The Hereditary Disease Foundation is dedicated to the cure of genetic diseases. All of its publicly donated funds is directed to the support of biomedical research. HDF grants, postdoctoral fellowships and awards focuses on Huntington's disease, a fatal neurological illness causing involuntary movements, severe emotional disturbance and cognitive decline. By focusing on Huntington's disease as a model, the HDF targets neurological and genetic functions relevant to a broad spectrum of disorders. Areas of interest include trinucleotide expansions, animal models, gene therapy, neurobiology and development of the basal ganglia, cell survival and death, and intercellular signaling in striatal neurons.
Grants are usually for one year with a possibility of renewal.
Grants are considered seed money. If the project shows promise, it is hoped that other institutions will fund it thereafter. The Foundation does not generally include the salary of the principle investigator. Indirect costs are not allowed, but fringe benefits are considered part of personnel costs and are allowed. Funded fellowships may be renewed for a second year, subject to satisfactory progress reports.