Apply for Funding – Process and Timeline

Application Process 

The Focused Ultrasound Foundation uses a two-stage process to evaluate research proposals. 

The first stage of proposal evaluation begins when the principal investigator (PI) submits a letter of intent (LOI). The LOI is evaluated on its fit with the Foundation’s mission and research priorities. After reviewing the LOI, the Foundation notifies the PI if they are invited to submit a full proposal.  

The second stage of proposal evaluation begins when the PI submits an invited full proposal. The PI has 90 days to submit after receiving an invitation for proposal. The proposal is evaluated on its feasibility, scientific merit, team, and eligibility. During this stage the Foundation evaluates the proposal in more detail and gives the PI the opportunity to iterate on their proposal to make it stronger through reviewer feedback. The full proposal is peer reviewed externally by scientific and clinical experts, the review results are shared during a Research Funding Meeting, and a decision is made to either fund, revise, or reject. Research funding meetings for preclinical and clinical proposals occur every two weeks. If a decision to fund is made, the proposal enters the post-award phase where contracting begins. If a decision to revise is made, the PI is given the opportunity to address reviewer comments, and the revised proposal is evaluated. If a decision to reject is made, the PI is notified of this decision, and provided with the reviewer comments. All funding decisions are at the sole discretion of the Foundation’s funding committee. 

If selected for an award, the Foundation Program Manager or the contract team will work with the PI and their institution to put a funding agreement and associated exhibits in place. See Funding Agreements for more details. 

All application materials should be submitted via ProposalCentral.

Start Your Application (New Application Site!)   

If you have been invited to submit a proposal through Editorial Manager, the Foundation team will contact you about submitting your proposal. For any questions please contact jkilroy@fusfoundation.org 

Application Resources 

All application forms and templates are available on ProposalCentral 

Applicant Research Funding Guide 

Research Funding Agreement (RFA) Template 

Clinical Research Funding Agreement (CRFA) Template 

Royalty Agreement Template 

Foundation Open Science Policies