Upcoming Funding Opportunity:
2026 Tauopathy Challenge WorkshopTM
The Rainwater Charitable Foundation is pleased to announce the topic for the 2026 Tauopathy Challenge Workshop.
LOI applications will be solicited from July 15-September 2, 2025.
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 2024 winners and the 2025 workshop here.
Notifications for Tauopathy Challenge Workshop
If you think this opportunity might be a good fit for you, sign up for updates!
2026 Topic
Each year a new topic is selected as the focus for the workshop. The 2026 Tauopathy Challenge Workshop will focus on employing advanced biophysical and bioanalytical approaches to probe the structural and thermodynamic properties of tau protein, its modifications, and interactions with other pathologies.
By gaining a deeper understanding of these molecular characteristics with the most current technology, the workshop aims to identify potential therapeutic approaches and biomarker targets for development. Below is a non-exhaustive list of research topics. Note: broad screening approaches-alone without mechanism connection are not encouraged to apply.
• The molecular architecture and dynamics of misfolded tau with and without copathologies;
• The impact of protein-membrane interactions on tauopathies;
• Validating computational approaches that model protein aggregation;
• Novel approaches for studying post-translational modifications of tau;
• Determining which physiologically relevant cofactors and modifications drive tau pathology;
• How do changes in tau pathology inform the status of disease progression.
Who Can Apply
Our aim is to convene leaders across multiple disciplines including structural biology, metabolomics, proteomics, biochemistry, spectroscopy and biophysics to posit new insights on tau pathology. 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 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; up to four awards will be funded, pending budget availability.
Important Dates
| Letter of Intent Submission Dates | July 15 – September 2, 2025 |
| Letter of Intent Notification Date | October 15, 2025 |
| Workshop Date / Location | January 26-28, 2026 / Dallas, TX |
| Post-workshop Grant Notification Date | July 15, 2026 |
| Start of Post-workshop Grant Term | September / October 2026 |
FAQs
What is the focus area of the 2026 Workshop LOI?
In 2026, the workshop will focus on employing advanced biophysical and bioanalytical approaches to probe the structural and thermodynamic properties of tau protein, its modifications, and interactions with other pathologies.
Am I eligible to apply?
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.
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?
Yes, researchers at companies are 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 will be accepted through the RCF grants portal between July 15-September 2, 2025. Join our mailing list to be alerted when the application window opens here.
When are the LOIs due?
LOIs are due by September 2, 2025. No extensions will be granted.
What costs are allowed in the budget?
PI and postdoc salaries are allowed in the budget. Equipment costs 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.
Is there a template for the LOI budget?
Yes, a template will be provided when the LOI window opens.
Do you allow indirect costs?
No, this funding opportunity is for direct costs only.
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, 2026 in Dallas. 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 2026, 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.
