Kennedy's Disease Association

A Public Benefit, Non-Profit Organization

Kennedy’s Disease Knows No Boundaries...

Our Focus Remains on Research, Education and Support

The Kennedy’s Disease Association has worked to educate others about this lesser-known disease and to support clinical research efforts. We distributed information to more than 10,000 neurologists to help them recognize clinical signs and symptoms of Kennedy’s Disease.

Will my child be born with this DNA defect?

It takes an enormous amount of money to fund research…more than any of us can afford alone, but together, we are capable of great accomplishments. We are searching for available foundation grants, but the process is lengthy. We need researchers to continue their work, and it is only the KDA that makes funding this disease a priority.

Kennedy’s Disease Knows No Boundaries...

It is passed on from generation to generation in families worldwide. Males generally inherit the disease symptoms and females are the carriers. The defect is in the ‘X’ Chromosome that makes testosterone almost a poison to his body.

What is Kennedy's Disease?

Kennedy’s Disease (spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy) is an adult-onset “X” linked inherited disease with symptoms usually beginning to appear between the ages of 30 and 50. However, onset has also been reported as early as in the teens and as late as the 60s.

Research Grants

KDA Research Grants Available

Every summer the KDA begins accepting research grant proposals. The actual grant(s) are awarded in the late fall of each year.

Heather L. Montie, Ph.d receives grant

Concept:

Because the KDA is relatively small and funding is limited, our focus in recent years has been to provide “seed-money” to post-doc and other young researchers who do not currently have the funding or credentials to receive funding from larger organizations such as the National Institute of Health or the MDA. This “seed-money” normally provides the researcher an opportunity to further his/her research while giving him/her time to apply for other grants

Process:

In recent years, the awarding process takes place in the fall. In the late summer, the KDA announces to all known Kennedy’s Disease Researchers that anyone interested should send in their grant requests as outlined in the proposal notification. The Scientific Review Board reviews all applications with a focus on research projects that are specific to or could be used in finding a treatment or cure for Kennedy’s Disease. The Scientific Review Board recommends to the Board of Directors which applicant(s) should receive research funding. The Board of Directors notifies all candidates and awards the grants normally in October.

2013 Research Grants

The Kennedy’s Disease Association (KDA) is planning to fund one or more research grants in the fall of 2013 to further the understanding of the pathological mechanisms of Kennedy’s Disease. The KDA projects that funding for each grant will be up to $25,000 and, in certain circumstances, could be funded for a second year at a similar amount. Applications from junior investigators and from senior post-doctoral fellows are encouraged.

Submission information, dates and proposal guidelines can be found in the attached PDF: 2013 Grants-PDF or WordDoc file: 2013 Grants-doc . If you cannot open either of these files, please let us know.