Aligning Science Across Parkinson's

What Aligning Science Across Parkinson's does

Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) is a global nonprofit research initiative founded in 2017 and headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with the Coalition for Aligning Science (CAS) serving as managing entity and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) as implementation partner. Its mission is to accelerate Parkinson's disease discovery by funding multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research and enforcing an open-science operating model in which funded outputs (data, code, protocols, and lab materials) must be shared in community-recognized repositories under CC BY 4.0 or CC0 licensing. The initiative reaches its 'customers' — academic and clinical investigators worldwide — through competitive grant programs, a scientific advisory board chaired by Nobel laureate Randy Schekman, a network spanning 187 institutions across 24 countries, and standardized event/training programming.

The organization operates three flagship programs. The Collaborative Research Network (CRN), launched in 2020, is a first-of-its-kind community of 67 multidisciplinary teams comprising nearly 400 investigators that address high-priority questions in Parkinson's biology. The Global Parkinson's Genetics Program (GP2) is an international effort to genotype over 250,000 volunteers with a focus on ancestral diversity, with data released iteratively through the AMP® PDRD platform on Terra and Verily Workbench (12th release in July 2026 added 21,156 genotyped and 25,046 WGS participants). The Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative (PPMI), renamed in 2025 after 15 years and over $800 million in cumulative investment, is a longitudinal observational study with 4,200+ in-clinic participants across 50 sites in 12 countries and 47,000+ online participants, whose data has been downloaded more than 50 million times. Underpinning these programs are shared infrastructure products: the CRN Cloud (a controlled-access multi-omics analysis platform co-developed with Verily, DNAstack, and DataTecnica and launched June 2024), the ASAP Output Catalog, and standardized lab materials including CRISPR cell lines and viral vectors.

ASAP does not sell products or services and has no commercial pricing model. Its revenue is philanthropic: the Sergey Brin Family Foundation and Catalyst4 (via CNS Quest) provide large-scale philanthropic capital, with grants administered in partnership with MJFF. Total deployed commitments exceed $550 million in the CRN and $800 million in PPMI, with a $261 million CRN funding round announced in April 2026 adding 32 international teams. Operating headcount is 11-50 employees. Go-to-market is community-led: investigators apply through competitive calls published on parkinsonsroadmap.org and MJFF's grant portal, and grantees are bound by ASAP's five-component Open Science Policy, monitored via a custom Hub system.

Name

Aligning Science Across Parkinson's

Legal name

Aligning Science Across Parkinson's

Website

https://parkinsonsroadmap.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) is a global nonprofit research initiative that funds and coordinates Parkinson's disease research through the Collaborative Research Network, Global Parkinson's Genetics Program, and Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative, supporting 67 research teams across 187 institutions in 24 countries under an open-science mandate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Parkinson's Disease Research Funding

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Clinical Trials & Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) (HLAJAOAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA), Electronic Data Capture (EDC) Platforms (HLACAOAA), Real-World Data (RWD) / Real-World Evidence (RWE) & Observational Research Platforms (HLACAOAM)

Keywords

• Parkinson's disease research
• Collaborative research networks
• Open science data sharing
• Biomedical grant funding
• Multi-omics research platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Grant funding and philanthropic investment: ASAP is funded through large-scale philanthropic investment and grants. Primary funders include the Sergey Brin Family Foundation (via CNS Quest), with grants administered in partnership with The Michael J. Fox Foundation. ASAP awards competitive grants to research teams globally through its Collaborative Research Network (CRN), Global Parkinson's Genetics Program (GP2), and Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative (PPMI). The initiative does not generate commercial revenue from products or services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ASAP is a global nonprofit research initiative that funds and coordinates Parkinson's disease research through competitive multi-year grants to multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research teams under three flagship programs (CRN, GP2, PPMI). It also generates and openly distributes research-enabling resources, including harmonized multi-omics datasets (via the CRN Cloud platform), biosample repositories, CRISPR cell lines and viral vectors, protocols, code, and software, and provides access to training and professional development. The initiative operates under a mandatory open science policy requiring grantees to share data, code, protocols, and lab materials openly under CC BY 4.0 or CC0 licensing.

Product overview

Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) is a global research initiative (not a product company) that funds and coordinates Parkinson's disease research through three flagship programs: the Collaborative Research Network (CRN), the Global Parkinson's Genetics Program (GP2), and the Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative (PPMI). These programs are supported by infrastructure products including the CRN Cloud (a multi-omics data-sharing platform built on Verily Workbench), the ASAP Output Catalog (listing grantee research outputs), the MoMa award program (for meta-analysis of CRN Cloud data), and the Discover ASAP video series (spotlighting network findings). ASAP also runs funding programs including the GBA1 Parkinson's Disease Research Catalyst Program and the Immune Profiling Insights Program, alongside the Open Science Champions recognition program and LRRK2 Central webinar series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Collaborative Research Network (CRN) A first-of-its-kind global community of 67 multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research teams working together to spark new discoveries in Parkinson's disease research, utilizing open science principles to accelerate discoveries, foster collaboration, generate research-enabling resources, and share data assets within a global network spanning nearly 400 investigators across 187 institutions in 24 countries.
• Global Parkinson's Genetics Program (GP2) Ambitious resource program to understand the genetic architecture of Parkinson's disease through genotyping over 250,000 volunteers worldwide, with a commitment to ancestral diversity and open data sharing via the AMP® PDRD platform. Hundreds of member organizations contribute diverse cohorts to support Parkinson's genetics research at global scale.
• Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative (PPMI) Landmark observational study designed to define Parkinson's by biology, identify it earlier, and build more targeted approaches to treatment. PPMI operates a global biorepository and clinical dataset available to academia and industry for biomarker and therapeutic research, with 4,200+ in-clinic participants across 50 sites in 12 countries and more than 47,000 online participants.
• CRN Cloud Controlled-access data-sharing and analysis platform housing harmonized multi-omics datasets from 600+ human postmortem brain donors and other models, enabling meta-analysis through Verily Viewpoint Workbench and supporting collaboration across the global Parkinson's research community. Data includes transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, iPSC, PBMC, CSF, immunology, and biomarker datasets.
• ASAP Output Catalog Publicly accessible catalog listing ASAP-funded research outputs including articles, code, datasets, lab materials, and protocols developed by grantees, enabling the global scientific community to discover and reuse ASAP-network research outputs.
• Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative Write Now Initiative Funding program encouraging PPMI investigators (fellows or assistant professors within their first five years) to engage with PPMI data and generate publications furthering the understanding of Parkinson's disease pathophysiology and treatment.
• CRN Multi-Omics Meta-Analysis (MoMa) Award Program Funding opportunity supporting CRN researchers in conducting meta-analysis of omics data housed within the publicly accessible CRN Cloud, guided by ASAP's open science approach.
• GBA1 Parkinson's Disease Research Catalyst Program Funding program developed by The Michael J. Fox Foundation in partnership with ASAP to build a deeper, globally integrated understanding of GBA1-associated Parkinson's disease through cross-cohort analyses and systematic model characterization.
• Immune Profiling Insights Program Program developed by MJFF in partnership with ASAP supporting research that deepens understanding of how specific components of the immune system contribute to Parkinson's disease risk, onset, and progression.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 550 million investment in the Collaborative Research Network (CRN), funding 67 teams across 187 institutions in 24 countries
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020MJFF serves as ASAP's implementation partner, with a track record for operational excellence and commitment to accelerating the next generation of Parkinson's disease treatments. MJFF administers grants and provides operational support for the initiative. In 2026, MJFF announced PPMI's renaming to the Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative after 15 years and over $800 million invested.
• Coalition for Aligning Science (CAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition for Aligning Science (CAS) serves as the managing entity for the ASAP initiative, setting the strategy and vision. CAS has a track record for designing and implementing large-scale biomedical research programs to accelerate discoveries.
• AMP® PDRD (Accelerating Medicines Partnership in Parkinson's Disease and Related Disorders)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMP® PDRD is a public-private partnership between the NIH, multiple biopharmaceutical and life science companies, and nonprofit organizations managed through the Foundation for the NIH (FNIH). ASAP is a partner, with both GP2 and PPMI cohorts sharing data on this platform. The partnership aims to harmonize Parkinson's datasets and identify biomarkers.
• Plan S / cOAlition ScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASAP is a member of Plan S, an international initiative requiring that scientific publications resulting from publicly funded research be published in compliant Open Access journals or platforms. Supported by cOAlition S, an international consortium of research funding and performing organizations.
• Open Research Funders Group (ORFG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASAP is a member of the Open Research Funders Group, a partnership of funding organizations committed to the open sharing of research outputs. ORFG engages philanthropies in a community of practice to develop and advance strategies that accelerate access to funded research.
• Incentivizing Collaborative and Open Research (ICOR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASAP is an active member of ICOR, an organization working to incentivize collaborative and open research practices across the scientific community.
• Research Software Alliance (ReSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASAP is an organizational member of the Research Software Alliance, dedicated to advancing the research software ecosystem by collaborating with decision-makers and key influencers.
• Verily (Alphabet)coreTechnology or IntegrationVerily collaborated with ASAP, MJFF, DNAstack, and DataTecnica to develop the CRN Cloud platform. Verily's Workbench is used for data analysis within the CRN Cloud ecosystem, enabling researchers to perform and share analyses on the harmonized Parkinson's datasets.
• DNAstackcoreTechnology or IntegrationDNAstack collaborated with ASAP, MJFF, Verily, and DataTecnica to develop the CRN Cloud platform, contributing to data infrastructure for the Parkinson's research community.
• DataTecnicacoreTechnology or IntegrationDataTecnica collaborated with ASAP, MJFF, Verily, and DNAstack to develop the CRN Cloud platform, supporting data infrastructure for the Parkinson's research community.
• Allen InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a collaborator of ASAP. The Allen Institute conducts neuroscience research and contributes to the collaborative research ecosystem supporting Parkinson's disease research.
• Parkinson's FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner of ASAP, contributing to the broader Parkinson's research ecosystem.
• Parkinson's UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner of ASAP, contributing to the global Parkinson's research ecosystem.
• Cure Parkinson'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner of ASAP, contributing to the global Parkinson's research ecosystem.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CHDI Foundation: Disease-specific research foundation funding large-scale, multi-institutional, open-science programs for Huntington's disease. Operates a virtual R&D model very similar to ASAP's CRN — coordinated network of academic and industry collaborators working toward a single neurodegenerative disease.
• ALS Association: Major disease-specific nonprofit that funds ALS research globally, including multi-institutional collaborations and translational programs. Comparable to ASAP in mission, donor-funded research model, and pipeline-acceleration focus on a fatal neurodegenerative disease.
• The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research: ASAP's core implementation partner and the largest private Parkinson's research funder globally. Both organizations operate grant-making models focused on accelerating Parkinson's discovery, share governance over PPMI, and co-administer CRN funding — making them the closest functional mirror to ASAP.
• Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation: Disease-specific (Alzheimer's) research funding foundation that supports translational and preclinical programs globally. Comparable to ASAP in its focus on a single neurodegenerative disease, grant-making model, and emphasis on biomarker and therapeutic acceleration.
• Cure Alzheimer's Fund: Nonprofit funder supporting targeted, high-risk Alzheimer's research with a model emphasizing principal-investigator grants and collaborative networks — analogous to ASAP's CRN approach but applied to a different neurodegenerative disease.
• Coalition for Aligning Science: Parent managing entity of ASAP that designs and implements large-scale biomedical research programs. Shares governance, leadership, and strategic direction with ASAP, and operates analogous alignment-oriented programs across other disease areas within CNS Quest.
• Wellcome Leap: Large-scale, philanthropically funded programs that deploy multi-hundred-million-dollar catalytic capital to accelerate breakthroughs in human health. Shares ASAP's model of ambitious, multi-institutional, time-bound research funding outside traditional grant cycles.

Broad incumbents

• Allen Institute: Philanthropically funded neuroscience research organization producing large-scale, open-access datasets and tools (e.g., Allen Brain Atlas). Comparable to ASAP in producing openly shared neuroscience data assets and in long-term philanthropic funding structure.
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Largest private biomedical research organization in the US, supporting hundreds of investigators across basic neuroscience and disease biology. Overlaps with ASAP in biomedical research funding scope but operates a fundamentally different investigator-empowerment model rather than disease-focused coordination.
• Cancer Research Institute: Disease-specific (cancer immunology) nonprofit that funds investigator-initiated research and multi-institutional collaborations. Operates a similar grant-making and consortium model to ASAP, applied to a different disease domain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgjbWYyR15Vo_Jp1tHEBTUw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asap-research
• Xx.com/ASAP_Research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Aligning Science Across Parkinson's