Each year, our Research Grant Program funds several scientific research studies and projects in the fields of OCD and related disorders. In the past, our grant program has funded between three and five grants for smaller research projects. These grants helped many exceptional scientists get their start in the field, and funded pilot projects that grew into larger investigations with important findings. Although our research grant program recently expanded to include larger grants, we are continuing our legacy of supporting junior researchers through the Young Investigator Awards.

In, 2019, will select as many as five projects to receive funding from through the Young Investigator Awards. These awards are:

  • Up to $50,000, disbursed over the course of one year in quarterly installments
  • Available to researchers in graduate school or with up to five years of research experience following the completion of their terminal degree
  • Available to researchers investigating topics in the field of OCD and related disorders (OCD, including pediatric OCD; PANS/PANDAS; hoarding disorder; or body dysmorphic disorder)
  • Made possible by the hundreds of individual donors who contribute to our Research Fund each year

In 2018, the incredible generosity of an anonymous donor allowed us to expand our grant program to include a new, larger grant type—the Breakthrough Award. We were incredibly excited to award the first of these grants to Dr. Susanne Ahmari this past summer.

In 2019, we will be awarding another Breakthrough Award, and two Innovator Awards. These awards are:

  • Up to $500,000 (Breakthrough Award) or $300,000 (Innovator Awards), disbursed in annual installments over a three-year period
  • Available to researchers with at least five years of research experience following the completion of their terminal degree
  • Available to researchers pursuing projects that investigate topics in the field of OCD, with a focus on finding a cure for OCD. Note: this may include prevention (i.e., keeping OCD from taking hold), and treatment (i.e., once symptoms begin, can treatment reduce them as close as possible to zero)

Interested in Submitting a Grant Application?

We evaluate all grant applications through a rigorous, peer-review process, and provide applicants with feedback from reviewers regardless of whether they are selected for funding. If you are a research scientist with an interest in OCD and related disorders, we strongly encourage you to apply. Applications for grants will be available beginning on January 2nd, 2019 at ocdresearchgrants.org.

To view our formal Request For Proposals for 2019, please click here.