2026 Seed Grant Program Request for Proposals – Now Closed!
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.
Funding Available
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- 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 now closed. Please keep a look out for the 2027 RFP.
Download the Full RFP
Download the Application & Budget Template
Read the BSA Patient-Centered Research Strategy
Learn more about Bloom-Rx, and register now!
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 has three induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines available for research. Please contact us for more information.
- 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