Nialls Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £171,734 (in grants to organizations)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Specific amounts not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: International (UK, US research institutions)
• Total Income: £681,107 (2023)
• Total Expenditure: £352,587 (2023)

Contact Details

• Email: contact@niallsfoundation.org
• Phone: 07720884650
• Website: https://niallsfoundation.org (currently unavailable)
• Charity Number: 1174677

Overview

NIALLS FOUNDATION is a UK registered charity established to advance public education in the treatment and cure of spinal injuries by providing grants to promote research for the public benefit and publish useful results. The foundation focuses specifically on bringing cures and treatments to the clinic for people with chronic spinal cord injury. With total income of £681,107 (primarily from donations) and annual grant-making of approximately £171,734, the foundation operates through a distinctive dual strategy: providing research grants to universities and research institutions, and making strategic loan and equity investments in early-stage biotechnology companies developing promising spinal cord injury treatments. The principle funding source is donations received from Fuel Service Ltd. The foundation is governed by 3 trustees who receive no remuneration.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation awards grants to organizations conducting spinal cord injury research, with recent grants totaling £171,734 annually. Grant activities include:

• Research Grants: Funding for academic institutions and research centers investigating spinal cord injury treatments, particularly those working in chronic injury models
• PhD Studentships: Support for doctoral research at universities (e.g., Leeds University) exploring novel therapeutic approaches
• Technology Translation: Grants to advance promising research from laboratory to clinical application

The foundation also makes strategic investments:

• Loan Investments: In biotechnology companies like Cintralis Ltd (advancing Chondroitinase Reduction Peptide)
• Equity Investments: In companies such as inContAlert (incontinence management device) and NeuroCreis Inc (chronic spinal cord injury treatments)

Priority Areas

Research Focus:

• Chronic spinal cord injury treatments and cures (primary focus)
• Axon repair and regeneration therapies
• Chondroitinase-based therapies and Chondroitinase Reduction Peptide (CRP)
• Spinal cord stimulation technologies
• Combination therapies pairing multiple approaches for enhanced recovery
• Technologies developed for chronic injury models that can fast-track to clinical trials

Research Examples:

• Replicating acute work on Fl2 in chronic models to verify Fl2 as a therapeutic target for repairing damaged spinal cord axons
• Supporting CRP research previously conducted at Cleveland Clinic and Leeds University
• Funding PhD research on combining CRP with spinal cord stimulation to enhance effects and provide meaningful recovery
• Clinical trials for devices serving people with spinal cord injuries (e.g., inContAlert for neurogenic bladder)

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but the foundation's focus is clearly on:

• Chronic (not acute) spinal cord injury research
• Translational research with clinical application potential
• Research that can lead to treatments reaching patients

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Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by 3 trustees who approved the most recent annual report in April 2024. Specific trustee names and biographical information are not publicly available through the Charity Commission register. None of the trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

The foundation has no employees with benefits over £60,000 and operates with minimal overheads, directing the majority of expenditure (99.8%) to charitable activities.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

NIALLS FOUNDATION does not have a publicly documented application process. The foundation appears to operate through trustee discretion, identifying and funding research projects and companies strategically rather than through open calls for applications.

Their grant-making approach involves:

• Strategic identification of promising research previously funded by the foundation
• Investment in biotechnology companies commercializing foundation-funded research
• Direct relationships with academic institutions and research centers
• Focus on transitioning laboratory research to clinical trials and treatments

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available due to the absence of a formal public application process.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly available.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's strategic approach and lack of public application process, the following factors appear important based on their documented funding patterns:

Research Focus Alignment:

• Projects must address chronic spinal cord injury (not just acute injury)
• Research should demonstrate potential for clinical translation
• Priority given to technologies that can reach patients and provide meaningful functional recovery

Strategic Continuity:

• The foundation invests in companies commercializing research they previously funded (e.g., CRP research at Cleveland Clinic and Leeds University leading to Cintralis Ltd investment)
• This suggests they build long-term relationships with researchers and support projects through multiple stages from basic research to commercialization

Chronic Injury Model:

• Explicit preference for research conducted in chronic injury models
• Foundation recognizes that many treatments showing promise in acute injury fail to translate to chronic injury patients

Collaborative Approaches:

• Interest in combination therapies (e.g., CRP paired with spinal cord stimulation)
• Support for technologies that can be enhanced through integration with other approaches

Efficiency and Scale:

• Foundation's stated strategy includes “small grants that answer questions enabling larger funding from large scale organizations”
• This suggests they see their role as providing seed funding to de-risk projects for larger funders

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications; they identify and fund research strategically through trustee discretion
• Chronic Injury Focus: Exclusively focused on chronic (not acute) spinal cord injury treatments - a distinctive niche in the spinal cord injury funding landscape
• Translation-Oriented: Strong emphasis on moving research toward clinical application and patient benefit
• Investment Model: Uses both grants and investments (loans/equity) to support promising technologies through the commercialization process
• Relationship-Based: Builds long-term relationships with researchers, supporting projects from early research through to company formation
• Strategic Partnerships: Works with institutions like Leeds University and Cleveland Clinic, and may be accessible through research collaborations with these partners
• Small Grants, Big Impact: Positions itself as providing targeted seed funding to unlock larger funding opportunities from major organizations

References

• Charity Commission for England and Wales, NIALLS FOUNDATION Charity Details (Charity Number 1174677), https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1174677&subid=0
• Charity Commission for England and Wales, NIALLS FOUNDATION Annual Accounts and Returns, https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/about-the-register-of-charities (specific accounts page for charity 1174677)
• Various web search results referencing NIALLS FOUNDATION's investment strategy, including information about Cintralis Ltd, inContAlert, and NeuroCreis Inc partnerships
• Information regarding the foundation's research funding at Leeds University and Cleveland Clinic for Chondroitinase Reduction Peptide development
• Charity Commission financial data showing annual income of £681,107 and grants to organizations of £171,734