Overview of Research Programs

Research Grants

Research is the key to the future for people with hard to control seizures -- as many as 600,000 Americans of all ages.

Each year the Foundation invites research investigators to apply for one-year grants to test new ideas and follow new research leads. The applications, more than a hundred in an average year, are ranked according to merit by a blue ribbon panel of research scientists, and funded according to available resources.

For a complete list of grants currently funded under the program, click here.

Research Fellowships

The future of epilepsy research depends on attracting the best scientific minds to the study of seizures and seizure disorders. To do just that, the Epilepsy Foundation offers a series of training fellowships in basic, clinical and behavioral science to scientists at the start of their careers.

These one-year fellowships, awarded to young people at the nation's leading research institutes, have in many cases been the first steps on a lifetime commitment to solving the medical and scientific puzzle of why epilepsy develops and how it can be treated or prevented.

For a complete list of these and other fellowships currently granted by the Epilepsy Foundation, click here.

Gene Discovery Project

The race is on to discover the genetic causes of some forms of epilepsy. With these discoveries will come new therapies, possibly even a true cure. So far, several specific genes have been identified, but many, many more remain to be discovered.

One of the challenges of this type of research is identifying families in which several members across generations have experienced seizures. When a number of such families can be found, blood tests may reveal genetic traits associated with a greater susceptibility to seizures.

As part of its commitment to research and a cure, the Epilepsy Foundation is sponsoring a Gene Discovery Project on the Internet. This program invites people with a family history to provide confidential details through this web site. The information will then be added to a coded database and, at some point in the future, the families have an opportunity to participate in research.

Special Research Initiatives

The Epilepsy Foundation periodically offers funding opportunities for special research initiatives.

All of the Epilepsy Foundation's special initiatives are unique in terms of their program parameters, goals, and funding cycles, but what is common among all is that they are thematic fast track programs announced at the time that funds become available.

Past initiatives have included studies on genetics, quality of life for children with epilepsy, neurocysticercosis and epilepsy. The Epilepsy Foundation is also participating in the Partnership for Pediatric Epilepsy Research, a consortium of dedicated organizations and individuals working to increase knowledge of causes of and promoting innovative treatment approaches and a cure for epilepsies that begin in infancy and childhood.