The MSRP Idea Award promotes new ideas that are in the early stages of development and have the potential to yield high-impact findings and new avenues of investigation. This award mechanism supports conceptually innovative, high-risk/potentially high-reward research that could ultimately lead to critical discoveries in understanding the causes and progression of MS and/or improvements in patient care and/or quality of life. Research projects should include a well-formulated, testable hypothesis based on strong scientific rationale. The following are significant features of this award mechanism: 1. Innovation: Innovative research may introduce a new paradigm, challenge existing paradigms, look at existing problems from new perspectives, or exhibit other uniquely creative qualities. This may include high-risk/potentially high-gain approaches to MS research, provided that there is the potential for significant impact on understanding the causes and progression of MS and/or improvements in patient care and/or quality of life. Research that is merely an incremental advance is not considered innovative and will not be considered for funding under this award mechanism. 2. Impact: Proposed research projects should address a central critical issue or question in MS research. High-impact research will, if successful, significantly advance current methods and concepts toward the MSRP vision. 3. Preliminary Data: Preliminary data, unpublished results from the laboratory of the Principal Investigator (PI) or collaborators named on this application, and/or data from the published literature that are relevant to MS and the proposed research project should be included. Although groundbreaking research often involves a degree of risk due to unforeseen difficulties or results, applications should be based on a sound scientific rationale that is established through logical reasoning or a critical review and analysis of the literature.