Announcing MPD Foundation's Challenge Grant 2011

May 3, 2010 - PRLog -- The MPD Foundation is pleased to announce a Call for Proposals for its 2011 Challenge Grant Program. Worthy projects will advance the understanding of mechanisms of action in the MPD’s and/or contribute to accelerating the discovery and development of new treatments for MPD patients.

The MPD Foundation is a private not-for-profit advocacy organization seeking to fund scientific and medical research in the Myeloproliferative Disorders. The organization focuses specifically on Myelofibrosis, Polycythemia Vera, and Essential Thrombocythemia.

Grants will be awarded in 2 categories:

*  New Investigator Awards  Two-year grants of $75,000 per year. These grants are aimed at emerging investigators who are considering a career related to research in the myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs) or established investigators in other fields who are interested in bringing their experience, skills and ideas to research in the MPDs.

*  Established Investigator Awards   Two-year grants of $150,000 per year. These grants are aimed at researchers with a demonstrated interest and history of achievement in MPD research. Projects can be either basic or translational research, as long as results will contribute to new understanding, new molecular targets, or new treatments for MPDs.  

The MPD Foundation believes that active and meaningful collaboration among researchers with diverse expertise will accelerate the discovery of new mechanisms of action and the development of effective treatments for the MPDs. Preference will therefore be given to Established Investigator proposals made by collaborative groups of researchers, at a single or multiple institutions. An interdisciplinary approach will also receive favorable treatment.

Further information and the application can be found by visiting http://mpdfoundation.org/Challengegrant2011_announce.php5.

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The MPD Foundation was established in 1999. The founding board members are all myeloproliferative disorders patients who were stunned to discover not only how little medical research was happening in the MPDs, but that there were no advocacy groups working to promote and fund scientific inquiry in these disorders.

The MPD Foundation’s primary mission is to stimulate original MPD research in pursuit of new treatments and eventually a cure for polycythemia vera, primary myelofibrosis and essential thrombocythemia. In addition, the MPD Foundation promotes collaboration in the scientific community to accelerate MPD research, and serves as a powerful patient advocacy group for MPD patients and their families.