MENACTRIMS Research Grant

MS is a chronic, inflammatory, demyelinating, autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. It is among the most common causes of neurological disability in young adults and occurs at least twice as frequently in women as in men.

More than 150,000 patients are believed to suffer from MS currently in the MENA region. The incidence and prevalence of this debilitating disease continue to rise in the region as observed by several local epidemiology publications and patient registries. Although we have seen a leap in disease awareness, we continue to learn and develop our understanding of the underlying causes, disease progression and treatment alternatives. There is no doubt that more can be done to improve our understanding of the disease characteristics and their impact on the diverse population inhabiting the MENA region.

As part of MENACTRIMS’s commitment to support and expand MS research across the Middle East & North Africa region, we will fund two MENACTRIMS Research Grants per year.

The aim of this annual scientific grant is to support regional research projects by academic & clinical researchers to enhance our understanding of multiple sclerosis and help improve the quality of life of MS patients in the MENA region. Potential research areas that will be funded through the MENACTRIMS Research Grant will include; MS risk factors, epidemiology, natural history and other relevant topics to clinical practice in the MENA region.

• The research project should be supervised by an academic and/or clinical senior neurologist practicing in an academic institution and/or a research center that has the ability required to carry out the project.
• The subject of the research project must be relevant to clinical practice in the MENA region for the ultimate benefit of patients.
• The following non-exhaustive topics are considered important to our region and will therefore be prioritized: MS risk factors, epidemiology, vitamin D and MS, quality of life, prognosis, genetics, and clinical aspects of MS.
• The research should not be commercially driven or biased towards any specific product.
• The research must be of scientific value to the scientific community at large and must be designed to provide meaningful information or conclusions with clear value to the MS community in the region.
• The research objective must be clear and pre-defined, innovative, feasible & has the potential for practical utility.
• The research must be conducted in a country in the MENA region.
• The research can be within a multicenter/multinational project and can involve collaborations across borders in the MENA region
• The amount awarded for the research must not exceed the legitimate costs to be incurred in carrying out the research, and must be commensurate with and not exceed fair market value for the research activities.
• All applicable regulatory requirements must be observed, including, as appropriate, regulatory filings and ethics committee/IRB review and approvals.
• The selected researchers must have the appropriate training and expertise to conduct the research as determined by the MENACTRIMS Research Committee.

• Up to 20,000 USD will be paid per grant based on research milestones pre-defined by the scientific committee.
• Milestones would need to be completed by the researcher to receive the subsequent payments.Non-completion of the milestones can lead to withdrawal of the research funding.
• Candidates should submit their proposal Online
• The application steps and deadlines should be respected or the proposal would be ineligible for review by the scientific committee.
• Publications, posters and verbal communication at MENACTRIMS or any other local, regional or international scientific gathering that emerge from the work undertaken during the fellowship period should acknowledge MENACTRIMS for its support.
• The grant will be awarded in a competitive review process conducted by an independent scientific review committee composed of senior MS experts.

• Candidate qualifications, educational history and evaluation of career plans. A CV with references needs to be submitted with the application.
• Qualifications and characteristics of the proposed fellowship mentor and host institution.
• The proposed research plan, including assessment of the scientific quality, innovation, perceived feasibility, quality of letters of endorsement from the proposed mentor and from referees at the fellow’shome institution /center, etc.

• The process for applying for the MENACTRIMS Research Grant consists of two parts:
  • Letter of Intent:
    • The deadline for the receipt of the Letter of Intent is September 01, 2020
    •  Letters of intent must be submitted electronically.
  • Full Application:
    • Successful candidates will be notified by email to submit their full application proposal.
    • The full application is due November 01, 2020.
    • The winner will be announced at the Sixth MENACTRIMS Congress

Dr. Bassem Yamout, MD, FAAN

Professor of Clinical Neurology, Director Multiple Sclerosis
Center Clinical Research, American University of Beirut Medical
Center, Beirut – Lebanon.

“The MENACTRIMS Research Grant aims at encouraging clinical research in the field of multiple sclerosis all over the Arab world. It fits in the overall vision of our newly founded association “The Middle East and North Africa Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis: MENACTRIMS”, which aims at increasing awareness and knowledge of the disease among the neurologists community of the region. The MENACTRIMS Research Grant grant will, by providing research funds, promote this knowledge and increase our overall research potential in the MENA region”

Dr. Mohammed Al-Jumah, MD, FRCPC

Consultant Neurologist at King Fahad National Guard Hospital,
Vice President, Planning and Development, King Saud bin
Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences,
Riyadh – Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Riadh Gouider

Professor of Clinical Neurology, Director of Department of Neurology at Razi Hospital, Tunis
President of the Tunisian Society of Neurology and the Pan African Association of Neurological Societies (PAANS) and MENACTRIMS Vice President

Dr. Maurice Dahdaleh

Consultant Neurologist
Khalidi Hospital and Medical Center, Affiliate Lahey Hospital and Medical Center (Boston), Amman, Jordan.
MENACTRIMS Treasurer

Dr. Mohamad Ali Sahraian

Professor of Neurology at Sina Hospital, Tehran University Of Medical Sciences, Tehran – Iran