For Researchers

2025 Request for Proposals

RFPs are now open for the Misophonia Research Impact Award (providing a maximum of $500,000 in support for independent investigators and $200,000 for postdocs), and the Misophonia Data Discovery Award (providing a maximum of $75,000 for independent investigators, postdocs, and graduate-level students).

research impact award data discovery award

Request for Proposals Virtual Q&A

Interested in learning more about our request for proposals or have a question? Join our informational Q&A session on November 15, 2024 at 11am ET. Registration required. Recording will be sent to all who register.

Scientific Funding Opportunities

The Misophonia Research Fund intends to fund up to 10 misophonia research grants annually. Funding opportunities are available to nonprofit/academic PIs, postdoctoral fellows, and certain qualified governmental agencies with active biomedical research programs.

Misophonia Research Impact Award

$500,000 USD

Investigator research grants across 2-3 years

$200,000 USD

Postdoctoral research grants across 2-3 years

Misophonia Data Discovery Award

$75,000 USD

For graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and independent investigators across 1-2 years

MRF accepts applications for research projects that seek to better understand misophonia, characterize symptomatology and associated impairments, and assess interventional strategies to treat those with the disorder. The scientific focus of proposals shall address one or more of the following three prioritized focus areas in human, animal, or relevant research models:

Characterization of misophonia

Development or validation of objective methods

Clinical and/or animal model study of interventional approaches

Interested? See eligibility requirements below:

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Misophonia Research Impact Awards must be led by independent investigators at the faculty and postdoctoral levels (e.g., Ph.D., M.D., Psy.D., Au.D.) at qualifying research-based institutions.

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Misophonia Data Discovery Awards can be led by graduate-level (or medical) students (e.g., Ph.D., M.D., Psy.D., Au.D.) or independent investigators at the faculty and postdoctoral levels (e.g., Ph.D., M.D., Psy.D., Au.D.).

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Applicant organizations must be a non-profit academic or research institution, including domestic and non-U.S. non-profit organizations, domestic and non-U.S. public/private academic universities or institutions of higher learning.

Postdoctoral fellow applicants must have obtained their terminal degree by July 1, 2025.

For additional information, see the Request for Proposals (RFP). Misophonia Research Impact Awards are selected for funding based on a two-stage letter of intent and full proposal process. All proposals undergo peer review. Misophonia Data Discovery Awards are selected for funding based upon a one-stage full proposal process. Funding decisions are made by The REAM Foundation board of directors.

PRIOR RFP

Strategic Priorities

We have identified four broad scientific areas where we see potential for high impact advances in the science and treatment development for misophonia:

Focus on interdisciplinary science and collaboration

Through grant funding and scientific convenings, we aim to build a community of misophonia researchers to accelerate scientific progress. Our efforts will prioritize studies with functional collaboration among scientists and clinicians from disparate disciplines (audiology, psychology, and neuroscience). Further, we will promote data sharing and contributions to the peer review process, as well as evaluate the incorporation of consensus criteria and metrics to allow for comparison across studies.

Build a fundamental understanding of misophonia

A number of studies have confirmed the presence of misophonic reactions in a subset of the population and have implicated a number of specific physiological systems as important. However, recent research suggests that there is additional complexity that was previously unrecognized. Furthermore, there are no published studies describing the development of misophonia, how it changes over time, or the impact of social context.

Based on these findings, we are focused on funding studies that help to elucidate what misophonia is and how it develops, including: interdisciplinary patient characterization of misophonia, pediatric and adolescent studies, assessment of neurological structure and activity, and longitudinal studies.

Support the development and validation of diagnostic tools

There is an acute need for diagnostic tools to characterize misophonia within a population. The ideal tool would allow rapid, non-invasive, objective assessment to determine if an individual suffers from misophonia and to what degree. The development of such a consensus self-assessment tool would allow comparison of research across the field.

Drive increased rigor in misophonia clinical studies

We will support the use of randomized control trials to further research on possible treatments for misophonia. Further clinical studies should include comparative efficacy studies and new treatment approaches.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does your Request for Proposals open?

Our Request for Proposals typically opens towards the end of October. We will first ask for a Letter of Intent from all applicant organizations, which will be reviewed by the Misophonia Research Fund. Selected organizations that propose relevant projects will then be invited to submit a full application by early March. Be sure to sign up for our mailing list to be notified when our RFP officially opens.

How many proposals do you fund each year?

We intend to award up to 10 misophonia research grants each funding cycle.

What types of grants do you fund?

We currently offer two types of grants:

The first is to be led by independent investigators at qualifying research-based institutions who hold doctoral-level degrees (e.g., Ph.D., M.D., Psy.D., Au.D.). This will provide up to US$500,000 in total funding support for research projects. Each grant may span two to three years, depending on the proposed project’s needs, but the total funding amount will remain up to $500,000 in either scenario.

The second is to be led by postdoctoral researchers and will provide up to US$200,000 in total funding support for their research projects. Each postdoctoral grant may span two to three years, depending on the proposed project’s needs, but the total funding amount will remain up to $200,000 in either scenario. These grants are intended to support postdoctoral researchers who will have earned their doctoral degree (e.g., Ph.D., M.D., Psy.D., Au.D.) by July 1, 2024, and are under the mentorship of a doctoral-level principal investigator at a qualifying research-based institution.

I’m a graduate student studying misophonia and need funding. Do you have any funding mechanisms for graduate students?

Currently our grants are allocated to independent investigators and postdoctoral researchers at qualifying research-based institutions who hold doctoral-level degrees. Independent investigators who apply may use this funding mechanism to support graduate student trainees.

soQuiet provides student research grants to graduate students worldwide. You can find our more information and eligibility through their website.

Are overhead fees from institutions allowable under the terms of your grants?

Yes, we allow a maximum of 15% overhead charges from institutions.

I’m a current Misophonia Researcher and I can’t find participants. What should I do?

If you are conducting an online misophonia study, the Misophonia Research Network is a great start. You can send your study information to research@soquiet.org, or use their online contact form to connect.