Congrats to our NMSG Shark Tank 2024 award winners:

MAPP: MRI as a biomarker in Periodic Paralysis. A prospective longitudinal pilot study in periodic paralysis.
Dr. Murva Asad, University College London

Is a mucosal trigger responsible for MuSK myasthenia gravis?
Gianvito Masi, MD, Yale University

NMSG 2025 Shark Tank: Small grant award scheme

The next NMSG Shark Tank session will be held at the annual meeting in Stresa, Italy in September. If you have a proposal and would like to be considered for the Tank at the meeting, please send your proposal based off the criteria listed below. Please email all submissions to Liz Paulk at epaulk@kumc.edu by June 1, 2025.

Outline

The NMSG Shark Tank event is an opportunity for early career investigators to present a research proposal with a neuromuscular focus for pump-prime funding of $10,000. The scheme is intended to support new and developing research collaborations and result in further grant applications. If chosen to receive the award you will be considered a NMSG study and are eligible for NMSG help with your study, for example help with statistics.

The successful applicant will be expected to submit an itemised budget prior to release of funding. Progress reports are expected once every six months. The successful applicant is expected to present research findings and outputs (e.g. publications, new collaborations, funding applications) at a subsequent NMSG Conference.

Eligibility

  • Lead applicant:
    • Is an early career researcher associated with a principal investigator who is established in the field of neuromuscular diseases.
    • Has not previously received an NMSG Shark Tank award.
    • Is willing to present their research findings at a future NMSG conference.
  • A proposal for a specific piece of research which will be completed within 12 months of the grant award and is feasible with the $10,000 funding available.
  • A proposal relevant to neuromuscular diseases connected to the remit of the NMSG.

Process

  1. Applicants will submit a 200-word abstract outlining their research proposal. This should be written in language understandable by a non-specialist in your particular field and should include:
    1. Type of research (e.g. Basic science, clinical trial, epidemiology, qualitative etc.)
    2. Background and research question (e.g. What unmet need are you addressing? What knowledge gap are you filling? Why is it important?)
    3. Specific hypothesis, aims, and objectives of the project
    4. Expected outcome and next steps, including plans for future study and funding bids
  2. Based on review of abstracts, selected applicants will present their proposal at the NMSG Shark Tank at the annual meeting. The Sharks are a panel of experts who will scrutinise your plans. Your presentations will take the following format:
    1. A 5-minute presentation using no more than 3 slides. You should view this as an “elevator pitch”. Your job is to get the panel interested in your idea and highlight the importance of your project. Be sure to outline exactly what the grant will fund.
    2. Around 10-15 minutes of questions from the “sharks”. Here your proposal will be scrutinised in more detail (see below).

Presentation

The presentation is an “elevator pitch”. You don’t need to cover everything, but it is necessary to clearly articulate the overall research plan, significance of the project, aims/objectives, supportive background/data, and the budget. Sharks like to be entertained and be sure you make your pitch understandable, or they will become hungry. Be prepared to discuss the following during the question and answer period:

  • Clearly defined hypothesis, aim(s), and objective(s)
  • Any supporting preliminary data
  • Details of the study design
  • Justification of a defined primary outcome measure (if relevant)
  • Statistical analysis plan (inc. sample size justification if relevant)
  • Details and justification of the budget
  • Significance and next stages

Your presentation and responses will be scored in the following domains:

    1. Significance of the proposed research
    2. Innovation
    3. Research Approach/Study Design
    4. Feasibility
    5. Environment/Mentorship
    6. Budget
    7. Presentation/AV

Good luck!

Dr James Lilleker, Lead Shark