The mission of the funder, presumably the Neilsen Foundation given the context, focuses on advancing novel approaches to both improving function and developing curative therapies after spinal cord injury (SCI). Their goal encompasses a broader understanding and improvement in the treatment of both acute and chronic SCI.
The SCIRTS Portfolio is dedicated to promoting research across the entire translational spectrum for spinal cord injury (SCI), specifically targeting the development of novel strategies for neuroprotection, understanding the pathophysiology of SCI, fostering neuronal survival and functional connectivity, as well as exploring bioengineering, pharmacological, and transplantation strategies for recovery. It emphasizes SCI over disorders that secondarily affect the spinal cord, aiming to fill research gaps and introduce new strategies for restoring function post-SCI. The grant program includes SCIRTS Postdoctoral Fellowships, Pilot Research Grants, and Senior Research Grants, each designed to support different stages and scales of research from early-career training to pioneering new directions in established investigators' work.