Brint Family Translational Research Award

Brint Family Translational Research Award

Funds preclinical translational partnerships for companies advancing Friedreich ataxia therapies.

The Brint Family Translational Research Award (BFTRP), formerly known as TRAP, is administered by the Foundation Fighting Blindness — a US 501(c)(3) public charity established in 1971 that has raised nearly $1 billion toward research into inherited retinal diseases and macular degeneration. BFTRP specifically targets preclinical translational research for inherited retinal degenerations (IRD) and dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD), funding work that advances novel therapies from laboratory development toward clinical application. Three priority research areas are supported: novel medical therapies including small molecules and biologics; genetic technologies such as viral and non-viral gene delivery, gene editing, and RNA editing; and restorative therapies including cellular and tissue-based products, optogenetics, and visual prostheses.

The FY27 cycle follows a two-stage process. A Proposer's Day Webinar was held on 18 May 2026. The Letter of Intent (LOI) deadline is 18 June 2026, with the full application due 22 October 2026. BFTRP is notable among Foundation Fighting Blindness programs for explicitly welcoming for-profit companies alongside academic institutions and non-profits. US and non-US citizens, and organizations based outside the United States, are all eligible to apply, provided applicants can independently execute research with organizational support. Award amount and duration are not stated on the current program page; historically TRAP-lineage awards have reached $300,000 to over $1 million over multiple years, but applicants must confirm terms in the published guidelines.

Successful BFTRP applications must demonstrate a clear preclinical-to-clinical pathway, including the potential to support FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) filing or clinical trials initiation. The Foundation also provides expert mentorship and follow-on funding support to laureates. Organizations targeting IRD or dry AMD with technology platforms at the late preclinical stage — and particularly for-profit entities that are ineligible for most other FFB programs — should treat the June 2026 LOI deadline as the primary near-term action point.