rotary clubs in the states of Georgia and the two Carolinas as well as a number of individual clubs throughout the United States, with the assistance from the American Federation of Aging Research, established in 1996 a new funding program called The CART Fund. The fund has already distributed a total amount of approximately $2,300,000 through grants to ten University Research Centers listed below.

The goal of the fund is to encourage exploratory and developmental AD research projects by providing support for the early and conceptual plans of those projects that may not yet be supported by extensive preliminary data but have the potential to substantially advance biomedical research. This proposal should be distinct from those projects designed to increase knowledge in a well established area unless it is intended to extend previous discoveries toward new directions or applications.

The Rotary CART Fund is inviting interested applicants to submit a LETTER-of-INTENT that includes sufficient detail to communicate the importance of your study as well as information on its feasibility.

Applications may encompass a project period of up to two years with a combined budget for direct cost up to $250,000. No indirect costs are allowed. Domestic public and private institutions are eligible, such as universities, colleges, hospitals and laboratories. This is for NEW projects only. Applications will be deemed ineligible from for-profit organizations as well as those already supported by regular or program grants. Up to two $250,000 awards will be made in 2009.

Dr. John Trojanowski will chair a scientific review group that will triage the letters-of-intent and select a maximum of fifteen deemed to have the highest merit. Those selected will be invited to submit a subsequent standard grant application from which the final recommendation will be made by the review group. The final selection will be made by the CART Fund selection committee

Please submit a letter-of-intent as a PDF file by December 1, 2008. The letter should include the following:

• Contact information
• A statement containing: the hypothesis of the project; the specific aims; a description of the experimental design, methods and model systems; a statement giving future directions this research could lead including a reference to the health relationship of the project [2 pg. limit].
• A biographical statement of the principal investigator [2 pg. limit].

Notifications of the finalists (maximum of 15) will be mailed by January 7, 2009. Investigators whose proposals are accepted for further consideration will be sent a full application form which must be completed and returned by February 16, 2009.

Submit e-mail questions and letters-of-intent to Dr. James B. Puryear, Chairman, CART Grants Program: jimpuryear@comcast.net

Previous Institutions Receiving CART Grants: