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Research Grant Program

IDF provides research grants to support clinicians and scientists focused on primary immunodeficiency (PI).

Scope and eligibility

IDF’s Research Grant Program supports patient-centered research focused on improving the treatment, health, disease management, or diagnosis of people with PI, as well as research that contributes to the general body of PI knowledge.

  • Awards range from $25,000-50,000. 
    • Exceptional proposals considered for higher levels of support.
    • The Michael Blaese Research Grant Award is given to the highest-scored application each cycle.
  • Open to applicants based in the U.S. only.
  • One-year term.
  • Currently unavailable for individuals employed by federal government agencies or departments.

Evaluation process

IDF’s Research Committee, made up of recognized immunologists and past grant awardees, reviews and scores research proposals through a peer review process based on the system used by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The committee recommends funding for the proposals with the highest scores, ensuring an unbiased and independent selection process based solely on scientific merit.

Previous awardees

Starting in 2022, the top-ranked grant in each cycle has been awarded the Michael Blaese Research Grant Award, named in honor of IDF’s long-time medical advisor and noted PI researcher, Dr. Michael Blaese.

2022

Blaese awardee: Dr. Joud Hajjar, Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Brenna LaBere, Boston Children’s Hospital; Dr. Beth Thielen, University of Minnesota; Dr. Artemio Jongco, Feinstein Institutes of Medical Research.

Read about the 2022 winning grants.

2020

Dr. Alice Chau, Seattle Children’s Institute; Dr. Pietro Genovese, Dana Farber Cancer Institute; Dr. Sarah Henrickson, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Dr. Michelle Hermiston, University of California San Francisco; Dr. Paul Maglione, Boston University School of Medicine; Dr. Bethany Percha, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Dr. Qian Zhang, The Rockefeller University.

View 2020 awarded grants.

2019

Dr. Shanmuganathan Chandrakasan, Emory University; Dr. Stacey Lynn Clardy, University of Utah; Dr. Rui Yang, The Rockefeller University.

2018

Dr. Lori Broderick, University of California, San Diego; Dr. Megan Cooper, St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation; Dr. Attila Kumanovics, University of Utah; Dr. Carrie L. Lucas, Yale University.

View 2018 and 2019 awarded grants.

2017

Dr. Sara Barmettler, Massachusetts General Hospital; Dr. Nilesh Chitnis, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Dr. Joud Hajjar, Baylor School of Medicine; Dr. Artemio Jongco, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research; Dr. Sergio Rosenzweig, National Institutes of Health.

2016

Dr. Sonia Sharma, La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology.

View 2016 and 2017 awarded grants.

White paper challenge

In 2022, IDF sponsored a White Paper Challenge to seek out new ideas and address relevant topics in the PI community. We invited submissions from all individuals, institutions, schools, and researchers with exciting ideas about expanding awareness in communities of color, increasing equity in clinical trials, and shortening the time from diagnosis to treatment.

Read about the winners

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