International Pemphigus & Pemphigoid Foundation Announces Research Grant Program

The International Pemphigus and Pemphigoid Foundation (IPPF) is pleased to announce the availability of a seed grant program to encourage and support patient-oriented research of pemphigus and pemphigoid. The intent of these grants is to support well-defined research projects that have a specified benefit for improving the treatment, health, disease management, or diagnosis of persons with pemphigus and pemphigoid. Consideration will also be given to studies that contribute to the body of medical knowledge of pemphigus and pemphigoid.

Pemphigus and pemphigoid are rare, autoimmune blistering disorders with an estimated U.S. annual incidence of approximately 2,500 people and world incidence of 40,000-50,000 people. These conditions are difficult to diagnose and debilitating for patients. If extensive, blistering can lead to life-threatening fluid loss, infection, and disfigurement. Pemphigus and pemphigoid can also cause significant damage to the skin, including nail loss and pigmentary alteration, making timeliness of intervention and treatment essential to prevention of disability. Pemphigus and pemphigoid currently have no cure.

“The IPPF Grant Program will help provide seed grant funding for research of diseases whose patients have unmet medical needs,” said Marc Yale, Executive Director, of the IPPF. “We hope this program will encourage advancement in patient-oriented research in pemphigus and pemphigoid.”

The IPPF anticipates awarding 4-8 one-year grants in 2017 with values ranging from $25,000 to $50,000. IPPF Research Grants are currently open to applicants based in the U.S.

Application Schedule

• Letter of Intent deadline for FY 2017 is February 28, 2017
• Application deadline for FY 2017 is March 31, 2017
• FY 2017 award announcements will be made on June 30, 2017
• FY 2017 funds will be awarded by August 1, 2017

Each research proposal is reviewed by the IPPF’s Research Committee, which recommends funding for the highest scoring proposals. The grant review process is based on the peer review system used by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Applications are individually scored by each member of the Research Committee, and scores are added together to determine the final ranking of each proposal. Any reviewer with a conflict of interest is excused from voting on that specific proposal. The grant selection process is unbiased and independent; awards are based solely on scientific merit.

Application Process

1. Download and complete the IPPF Research Grant Guidelines and Application Form from the IPPF website: https://www.pemphigus.org/research/ippf-research-grant-program/
2. Attach the following: CVs and/or bio-sketches, letters of support/recommendation, and letters from collaborators agreeing to participate
3. Submit the completed application with attachments to grants@pemphigus.org

The application, along with the attachments, must be assembled and submitted electronically as a single PDF to grants@pemphigus.org