The Daan KCNT1 Fund (part of EpilepsieNL) and EpilepsieNL are making funding available this year to support the initiation of scientific research aimed at the treatment of KCNT1 epilepsy focusing on the specific mutation c.2882G>A. 
Are you planning to submit a grant application in 2026 for research that can start immediately after approval? Then please read on: https://www.epilepsie.nl/fonds-daan/ 

What do you need to know in advance? 

  • Applications for funding for scientific research must be submitted using the official application form. The grant conditions and the 2026 Daan KCNT1 Fund application form can be found at the bottom of this page. 
  • The submission deadline is 31 March 2026 (23:59 CET at the latest). 
  • The call specifically targets the development of a treatment for KCNT1 epilepsy, focusing on the  KCNT1 variant c.2882G>A, supported by the Daan Fund. 
  • This call currently concerns a first phase of funding amounting to €120,000,- intended for exploratory research into the most promising therapeutic routes, including a proof of concept. 
  • Upon approval and successful execution of the project plan, a follow-up phase is envisaged. Applicants are therefore expected to provide insight into the proposed continuation of the research. 

 

How will your application be evaluated? 

Your application will be assessed by the Scientific Advisory Board (WAR) of EpilepsieNL. EpilepsieNL’s Patient and Caregiver Advisory Panel and the founders of the Daan KCNT1 Fund  will provide advisory input. 
The members of the WAR and the Patient and Caregiver Advisory Panel can be found here. 

In assessing your application, the WAR and the Patient and Caregiver Advisory Panel will focus on the following criteria: 

  • Scientific excellence and feasibility, not only of the proposed project but also of the subsequent steps required to develop the research line towards a treatment for KCNT1 epilepsy c.2882G>A. 
    The emphasis is explicitly on treatment development, not on research aimed solely at improving quality of life. 
  • Patient and caregiver perspective: how are people with epilepsy and their relatives involved in the research (patient participation)? This may include, for example, the development of PROMs (Patient-Reported Outcome Measures). 
  • KCNT1 epilepsy is a rare disease. The extent of international collaboration will therefore also be included as a selection criterion. 

 

The evaluation procedure for this grant is largely comparable to that used for large research project applications. One key difference is that proposals must describe not only the project period but also a follow-up plan in the event of positive results. 

 

Documents 

Application form 

 

Other important documents 

 

Background information