AHS Investigator-Initiated Research Awards

The American Headache Society (AHS) Investigator-Initiated Research Awards support AHS members conducting pre-clinical and clinical research in headache and migraine. With a focus on early-career investigators, the program funds investigator-driven projects that advance scientific understanding and improve patient care.

Projects should contribute to the core goal of the AHS – improving the lives of people impacted by migraine and other headache disorders. Priority will be given to early-stage investigators, basic science grants, postdoctoral fellows moving to independence, and collaborative projects aiming to bring established investigators from other fields into headache research.

Award Details

Two grants, each up to $50,000, are available to support investigator-initiated research.

• Funding may be used for:
  • Investigator effort (no more than 25% of the budget can be used for the principal investigator's salary support).
  • Costs of performing studies, collecting data, supplies, statistical support, and other items as appropriately justified.
• Funding may not be used for:
  • Equipment purchases.
  • Indirect costs.
• Project duration: 12 months.

Key Dates

• RFP Release Date: Thursday, September 3, 2026
• LOI Submission Deadline: Wednesday, September 30, 2026 (submissions due by 12:59 pm PT)
• Anticipated LOI Notification Date: Mid-November 2026
  • IMPORTANT: Only accepted LOIs will be invited to submit a full proposal
• Full Application Submission Deadline: End of January 2027
• Anticipated Grant Award Notification: April/Beginning of May 2027
• Anticipated Project Start Date: June 2027
• Anticipated Project End Date: May 2028

Expected Research Outcomes

Grant recipients are expected to produce meaningful contributions to the field, including:

• Abstract presentation at an AHS Annual Scientific Meeting.
• Manuscript submission to Headache or another peer-reviewed journal of the investigator's choice.
• Foundation for future research, pursuing subsequent funding through other external competitive grants.

For scientific inquiries, applicants are encouraged to reach out to the AHS Research Committee Co-Chairs.

Eligibility & Application Requirements

• Applicants should be principal investigators, defined as those who have an MD, PhD, or equivalent degree. Postdoctoral fellows and faculty of all ranks may apply.
• Research projects must align with one or more of the Headache Research Priorities (Schwedt et al., 2024).
• Applicants must be current AHS members in good standing at the time of proposal submission. If awarded, the awardee must maintain AHS membership throughout the course of the award. This requirement also extends to postdoctoral fellow applicants and their mentor.
• Applicants who have received funding through an AHS sponsored grant within the past two years are not eligible to apply. This includes funding received through the Headache & Migraine Competitive Grant Program, co-funded with Pfizer, and the Innovative Project Award, co-funded with the American Heart Association.
• Projects may be pre-clinical or clinical in nature.
• A complete electronic Letter of Intent must be submitted by the set deadline.

Submit Your Letter of Intent

The American Headache Society (AHS) Investigator-Initiated Grant Program is now inviting LO submissions for grant funding that will support investigator-initiated research projects. In 2026, this grant program will use a two-step review process.

IMPORTANT: Please read the requirements section carefully since applications submitted not following these instructions will not be accepted and will be cancelled.

Requirements

Step 1: Letter of Intent (LOI)

Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) providing a brief synopsis of the proposed project. The LOI must not exceed two (2) pages when formatted as a Word document using the following specifications:

• Standard 1 inch margins
• Times New Roman font
• Minimum 12 point font size

Applicants are encouraged to prepare and format their LOI in Word or a similar document editor to confirm that it meets the two-page limit. LOIs that exceed the two-page limit when formatted according to the specifications above will be considered non-compliant and will not be eligible for review.

LOI should include the following: 

 A. Specific Aims and Hypotheses

• Overall goal: Briefly state the overarching goal of the proposed project.
• Specific aims: Clearly describe the major objectives or questions the project will address.
• Hypotheses: State the central hypothesis or hypotheses that will be tested, as applicable.
• Target population/model: Identify the population, disease or condition, biological system, or preclinical model being studied.
• Expected outcomes: Briefly describe the outcomes anticipated from achieving the proposed aims.

B. Significance

Provide a brief description of the scientific, clinical, or translational significance of the proposed work. Explain the problem or unmet need being addressed and why the proposed research is important.

C. Research Approach / Methods

Provide an overview of the proposed methods and study design, appropriate to the stage of research. This may include:

• Preclinical models or experimental systems
• Clinical study design and participant population
• Interventions, exposures, or procedures
• Key measurements, endpoints, or outcomes
• Relevant preliminary studies or supporting data, if applicable

D. Analytic Approaches

Briefly describe how data generated from the proposed research will be analyzed and interpreted to address the study objectives and hypotheses. The description should be appropriate to the proposed research design and may include, as applicable:

• Key outcomes, measures, or endpoints to be evaluated
• Statistical, computational, qualitative, or other analytic methods
• Approaches for comparing groups, assessing relationships, or evaluating changes over time
• Methods for integrating and interpreting findings across experimental approaches or study components

E. Expected Outcomes, Impact, and Future Directions

Describe the anticipated results and how the findings could advance the field. Include:

• Expected outcomes of the proposed work
• Potential impact on scientific knowledge, clinical practice, or patient care
• How successful completion of the project could inform future research, larger studies, clinical translation, or implementation

F. Approximate Total Budget

Provide the approximate total amount of funding requested, without a detailed budget or budget justification.

Step 2: Full Proposal

Following review of the submitted LOIs, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal. Additional instructions and requirements for the full proposal will be provided for applicants selected to advance. The full proposal will have a page limit of 5. 

Your full proposal should comprise the following sections:

A. Specific Aims and Hypotheses:

• Briefly describe the objectives of your project.
• Background and Significance
• Address the background so that a reviewer can understand how your project fits into what is already known.
• Describe the significance of your project and the direction it will take you in for a larger proposal

B. Research Design and Methods

• Concisely describe the proposed research design and methods for achieving the stated goals and objectives. This section can include preliminary data if you have it, though none is required. 
• Describe the proposed outcome measures, including the type and frequency of measurement and methods for assessment.

C. Innovation

• Describe the originality of the proposed project and how it addresses an unmet need or opportunity.

D. Data Analysis Plans

• Briefly describe how data will be collected and analyzed.
• Provide a justification for sample size.

E. Anticipated Project Timeline

• Provide an anticipated timeline for the project, including the proposed start and end dates and major project milestones, as appropriate.

F. Budget Detail

• The requested amount must be provided in U.S. dollars (USD)
• The proposed budget should reflect reasonable and appropriate costs necessary to conduct the project and achieve the proposed objectives.