Amendment to Investment Advisory and Management Agreement between Curian Variable Series Trust and Curian Capital, LLC

EX 99.28(d)(18)

Amendment to

Investment Advisory

and Management Agreement

between

Curian Variable Series Trust

and Curian Capital, LLC

This Amendment is made by and between Curian Variable Series Trust, a Massachusetts business trust (“Trust”), and Curian Capital, LLC, a Michigan limited liability company (“Adviser”).

Whereas, the Trust and the Adviser are parties to an Investment Advisory and Management Agreement dated December 19, 2011 (“Agreement”).

Whereas, the parties have agreed to amend Schedule A and Schedule B of the Agreement to add the following new series of the Trust (“New Funds”) and to add each New Fund’s fee schedule:

New Funds (effective September 10, 2012):

1) Curian/DFA U.S. Micro Cap Fund;

2) Curian/Franklin Xxxxxxxxx Frontier Markets Fund;

3) Curian/Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Currency Fund;

4) Curian/Xxx Xxx International Gold Fund;

5) Curian Guidance – Equity 100 Fund; and

6) Curian Guidance – Fixed Income 100 Fund.

Now Therefore, the parties hereby agree to amend the Agreement as follows:

1.   Schedule A to the Agreement is hereby deleted and replaced in its entirety with Schedule A dated September 10, 2012 attached hereto.

2.   Schedule B to the Agreement is hereby deleted and replaced in its entirety with Schedule B dated September 10, 2012 attached hereto.

3.   Except as specifically amended hereby, the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with its terms.

In Witness Whereof, the Adviser and the Trust have caused this Amendment to be executed as of June 22, 2012, effective as of September 10, 2012.  This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, which together shall constitute one document.

Curian Variable Series Trust	Curian Capital, LLC
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx	By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
Name:  Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx	Name:  Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
Title:    Assistant Secretary	Title:    President and Chief Executive Officer

Schedule A

September 10, 2012

(List of Funds)

Curian Guidance – Equity 100 Fund

Curian Guidance – Fixed Income 100 Fund

Curian Guidance – Maximize Income Fund

Curian Guidance – Balanced Income Fund

Curian Guidance – Rising Income Fund

Curian Guidance – Moderate Growth Fund

Curian Guidance – Maximum Growth Fund

Curian Guidance – Tactical Moderate Growth Fund

Curian Guidance – Tactical Maximum Growth Fund

Curian Guidance – Institutional Alt 65 Fund

Curian Guidance – Institutional Alt 100 Fund

Curian Tactical Advantage 35 Fund

Curian Tactical Advantage 60 Fund

Curian Tactical Advantage 75 Fund

Curian Dynamic Risk Advantage – Diversified Fund

Curian Dynamic Risk Advantage – Aggressive Fund

Curian Dynamic Risk Advantage – Income Fund

Curian/American Funds® Growth Fund

Curian/AQR Risk Parity Fund

Curian/DFA U.S. Micro Cap Fund

Curian/Epoch Global Shareholder Yield Fund

Curian/FAMCO Flex Core Covered Call Fund

Curian/Franklin Xxxxxxxxx Frontier Markets Fund

Curian/Franklin Xxxxxxxxx Natural Resources Fund

Curian/Invesco Balanced-Risk Commodities Strategy Fund

Curian/Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Currency Fund

Curian/Xxxxxxxx Convertible Arbitrage Fund

Curian/PIMCO Credit Income Fund

Curian/PineBridge Merger Arbitrage Fund

Curian/The Boston Company Equity Income Fund

Curian/The Boston Company Multi-Alpha Market Neutral Equity Fund

Curian/Xxx Xxx International Gold Fund

Schedule B

September 10, 2012

 (Compensation)

Fund	Assets	Advisory Fee (Annual Rate Based on Average Net Assets of the Fund)
Curian Guidance – Equity 100 Fund	All Assets	.20%
Curian Guidance – Fixed Income 100 Fund	All Assets	.20%
Curian Guidance – Maximize Income Fund	All Assets	.20%
Curian Guidance – Balanced Income Fund	All Assets	.20%
Curian Guidance – Rising Income Fund	All Assets	.20%
Curian Guidance – Moderate Growth Fund	All Assets	.20%
Curian Guidance – Maximum Growth Fund	All Assets	.20%
Curian Guidance – Tactical Moderate Growth Fund	All Assets	.20%
Curian Guidance – Tactical Maximum Growth Fund	All Assets	.20%
Curian Guidance – Institutional Alt 65 Fund	All Assets	.20%
Curian Guidance – Institutional Alt 100 Fund	All Assets	.20%
Curian Tactical Advantage 35 Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.75% .70%
Curian Tactical Advantage 60 Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.75% .70%
Curian Tactical Advantage 75 Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.75% .70%
Curian Dynamic Risk Advantage – Diversified Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.95% .90%
Curian Dynamic Risk Advantage – Aggressive Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.95% .90%
Curian Dynamic Risk Advantage – Income Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.95% .90%
Curian/American Funds® Growth Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.85% .80%
Curian/AQR Risk Parity Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.85% .80%
Curian/DFA U.S. Micro Cap Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.80% .75%
Curian/Epoch Global Shareholder Yield Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.70% .65%
Curian/FAMCO Covered Call Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.60% .55%
Curian/Franklin Xxxxxxxxx Frontier Markets Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	1.40% 1.35%
Curian/Franklin Xxxxxxxxx Natural Resources Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.80% .75%
Curian/Invesco Balanced-Risk Commodities Strategy Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.75% .70%
Curian/Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Currency Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.70% .65%
Curian/Xxxxxxxx Convertible Arbitrage Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.85% .80%
Curian/PIMCO Credit Income Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.50% .45%
Curian/PineBridge Merger Arbitrage Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.85% .80%
Curian/The Boston Company Equity Income Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.55% .50%
Curian/The Boston Company Multi-Alpha Market Neutral Equity Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.85% .80%
Curian/Xxx Xxx International Gold Fund	$0 to $1 billion Over $1 billion	.80% .75%