Transforming the way medical research is funded by investing in early-career researchers with innovative ideas.
Award Information
New Vision Research (NVR) has awarded over one million dollars in research funding to fight Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). NVR’s goal is to provide funding to help elevate early-career scientists and their out-of-the-box ideas.
NVR is committed to providing a unique alternative to conducting science by prioritizing novelty and collaboration in funding decisions. NVR aspires to be a model for future mechanisms and changes in funding trends, while providing a venue in which early-career investigators can be recognized for nascent ideas that, if provided with seed funding, can grow into a promising career of innovation with the cooperation of like-minded investigators. The funded projects are expected to change the trajectory of current AD research, which will better serve the millions of individuals whose lives are affected by AD.
NVR has four main awards that it funds: The Leonard Litwin Scholar Award, The New Vision Scholar Award, The New Vision Investigator Award and The George Bartzokis Travel Award.
New Vision Investigator Award
The New Vision Investigator Award is a $100,000 award given to the top CCAD attendees who present innovative research. This award is given to fund the investigator’s research for two years. After these two years, investigators return to CCAD to present their research findings. This seed funding better positions early-career investigators to secure subsequent federal funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Due to the rising cost of equipment, and to better simulate an R03 NIH grant, the New Vision Investigator Award was increased in 2019 from $50,000 to $100,000.
George Bartzokis Travel Award
Dr. George Bartzokis was a passionate scientist who used the span of his career to mentor and help over 50 individuals develop their own careers. Dr. Bartokis dedicated his time to CCAD each year until he passed on August 22, 2014 at the age of 58. He is deeply missed and will forever be remembered by the CCAD and NVR community.
The George Bartzokis Travel Award is a $2000 award dedicated in his memory. It is awarded to the CCAD attendee who best exemplifies Dr. Bartzokis’ spirit of scientific citizenship. In his own words, “Scientific citizenship is about how we co-exist and act together in the contemporary world. Science communication offers many ways of establishing relationships between citizens and science that can form the basis of such inclusion and political involvement.”
Peter Davies Travel Award
Dr. Peter Davies, PhD, was instrumental in paving the way for the first Alzheimer’s drugs through his groundbreaking research on the tau protein. His work unraveled the complexity of tau protein and its crucial role in Alzheimer’s and other tauopathies, leading to significant advancements in the field. Dr. Davies also developed Alz50, the first antibody capable of latching onto misfolded tau, and subsequently contributed to the development of numerous other groundbreaking antibodies. Aside from his scientific contributions, Dr. Davies was a dedicated mentor at the Charleston Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (CCAD).
Dr. Davies passed away on August 26, 2020, at the age of 72, leaving behind a legacy of innovation, compassion, and scientific excellence. The Peter Davies Travel Award seeks to honor his memory by supporting young researchers and scholars in their pursuit of knowledge and advancements in Alzheimer’s disease and related fields. The Peter Davies Travel Award is a $2000 travel award that will be awarded to the attendee who best exemplifies Dr. Davies’ value of innovation, collaboration, and mentorship.
The New Vision Scholar Award
The New Vision Scholar Award is given to early-to mid-career researchers who demonstrate an exceptional idea and who have proven to show promise as an innovator in AD research.
The Leonard Litwin Scholar Award
The Leonard Litwin Scholar Award was introduced in 2021 as a means of supporting scientists who have demonstrated commitment to the advancement of research in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The individual chosen will have already made significant contributions to the AD research field and are likely to make substantial contributions in the future. There is no application for The Leonard Litwin Scholar Award and it is presented “ut visum fit” to individuals.