Information | Requirements | Application

Purpose

The Collaborative Center for X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism (CCXDP) supports an international consortium of scientists and clinicians working together to advance research and treatments for X- Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism (XDP), a debilitating neurodegenerative disease endemic to the Philippines. Since 2015, CCXDP has funded over $40M in research grants to institutions across North America, Europe, and Asia, advancing both the science and the search for treatments. We are now pleased to announce our 2026-2027 Research Funding Program and invite applications under the following three grant mechanisms:

Three grant mechanisms are offered

In addition to the amounts listed below, awards will provide 10% indirect costs to recipient institutions.

Investigator Awards

2 years, up to $250,000/year in direct costs

Exploratory Pilot Grants

1 year, up to $100,000 in direct costs

Postdoctoral fellowships

2 years, $75,000/year in direct costs

Background

XDP is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting individuals with ancestry to the island of Panay in the Philippines. CCXDP-funded research studies have shown that XDP is caused by a disease-specific SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA)-type retrotransposon insertion in an intron of the human TAF1 gene. The SVA contains a hexameric sequence, (CCCTCT)n, which is expanded to variable extents among patients and inversely correlated to age of disease onset. The insertion results in aberrant TAF1 mRNA splicing and partial intron retention which decreases levels of the full-length transcript. The neuropathology of XDP is not fully defined, but current evidence points to a progressive loss of striatal medium spiny neurons in the brains of individuals with XDP.

Available Resources

CCXDP has generated biospecimens and reagents which are available for research studies, including:

DNA from XDP patients and unaffected relatives
Fibroblasts and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from XDP patients and unaffected relatives
Post-mortem human brain tissue from XDP patients
An inducible, partially humanized genetic mouse model of XDP (New in 2026)

Click here for a complete list of available resources and details about acquiring reagents.

Research Objectives

CCXDP welcomes applications from investigators in all disciplines proposing bold and rigorous approaches to the study of XDP. We particularly encourage proposals that apply insights gained from studies of other neurodegenerative disorders to investigations of potential disease mechanisms in XDP. Collaborative projects, which may include teams at different institutions, are permitted, and applicants are encouraged to review the list of cell and tissue resources available from CCXDP. Areas of particular interest include, but are not limited to:

Development of screening assays for identifying small molecules that modulate XDP-related phenotypes and/or testing of known agents for their ability to rescue phenotypes in XDP model systems.
Studies of the potential role of glial cells in XDP pathogenesis, including mechanisms underlying neuroinflammatory signaling in the brain.
Molecular studies of the XDP-specific SVA element, including but not limited to potential regulation by host cell factors, RNA transcription, and/or DNA replication dynamics.
Comparative analyses to identify cellular mechanisms, including those driving neuronal cell death, that may be shared by XDP and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Projects that leverage machine learning/artificial intelligence (AI) to identify and analyze phenotypes in XDP model systems.

Topics Not Currently Being Solicited

To avoid potential areas of overlap, applicants are strongly encouraged to review the current list of active projects here or visit https://ccxdp.org/our-research/ccxdp-funded-projects/. Although CCXDP welcomes applications in all disciplines, the following topics are not being solicited in the 2026-2027 funding cycle:

-Descriptive characterizations of somatic repeat instability in XDP brain tissue or model systems. Studies interrogating novel mechanisms governing repeat instability in XDP remain of interest.

-Descriptive characterizations of TAF1 transcript architecture in XDP brain tissue or model systems. Studies investigating novel mechanisms regulating TAF1 transcription and/or splicing remain of interest.

-Single cell/single nucleus RNA sequencing of XDP postmortem brain tissue.

Application Timeline

Call for proposals announced

July 28, 2026

Call for proposals announced

Letters of intent due by 5pm EST

September 18, 2026

Letters of intent due by 5pm EST

Full applications due by 5pm EST

November 13, 2026