The Paralyzed Veterans of America Research Foundation is a specialized charitable foundation within Paralyzed Veterans of America dedicated to advancing knowledge and innovation around spinal cord injury and disease (SCI/D). Since its inception in 1976, the foundation reports having awarded hundreds of peer‑reviewed grants and fellowships totaling more than $54 million, directly supporting projects that improve the health, function, and quality of life of people living with SCI/D.
Role of the PVA Research Foundation in the funding ecosystem
The foundation operates as a competitive grantmaker, offering research grants and fellowships to qualified investigators working at institutions located in the United States or Canada. It explicitly funds multiple categories of work, including basic laboratory science aimed at cures, clinical and functional studies of medical and psychosocial effects, and the design and development of assistive and rehabilitative technologies and devices. Dedicated fellowship awards help train postdoctoral scientists, clinicians, and engineers to specialize in spinal cord research.
Grant programs and target audiences
The PVA Research Foundation runs structured grant cycles with clearly published opening and closing dates, award notification timelines, and grant start dates. Grants in basic science, clinical applications, and design & development may be funded for one to three years up to a stated maximum budget, while fellowships are funded on a similar multi‑year basis at a slightly lower cap. Eligible applicants must hold a professional degree (Ph.D., M.D. preferred), and proposals are submitted through their host institutions.
General evaluation criteria and review process
Applications undergo an independent scientific peer review focused on innovation and significance, research approach, feasibility, investigator qualifications, facilities, and budget. A peer review contractor convenes expert panels that score each eligible proposal. The PVA Research Foundation Board of Directors, composed entirely of Paralyzed Veterans of America members, considers these reviews and makes final funding decisions. Applicants receive copies of reviewers’ comments at the close of the cycle, supporting transparency and learning.
Impact, governance and transparency
The foundation emphasizes funding projects that seek better treatments and cures for paralysis, address secondary health effects, and develop technologies to increase independence for people with SCI/D. It also prioritizes training the next generation of spinal cord researchers via fellowships. Separate IRS Form 990 filings and audited financial statements for the PVA Research Foundation are publicly available, demonstrating that it is a distinct 501(c)(3) grantmaking entity with formal governance and reporting, alongside listings of current and past grant recipients by year.
