Annual Research Grant Program Expands Focus to Include Narcolepsy

Key takeaways:

• Areas of interest expanded to include narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia in addition to schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder.
• The competitive grant program will offer individual grants of up to $100,000 per project.
• The stage one submission period runs from Sept 11, 2026, through Oct 16, 2026.

Alkermes plc will begin accepting applications for its 9th annual Alkermes Pathways Research Awards program, expanding its focus this year to include narcolepsy type 1 and 2 and idiopathic hypersomnia.

The competitive grant program is designed to support early-career researchers working to advance the understanding of diseases in the field of neuroscience. Building on prior award cycles, the program continues to accept applications related to schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder, and the sleep and circadian disturbances associated with these conditions, alongside the newly added central disorders of hypersomnolence.

“Great science starts with bold questions, and through the Alkermes Pathways Research Awards program, we are proud to support early-career investigators who are working to advance the understanding of complex neurological and psychiatric conditions,” says Craig Hopkinson, MD, chief medical officer and executive vice president, research and development at Alkermes, in a release. “As the program enters its ninth year, we are pleased to expand its areas of interest to include narcolepsy type 1 and 2 and idiopathic hypersomnia, reflecting Alkermes’ commitment to supporting innovative research across central disorders of hypersomnolence and in areas of significant unmet need in neuroscience more broadly.”

The program offers individual grants of up to $100,000 per project. To qualify, applicants must be early-career investigators with an MD, PhD, or equivalent degree who are within five years of their initial academic appointment or are current postdoctoral fellows. They must also be affiliated with a medical or research institution in the US.

An independent review committee comprising specialists in psychiatry, neurobiology, pharmacology, sleep medicine, and behavioral science from academic research centers will evaluate the applicants.

The application process features two stages, starting with letters of intent submitted between Sept 11 and Oct 16, 2026. Following the review of these letters, selected applicants will be invited to a full application phase running from Nov 15, 2026, through Jan 5, 2027.

Since its inception in 2018, the program has provided approximately $2.9 million in funding to 29 researchers across the US.

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