2026 Seed Grant Program Request for Proposals
The Bloom Syndrome Association invites proposals for its 2026 Seed Grant Program, supporting focused, high-impact research that can accelerate therapeutic development for Bloom syndrome.
These seed grants are designed to help researchers generate meaningful preliminary data within 6-18 months, positioning promising projects to compete for larger follow-on funding from government, foundation, philanthropic, or industry sources.
For the 2026 cycle, BSA will prioritize proposals in two areas:
Priority Areas
1. Hematopoietic Biology & Pre-Leukemic Intervention
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Projects that define, detect, or modulate early hematologic dysfunction and leukemogenesis in Bloom syndrome.
Areas of interest include early biomarkers of hematologic risk, hematopoietic stem cell instability, clonal evolution, treatment response and toxicity in Bloom-associated malignancies, and assays or endpoints that could support future clinical studies.
2. Variant-Targeted Therapeutic Development
Projects that advance mutation-specific or BLM-restoration strategies with clear translational potential.
Areas of interest include antisense oligonucleotide approaches, RNA-based or gene correction strategies, functional validation of variant-specific therapeutic hypotheses, and mapping of therapeutically addressable mutation classes.
Additional Areas of Interest
The BSA remains open to exceptional proposals outside these two priority areas, particularly projects that enable therapeutic development, leverage or expand shared BSA-supported resources, or address clearly defined gaps identified by the Bloom syndrome patient and family community.
Funding Available
- Typical award size: $25,000–$100,000
- Project duration: 6–18 months
- Total 2026 program funding: Up to $500,000
- Application deadline: Sunday, June 21, 2026, at 11:00 PM Pacific Time
Who Should Apply
The BSA welcomes applications from investigators at academic, nonprofit, clinical, or research institutions. Collaborative proposals are encouraged, including projects that bring new expertise into Bloom syndrome research.
Projects should be milestone-driven, feasible within the grant period, and designed to generate data or resources that can support impact and follow-on funding.
BSA as a Research Partner
The BSA is not only a funder, but a partner in enabling Bloom syndrome research. Awardees may have opportunities, where appropriate and subject to applicable approvals, to connect with the patient community, engage with the broader Bloom syndrome research network, and leverage emerging BSA-supported infrastructure such as the International Bloom Syndrome Registry, biospecimen resources, model systems, reagents, and clinical insights.
How to Apply
Applicants should submit a single PDF application using the BSA Seed Grant Application Template.
Applications are due Sunday, June 21, 2026, at 11:00 PM Pacific Time.
Download the Full RFP
Download the Application & Budget Template
Read the BSA Patient-Centered Research Strategy
Learn more about Bloom-Rx (website including registration information coming soon).
Other Resources
One of the challenges facing researchers studying rare diseases is the lack of reagents, models, asseays, and funding. We are developing a list of resources that the BSA maintains and that are known in the literature. Know of something else that should be here? Contact us.
Cell lines
- Patient derived fibroblast and B-lymphocyte cell lines at Coriell
- BLM-knockout cell lines KSVS1452 (BLMKO) and KSVS1454 (BLMKO/+)
- Various patient samples are held at the Bloom syndrome registry
iPSCs and hPSCs
- The BSA received a grant to create three induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines. Once they are created and placed at research labs, we will update the information here.
- REGUi004-A made from a woman with the specific BLM mutation c.2116del
- iPSC line made from patient with 631delCAA mutation
- Blm-/- made from knockout of H9 hESC