Medical Research Funding
The Rainwater Charitable Foundation is pleased to announce the Sprint-to-Lead (S2L) Drug Discovery Grant Program. This program invites original ideas focused exclusively on accelerating the development of therapies for primary tauopathies within the hit-to-lead and lead optimization development phases of drug discovery. Our goal is to de-risk and advance preclinical drug candidates. The continuation of these programs is focused on preparing them for in vivo proof-of-concept and Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies.
Primary tauopathies – a class of neurodegenerative diseases that include Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD), Pick’s disease (PiD), and Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) – are characterized by the abnormal accumulation of pathologic forms of the tau protein. Despite the established role of tau pathology, a critical therapeutic void persists as there are currently no effective disease-modifying treatments for these devastating conditions.
Important Dates
| Letter of Intent Submission Dates | December 1, 2025 – January 16, 2026 |
| Letter of Intent Notification Date | February 27, 2026 |
| Full Application Submission Dates | February 27 – April 24, 2026 |
| Award Amount | Up to $400,000 direct costs for 1 year |
| Award Notification Date | August 17, 2026 |
| Anticipated Start of Award Term | October – December, 2026 |
Process
Applicants will be selected through a competitive Letter of Intent (LOI) process. Initial review of the LOIs will determine which applicants are invited to submit full application proposals. Selected research grants will be awarded up to $400,000 for one year for direct costs (indirects will not be granted). We anticipate funding up to five awards, pending budget availability.
The LOI application window will be open from December 1, 2025, through January 16, 2026. No extensions will be granted.
Letters of Intent (LOI)
The LOI process is designed to identify ambitious drug discovery projects from researchers with diverse insights. We seek to advance approaches that are ready to enter the hit-to-lead or lead optimization phase. Projects must demonstrate clear evidence that a validated hit compound is prepared, at minimum. For a complete list of application questions, please click here.
Phase definitions for clarity:
- The hit-to-lead phase focuses on the validation and preliminary refinement of “hit” compounds which includes the confirmation of activity.
- Small Molecules: Requires re-synthesis to confirm activity and rule out false positives, followed by confirmation of potency. The phase proceeds with exploring the Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR).
- Biologics: Requires sequence verification and re-testing for binding or functional activity, followed by equivalent Structure-Function Relationship (SFR) analysis.
- A key objective is to begin characterizing compounds beyond the primary target, including preliminary in vitro assays for off-target activity and early-stage ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) studies.
- The lead optimization phase involves the systematic refinement of a promising lead molecule or biologic to create a viable lead candidate suitable for clinical development.
- Objective: Optimize the lead series for a specific profile, including increased potency and efficacy, enhanced selectivity, and improved pharmacokinetic/ADMET properties.
- Critical Component: Assessment of pharmacological activity in relevant animal models and/or ex vivo human samples to gain a comprehensive picture of the candidate’s potential to modulate disease biology and de-risk the molecule for subsequent IND-enabling studies.
ELIGIBILY REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible for consideration, applicants must:
- Hold a faculty appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor or above or be an industry leader.
- Have an independent laboratory space and be able to hold independent funding as confirmed by their institution.
- Work at an academic, medical, research institution or company anywhere in the world.
Special consideration will be given to organizations that are (i) a registered charity in good standing under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the “ITA”) and the Taxation Act (Quebec) or (ii) is otherwise a “qualified donee” under the ITA.
We particularly encourage applications from interdisciplinary teams that bring together diverse expertise (e.g., medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, structural biology, computational biology).
Apply Today
Please refer to the “Grantee Portal Guide” while creating your account and submitting your application.
Questions?
Inquiries about the program can be directed to RCF’s medical research team at medgrants@rainwatercf.org.
