From the National Institutes of Health:

Under the Recovery Act, the NIH has established a new program entitled Research and Research Infrastructure “Grand Opportunities” hereafter called the ”GO” grants program.This new program will support projects that address large, specific biomedical and biobehavioral research endeavors that will benefit from significant 2-year funds without the expectation of continued NIH funding beyond two years.  The research supported by the ”GO” grants program should have high short-term impact, and a high likelihood of enabling growth and investment in biomedical research and development, public health, and health care delivery.

Approximately $200 million dollars will be committed to projects resulting from this request and “only applications with budgets greater than $500,000 total costs per year for a project period of two years are expected to be considered.” This request for applications is expected to be very competitive, but it is also seen as a huge opportunity that is too important for the SMA research community to pass up.

The opening date is April 27th and the application deadline is May 27th. For more information, click here.

Stacy Zoern, a 30 year old attorney living in Austin, Texas, has written a memoir called I Like To Run Too, Two Decades of Sitting. The book is about her experience growing up with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The book describes the challenges she faces living in a wheelchair and the help she requires to accomplish daily tasks due to SMA’s effects. In a recent interview, she said, Zoern spoke about how her aides help her prepare in the morning for work, saying:

“You know all kinds of things, like I can’t reach the clothes in my closet. I need help picking my clothes, helping me use the restroom, taking a shower, washing my hair. I can’t even pick up my hands to wash my own hair. Then we part ways and I’m independently able to go to work right down the street.”

The interview goes on to say that “Zoern hopes her book inspires others living with disabilities to continue with their dreams despite physical limitations.”

To watch the interview or to read the report, click here.