Funding Opportunity:
2027 Tauopathy Challenge WorkshopTM
The Rainwater Charitable Foundation is pleased to announce the 2027 Tauopathy Challenge Workshop.
LOI applications are open through July 31, 2026.
About the Workshop
Established in 2023 by the Rainwater Charitable Foundation, the Tauopathy Challenge Workshop is a funding program that convenes interdisciplinary experts around a single topic to address unmet needs in the primary tauopathies. Tauopathies, a class of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the abnormal accumulation of pathologic forms of the tau protein, represent a significant health challenge. While the pathological role of tau protein aggregates in neurodegeneration is well-established, the precise molecular mechanisms driving their formation and neurotoxicity remain elusive.
You can learn more about our 2025 winners and 2026 workshop here.
2027 Topic
Each year a new topic is selected as the focus for the workshop which invites original ideas to explore primary tauopathies like progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), Pick’s disease (PiD), and other frontotemporal lobar degeneration-tau (FTLD-tau) disorders.
The 2027 Tauopathy Challenge Workshop seeks to uncover the mechanisms by which intrinsic biological context including sex, age, metabolism, and cell identity can shape cellular vulnerability, resilience, and organelle crosstalk in the pathogenesis of primary tauopathies. Below is a non-exhaustive list of research topics that may guide one’s thinking. Note: broad screening approaches-alone without mechanism connection are not encouraged to apply.
- Biophysical and metabolic properties that define cell-type susceptibility to tau aggregation and stress;
- The role of misfolded tau to perturb phase separation, chromatin organization, or stress granule dynamics;
- Influence of hormonal, lipid, and energy metabolism pathways on proteostasis and cellular recovery;
- How upstream stresses from tau aggregation alter post-translational control of key metabolic and degradation enzymes;
- Do copathologies effect hormonal signaling and stress-adaptations;
- New molecular or imaging markers of cellular resilience that track disease severity.
Applications are Now Open
To submit an LOI to the 2027 Tauopathy Challenge Workshop:
NOTE: Please only click the hyperlinks provided in this section when applying. The “Grantee Portal” link at the top of our website should not be used for the Tauopathy Challenge Workshop.
- Once logged in, click Apply at the top left of the screen next to the Home icon.
- Click the Apply button at the bottom right of the LOI description.
- Answer questions in application.
- Click Save if you’d like to return to the LOI later.
- Click Submit when you have completed the form. Once you’ve submitted the LOI, you’ll receive an automated email confirmation.
Who Can Apply
Our aim is to convene leaders across disciplines spanning structural biology, epigenomics, metabolomics, proteomics, lipidomics, and cell physiology to generate integrative insights into how biological variables recalibrate proteostasis, immune tone, and energy metabolism in tauopathies. To be eligible for consideration, applicants must:
- Hold a faculty appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor or above.
- Have an independent laboratory space and be able to hold independent funding as confirmed by their institution.
- Work at an academic, medical, or research institution anywhere in the world.
Special consideration will be given to junior scientists (Assistant professor-level).
Process
The RCF uses a letter of interest (LOI) process to solicit novel proposals from the research community. Through the LOI process, up to 12 participants are selected to move forward and invited to attend the 2-day in person workshop and then to apply for research grants providing up to $500,000 in direct costs over two years (indirects will not be granted); up to four awards will be funded, pending budget availability.
Important Dates
| Letter of Intent Submission Dates | May 14 – July 31, 2026 |
| Letter of Intent Notification Date | October 2, 2026 |
| Workshop Date / Location | January 26-28, 2027 / Miami, FL |
| Post-workshop Grant Notification Date | July 15, 2027 |
| Start of Post-workshop Grant Term | September / October 2027 |
FAQs
What is the focus area of the 2027 Workshop LOI?
In 2027, the workshop will focus on uncovering the mechanisms by which intrinsic biological context including sex, age, and cell identity can shape vulnerability or resilience to tau pathology.
Am I eligible to apply?
To be eligible for consideration, applicants must:
- Hold a faculty appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor or above.
- Have an independent laboratory space and be able to hold independent funding as confirmed by their institution.
- Work at an academic, medical, or research institution anywhere in the world.
I am a senior staff scientist but not an Assistant Professor. Am I eligible?
We require that applicants have independent laboratory space and be able to hold independent funding. If you meet both requirements, you are eligible. In your application, you will need to include a letter from your institution noting that you can serve as the PI on external grants and have the laboratory space to perform the work.
I work for a company. Can I apply?
No, researchers at companies are not eligible to apply.
Can I include a Co-PI in the proposal?
Yes, co-PIs are allowed; please include their biosketch when submitting the LOI. One PI must serve as the lead PI for application purposes. If selected, the grant will be awarded to a single institution. Please not that only person from the project will be admitted to attend the workshop.
Can I submit more than one LOI?
No, only one LOI submission per lead PI is allowed.
How do I apply?
Applications are now open and will close July 31, 2026. Please follow the directions here to submit your application.
When are the LOIs due?
LOIs are due by July 31, 2026. No extensions will be granted.
What costs are allowed in the budget?
PI and postdoc salaries are allowed in the budget. Equipment costs in excess of 10% of the total budget will be considered but require prior approval from RCF staff.
Budgets must be in USD and not exceed $500,000 in direct costs over two years. For year 1, the budget may not exceed $300,000 USD direct costs. Please note that the RCF does not pay indirects and that the budget can change if you are invited to submit a full application.
Do you allow indirect costs?
No, this funding opportunity is for direct costs only.
Is there a template for the LOI budget?
Yes, a template is provided within the LOI application.
If I am selected to move forward, what happens next?
You will be required to attend the 2-day confidential in-person workshop on January 26-28, 2027 in Miami. Workshop participants include the 12 selected researchers, 4 key opinion leaders/moderators, and representatives of funding partners for the workshop. The 12 researchers present their proposed projects for feedback and discussion.
All event expenses will be covered by the RCF and following the workshop the 12 selected researchers will each receive a $10,000 grant to support their laboratory research.
Following the conclusion of the workshop in January 2027, the 12 researchers will have six weeks to put together a full application for a grant of up to $500,000 direct costs over two years.
Who can I contact with questions about my proposal?
Please contact us at medgrants@rainwatercf.org with any questions.
