FY2027 Paralyzed Veterans of America Education Foundation — Education Conference and Symposium Grants
The Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Education Foundation offers competitive applicant-facing grants for conferences and symposia that advance education and collaboration concerning spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D), multiple sclerosis (MS), or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This Education Conference and Symposium competition is a separate application track from PVA’s FY2027 Education Project Grants.
Applicant awards
In-person or hybrid conference or symposium: up to $20,000 per applicant. Virtual conference or symposium: up to $10,000 per applicant. These are individual applicant award ceilings, not a combined foundation funding pool. Grants cover one 12-month project year. Funding is competitive and not guaranteed.
Eligibility and programming
Applicant organizations must be not-for-profit academic institutions, healthcare institutions, associations, or other qualifying nonprofit organizations in the United States or Canada. The application is submitted by a fiscally responsible eligible organization in the name of its employed Project Director, who must have at least a bachelor’s degree and relevant experience serving SCI/D, MS or ALS communities. For-profit businesses do not qualify. A funded organization or project director must first close any active PVA Education Foundation award before applying again. The meeting should provide educational and collaboration opportunities to SCI/D communities and healthcare professionals; at least one advocate living with SCI/D, MS or ALS must participate on the planning committee and be identified with the required documentation.
Budget and significant restrictions
All proposed costs must be tied to the event, justified, and included within the relevant funding ceiling. PVA’s contribution toward institutional indirect costs is limited to 8% of direct expenditures and counts within the $20,000 or $10,000 maximum. Equipment is limited to $3,500 for conference grants. General office equipment, unrelated professional association dues and meeting registrations, patient-care services, construction and building maintenance are not allowable. Short-term rental of appropriate conference space may be allowable under the funder’s conditions. No applicant match percentage is specified in the general FY2027 policies; check the event application instructions for all specific budget requirements.
Application deadline
FY2027 applications opened September 2, 2026. The exact submission deadline is December 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m. EST, including institutional approval. Use the PVA/AIBS submission portal and select the separate Education Conference/Symposia Grants solicitation. The Project Director may not serve as the approving Institutional Official. The official must receive the electronic approval request and complete their approval before the cutoff. Read the portal’s Conference Application Instructions under Files and the official policies.
Official controlling document: PVA Education Foundation FY2027 Policies and Procedures, particularly the distinct conference and project award limits, eligibility, SCI/D advocate requirement, budget restrictions, portal instructions, and exact deadline. See also the funder’s Education Foundation page.