We greatly appreciate the generous foundations, organizations, individuals and collaborative ventures which enable us to do our research. We cannot thank these people enough.
Current Funders
Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF)
The Children’s Tumor Foundation has historically acted as a ‘seed funder’ to provide funding, especially to early-career NF researchers and early-stage NF research, which require additional time and support before becoming eligible for larger governmental or industrial funding.
CTF established the Discovery Fund as a mechanism to support researchers and clinicians engaged in novel and fundamental NF investigations. The Discovery Fund encompasses the following award programs: Young Investigator Award (YIA), Drug Discovery Initiative (DDI), and Clinical Research Awards (CRA). Additional award mechanisms and funding opportunities include our Contract Awards and funding for our upcoming Preclinical Hub.
National Institutes of Health – National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH-NINDS)
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is a part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). It conducts and funds research on brain and nervous system disorders and has a budget of just over US$2.03 billion. The mission of NINDS is “to reduce the burden of neurological disease—a burden borne by every age group, every segment of society, and people all over the world”.
Neurofibromatosis Therapy Acceleration Program (NTAP)
The Neurofibromatosis Therapeutic Acceleration Program (NTAP) is focused exclusively on improving treatment options for people living with Neurofibromatosis type 1-related plexiform neurofibromas. With the goal of therapeutics always in mind, initiatives span research that probes the basic aspects of tumorgenesis through clinical investigations of drugs that have the highest likelihood of having a positive impact for patients. NTAP’s approach is defined by (1) intense collaboration both within and outside of the neurofibromatosis research community and (2) ongoing critical assessment of the existing needs and opportunities for developing effective plexiform neurofibroma therapeutics.
St. Louis Mens Group Against Cancer
St. Louis Men’s Group Against Cancer is a charitable organization whose purposes include raising funds that are directed to specific cancer-related organizations that focus on research, prevention, and care activities in the St. Louis community. Past recipient funds are channeled through various organizations and earmarked for specific programs in the thirty plus charities that benefit the St Louis cancer community. Since 1969, this independent organization has raised more than $4 million to direct funds not just to specific institutions, but to specific projects within those institutions.
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)
The CDMRP fills research gaps by funding high impact, high risk and high gain projects that other agencies may not venture to fund. While individual programs are unique in their focus, all of the programs managed by the CDMRP share the common goal of advancing paradigm shifting research, solutions that will lead to cures or improvements in patient care, or breakthrough technologies and resources for clinical benefit. The CDMRP strives to transform healthcare for Service Members and the American public through innovative and impactful research.
Children’s Discovery Institute
The Children’s Discovery Institute is the result of a shared vision to change the way pediatric research is conducted and an intense commitment to bringing about dramatic results in pediatric care.
This partnership established in 2006 between two prominent organizations – St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University – is uniquely positioned to leverage the abilities of clinicians, investigators, trainees, and professional staff throughout the University’s academic and medical community. By funding the work of creative scientists and clinicians in collaborative, multi-disciplinary research aimed at some of the most devastating childhood diseases and disorders, the Children’s Discovery Institute is a world-class center for pediatric research and innovation that encourages researchers to ask bold questions and take bold risks to uncover answers.
Past Funders
American Cancer Society
At the American Cancer Society, we’re on a mission to free the world from cancer. Until we do, we’ll be funding and conducting research, sharing expert information, supporting patients, and spreading the word about prevention. All so you can live longer — and better. What does it take to outsmart cancer? Research. We’ve invested more than $4.8 billion in cancer research since 1946, all to find more – and better – treatments, uncover factors that may cause cancer, and improve cancer patients’ quality of life.
Doris Duke Foundation
In her will, Doris Duke left her fortune, her properties and her extensive collections of art to a foundation to be created in her name: the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The foundation has developed its activities based on her written guidance as well as the personal passions that she pursued throughout her life. With this approach, the mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is to improve the quality of people’s lives through grants. Doris Duke was a significant supporter of medical research, making contributions to hospitals and research centers throughout her life. In her will, she expressed her interest in supporting “medical research designed to effectuate cures of major diseases.”
Sarcoma Alliance for Research through Collaboration (SARC)
SARC (Sarcoma Alliance for Research through Collaboration) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and support of research for the prevention, treatment, and cure of sarcomas – a cancer of the bone and connective tissue of the body. SARC was founded by a small group of physicians specializing in sarcoma. Recognizing the value of pooling their intellectual and patient resources, a core group of medical and pediatric sarcoma experts at five major medical facilities formed SARC in 2003 to conduct innovative and rigorous sarcoma research to advance the care of their patients. Today, the leadership of SARC consists of respected sarcoma physicians across the country, working together to develop new strategies to improve the outcomes for sarcoma patients.
NF Research Initiative (NFRI)
The mission of the NF1 Research Initiative (NFRI) is to advance pre-clinical research towards effective treatment of neurofibromatosis-related tumors. The initial focus of the NFRI will be on malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs), for which there is currently no effective medical treatment. The NFRI will accomplish this mission through two primary objectives: (1) Collaboration with international experts to collect MPNSTs and define their genomic architecture, combine genomic data with relevant clinical information, and make the data available as an open resource to identify drivers of tumor progression. This effort will take the form of a “Genomics of MPNST” (GeM) Consortium. (2) Directing an international open grant program to fund pre-clinical research proposals taking novel approaches aimed at advancing effective medical treatment(s) for MPNSTs.
Individual Donors
A special thank you to the individual families that provide support to our research.
- The Brown Family
- The Wascher Family
- Kayla Brown and the Langham Family
- Grace Kim and Family
- The Roberts Family
- Sarah Kim