For researchers racing to unlock treatments for a blinding genetic disorder, a key funding deadline is fast approaching. The Choroideremia Research Foundation (CRF) has set December 31, 2026, as the cutoff for its latest round of research grant applications, offering financial backing for projects that probe the mechanisms and potential therapies for choroideremia (CHM), an ultra-rare inherited retinal disease that steadily robs patients of sight.
CRF, a nonprofit launched by patients and their families, directs its grant program toward studies that deepen the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of CHM. Since its founding in 2000, the organization has poured more than $6 million into research and funded over 95 grants, supporting scientists and institutions across the globe. The foundation’s goal is clear: find a cure or an effective treatment for a condition that currently has none.
The organization prioritizes projects that build essential tools and knowledge for the entire CHM research community. This includes developing model systems, uncovering genetic insights, and curating annotated patient specimens. CRF also backs innovative work that opens fresh avenues for diagnosis and drug discovery, along with promising studies that often struggle to secure conventional funding. Early-stage, hypothesis-generating projects, proposals from young investigators, and foundational research with long-term potential all fall within the foundation’s scope.
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“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.”
The foundation 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 commemorates the late John Oster, a founding member of the Choroideremia Research Foundation. His tireless commitment to advancing research and supporting the CHM community helped shape CRF’s mission. The award carries forward his legacy by recognizing research that moves the field closer to effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure.
Application Information:
CRF runs two grant cycles each year, with submission deadlines on June 30 and December 31. Applications postmarked by December 31, 2026, will be reviewed by the foundation’s Science Advisory Board, with the evaluation process scheduled for 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 sustained investment in research, CRF remains dedicated to supporting the scientific community and speeding progress toward treatments and a cure for choroideremia.
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About Choroideremia:
Choroideremia (CHM) is a rare inherited form of blindness affecting roughly 1 in 50,000 to 100,000 people. Because of its X-linked inheritance pattern, males are most severely affected, while females typically experience much milder vision loss. Symptoms emerge in early childhood, with night blindness and restricted visual field being the earliest noticeable signs, eventually progressing to complete blindness. An estimated 6,000 people in the United States and 10,000 in the European Union live with choroideremia. No approved treatments currently exist. For more information, visit curechm.org/what-is-choroideremia/
About the Choroideremia Research Foundation Inc.:
The Choroideremia Research Foundation (CRF) was established in 2000 as an international fundraising and patient advocacy organization dedicated to stimulating research on CHM. Since its inception, the CRF has awarded approximately $6 million in research grants and stands as 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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Why it matters: With no approved treatments for choroideremia and an estimated 16,000 people affected in the U.S. and EU alone, every grant cycle represents a potential lifeline for patients facing progressive blindness. CRF’s $6 million in cumulative funding has already produced key tools like animal models and gene therapy vectors, underscoring how targeted seed grants can accelerate the path from lab to clinic.
