MSIF offers Du Pré Grants to young MS researchers from emerging countries* to enable them to undertake short visits to established MS research centres, either to learn more from each other or to carry out parts of joint research projects.
The aim is to encourage cross-fertilisation of skills through collaborative research projects.
Each grant is likely to be between UK£2,000 and UK£4,000, to a maximum grant of UK£5,000. The funds are intended to contribute towards travel and living costs or to top-up an existing grant to extend a visit.
The duration of the visits are generally between two and six months. MSIF can provide about ten grants, over the spring and autumn rounds, per calendar year.
In 2012, we encourage applications in the areas of symptom relief, rehabilitation and palliative care.
Jack Van Horssen on his Du Pré Grant
Jack, a postdoctoral researcher from the VU medical centre in the Netherlands, used his £2000 grant to spend two months in the MS Clinic and Neuroimmunology lab in Montreal.
Eligibility
Individuals, preferably young researchers from emerging countries*, who are directly involved in an MS research project are eligible for nomination.
Before nomination, candidates need to have identified a suitable project and discussed their involvement with the project supervisor of the host institution.
Candidates should travel to an established MS Research centre in another country.
* - Emerging countries are all countries with a low, lower middle or upper middle income as defined by the World Bank. Click here
Nomination of candidates
University departments must nominate a candidate. This nomination should include:
Candidate letter - a letter from the candidate detailing their reasons for applying, the duration of the project and the requested grant amount.
Curriculum vitae of candidate
References - signed letters from at least two people with whom the candidate has worked (academic referees).
Project proposal- a description of the field of research that the candidate wishes to be trained in or the research project that he or she wishes to carry out. This should be written by the applicant and should be a maximum of four A4 pages including the background to project, aims and methodology to be used. A list of references should be added as an appendix which may also include figures.
Host letter - signed letter of support from the project supervisor of the host institution, indicating that appropriate facilities will be made available. The letter should be on institution-headed notepaper.
Candidates are required to submit all the above documents by email to Paul Browne by the deadline stated below.
Deadline
Du Pré Grants are offered twice a year but nominations can be received at any time.
1st round deadline is 12 February 2012. 2nd round deadline is 01 July 2012.
Evidence of results
After a Du Pré Grant has been awarded and the research taken place, a short report and expenditure summary will be required for submission to the Du Pré Grant Work Group. Electronic copies of reports, papers, abstracts and posters resulting from the visit should also be submitted.
Papers produced as a result of or in connection with Du Pré Grant funded research should acknowledge the MSIF Du Pré Grant. If possible, such acknowledgements should also reference MSIF's website.
Selection
The members of the MSIF International Medical and Scientific Board's (IMSB) Du Pré Grant Work Group consider and select successful candidates.
The 1st round 2012 award recipients will be announced on the week beginning 30 April The 2nd round 2012 award recipients will be announced on the week beginning 15 October
Potential hosts for 2012
Prof. Thomas Berger Head, Neuroimmunological and Multiple Sclerosis Clinic & Research Unit, Innsbruck Medical University, Austria Clinical and lab-based research topics, especially biological marker research in serum and CSF. Fully equipped immunological lab, CSF/serum tissue bank and a MS clinic/data bank including more than 2200 patients.
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Brück Head, Department of Neuropathology, Universitätsmedizin der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany Brain-specific mechanisms of immune response in multiple sclerosis. Axonal damage in inflammatory demyelination and mechanisms of remyelination. Mechanisms and consequences of microglial activation.
Prof. Peter Feys Assistant Professor in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Hasselt, Belgium Clinical evaluation and rehabilitation of persons with Multiple Sclerosis.
Dr. Marcelo Kremenchutzky Director, The London MS Clinic, London, Ontario, Canada. Our main focus is the study of MS and other demyelinating disorders, focusing on epidemiology, natural history and treatment. Recent research has focused on progressive MS.
Prof. Gianvito Martino Head, Neuroimmunology Unit, Department of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Hospital,Milan, Italy Research page
Dr. Luane Metz Clinical researcher, University of Calgary, Canada Clinical trials - translating therapies. Translational research , epidemiology and outcomes research and Texture analysis in MRI
Prof Xavier Montalban Director, Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalonia, Universitary Hospital Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain Natural history of MS (identification of clinical -including cognition-, MRI and laboratory predictors after a CIS); Definition of response to treatment (clinical, MRI and laboratory parameters); New treatment strategies: from EAE to Neurorehabilitation, Immunopathogenesis and genetics of MS; Non-conventional MRI as a monitoring tool in MS.
Dr. Helen Tremlett Assistant professor, Faculty of Medicine (Neurology), University of British Columbia, Canada Pharmacoepidemiology; natural history; database analyses; adverse effects of drug treatment
Prof. Simon K. Warfield Laboratory director, Computational Radiology Laboratory, Wolback 309, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Boston, USA Magnetic resonance imaging or image analysis of multiple sclerosis, especially of pediatric onset multiple sclerosis. Medical image analysis focussed on methods for quantitative image analysis through novel segmentation and registration approaches, and in real-time and large data image analysis, enabled by high performance computing technology.
Prof. Heather A. Wishart Neuropsychology Program and Brain Imaging Laboratory Department of Psychiatry Dartmouth Medical School, USA Brain imaging and cognitive studies in MS http://synapse.hitchcock.org/
Prof. Takashi Yamamura Director, Dept of Immunology, National Institute of Neuroscience (NCNP), Tokyo, Japan The immunological pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and development of new therapeutic strategies for MS. NKT cell biology and nuclear receptors expressed by T cells are the major target of his research at present.
Dr. V WeeYong Head of laboratory, University of Calgary, Canada Neuroimmunology, Cellular Biology, therapy development - testing in EAE models Research interests
Prof Frauke Zipp Head of clinic, Cecilie-Vogt-Clinic for Molecular Neurology, Charite - University Medicine Berlin, Germany Our overall goal is to translate knowledge of immune regulation and effector mechanisms in inflammatory disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis of the brain into the clinic. Focusing on T-cell regulation and neuronal protection mechanisms, we work on immune cell migration, immune/neuronal crosstalk as well as antigen presenting cell populations within the brain.
Past recipients
Read about the work carried out by MS researchers through the Du Pré Grant.
Jacqueline du Pré, born in Oxford, England in 1945, is acknowledged as one of the greatest cellists who ever lived. Throughout her career she performed with prestigious orchestras and soloists all over the world. In particular, her recording of the Elgar Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1965, aged only 20, brought her international recognition.
In 1973, at the age of 28, Jacqueline du Pré was diagnosed with MS. She continued to perform and to teach, her students included James D Wolfensohn, a former Chairman of MSIF and former President of the World Bank.
In 1987, 14 years after being diagnosed, Jacqueline du Pré died at the age of 42. MSIF continues to honour her life and her work through the Du Pré Grants, an initiative established in 1999 that supports research into MS.
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