HSC Research Funding Strategy

The universal goal for the international HD movement is to find therapies that slow or prevent the progression of HD. The Huntington Society of Canada and Canadian researchers are a key part of this effort and the Society has a unique role to play.

The international campaign for HD research is reaching a stage in its evolution which calls for a focused approach to funding research. In parallel with the international campaign, the Huntington Society of Canada will to direct its dollars to the most promising, high priority areas in basic and clinical research on early targets and complementary lines of attack. In addition, the Society strives to plan its research funding on a multi-year basis; and to partner with world-class organizations to leverage their resources and expertise to help to influence the direction of HD research in Canada and internationally.

The Huntington Society of Canada will continue to operate its NAVIGATOR Research Program to fund scientific research of direct and immediate relevance to Huntington disease. The Society will operate one competition per year, starting in the spring of 2007 and it is expected that two NAVIGATOR grants will be funded for this competition.

The Society is ending its LANDMARK pre-doctoral fellowship program and instead will collaborate with the Canadian Institute of Health Research to support pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships; as well as operating grants for high scoring Canadian HD scientists. Importantly, we will encourage CIHR to increase its funding of HD research in Canada.

The Society plans to collaborate with the High Q Foundation to jointly fund promising areas of Huntington disease research through their granting process, perhaps in concert with other non-profit foundations.

And we intend to continue our partnership with the Huntington Study Group, headquartered in Rochester, New York, to fund original clinical or pre-clinical research studies to test potential new therapies for Huntington disease.

Research is not only about scientists. Individuals living with HD and their families are contributing to the solutions. Canada contributes proportionately more families to research studies than other country, but the capacity exists to do more. At present there are 6 locations in Canada participating in Huntington Study Group clinical trials, but the international campaign needs more sites and more families and the Huntington Society of Canada will encourage more Canadians to participate.

More about the NAVIGATOR Research Program

More information about HD research