The CRF is accepting research grant applications through Dec. 31, 2026, to support projects advancing CHM research and the development of potential treatments.
SPRINGFIELD, MA, UNITED STATES, November 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Choroideremia Research Foundation (CRF) is reminding researchers that applications for its current research grant cycle are due December 31, 2026. Through its grant program, CRF supports innovative and promising research focused on advancing the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of choroideremia (CHM), an ultra-rare inherited retinal disease that causes progressive vision loss.
As a patient-created nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure or effective treatment for CHM, CRF invests in research that moves the field forward and creates new opportunities for scientific discovery. Since 2000, CRF has invested more than $6 million in research and funded more than 95 grants, supporting scientists and institutions around the world.
CRF prioritizes projects that build critical resources and knowledge for the field, including model systems, genetic insights, and annotated patient specimens. The Foundation also supports innovative projects that open new pathways for diagnosis and drug discovery, along with promising studies that may be less likely to receive traditional funding. These include seed funding for early-stage, hypothesis-generating projects, high-quality proposals from young investigators, and foundational research with long-term potential.
“Our objective is to find an effective treatment or cure for choroideremia,” said Kathi Wager, CRF Executive Director. “By investing in innovative research and supporting promising investigators, we are helping advance scientific understanding and move closer to meaningful treatment options for individuals and families affected by CHM.”
CRF accepts applications across several research areas aligned with its mission, including:
– Research that builds critical resources and knowledge for the CHM research community, such as model systems, genetic insights, and annotated patient specimens.
– Innovative research that opens new pathways for diagnosis and drug discovery.
– Promising studies that may be less likely to receive traditional funding, including early-stage research, projects led by young investigators, and foundational studies with significant long-term potential.
John Oster Leadership Award:
The John Oster Leadership Award honors the late John Oster, one of the founding members of the Choroideremia Research Foundation. His dedication to advancing research and supporting the CHM community helped lay the foundation for CRF’s mission. The award continues his legacy by recognizing research that brings the field closer to effective treatments and a cure.
Application Information:
CRF accepts research grant applications twice annually, with submission deadlines of June 30 and December 31. Applications submitted by December 31, 2026, will be reviewed by CRF’s Science Advisory Board, with the review process taking place at the end of January 2027.
Researchers interested in applying should review the CRF Grant Application Guidelines and submit their proposals through the Apply for a Grant section of the CureCHM website.
Through its ongoing investment in research, CRF remains committed to supporting the scientific community and accelerating progress toward treatments and a cure for choroideremia.
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About Choroideremia:
Choroideremia (CHM) is a rare inherited form of blindness affecting approximately 1 in 50,000-100,000 people. Due to its X-linked inheritance pattern, males are most severely affected, with females usually experiencing much milder visual impairment. Symptoms begin in early childhood, with night blindness and restriction of visual field being the earliest noticeable effects, eventually progressing to complete blindness. An estimated 6,000 people in the United States and 10,000 in the European Union are impacted by choroideremia. There are currently no approved treatments for choroideremia. For more information, visit curechm.org/what-is-choroideremia/
About the Choroideremia Research Foundation Inc.:
The Choroideremia Research Foundation (CRF) was founded in 2000 as an international fundraising and patient advocacy organization to stimulate research on CHM. Since its inception, the CRF has provided approximately $6 million in research awards and is the largest financial supporter of CHM research worldwide. Research funded by the CRF has led to the development of a CHM animal model, the pre-clinical production of gene therapy vectors, and the CRF Biobank which stores tissue and stem cell samples donated by CHM patients. For more information, or to make a donation to support research, visit curechm.org.
Saving Sight Is Our Vision. Building Hope Is How We’ll Get There.
Reagan Devinney
Choroideremia Research Foundation Inc
+1 800-210-0233
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