Early on in my career, I was fortunate to receive an ASH Scholar Award, and, although it was years ago, I’ve never forgotten the excitement I felt knowing that my research proposal had been reviewed by my peers and deemed valuable by experts in the field. When I received that award, I felt an immediate and personal connection with ASH; I knew it was “my” professional society. ASH has continued to support scores of investigators over the years, but today, with the squeeze on research funding being felt by so many at so many levels, the Society’s dedication to supporting its member researchers is unprecedented.
ASH’s commitment to research, training, and support is significant; in 2013 alone, the Society awarded nearly $8 million in research and career-development grants. These awards support research programs that span the career of a hematologist, from medical students through established investigators.
In 2013, the Physician–Scientist Career-Development Award was introduced. The award provides support for students interested in taking a full year during medical school to conduct mentored, cutting-edge research. The award also includes funding to attend the annual meeting, allowing for connection with other hematologists — connections that are so vital to recruiting the next generation of physician–scientists.
Scholar Awards, a flagship program of ASH, offer two to three years of research support for more advanced hematology fellows and junior faculty during the critical transition period between the completion of training and the achievement of status as an independent investigator. During this past year, ASH awarded approximately $2.8 million in Scholar Awards, and, due to an increasing number of qualified applicants, the ASH Executive Committee has allocated up to $1 million for additional Scholar Awards for the coming year.
To support independent investigators adversely affected by NIH funding cuts, the ASH Bridge Grant program was designed to help “bridge” talented ASH member investigators whose NIH R01 research grant applications scored highly but were not funded. Projects made possible by the Bridge Grant program have spanned the breadth of pediatric and adult hematology, and many of the supported investigators have subsequently been successful in securing additional extramural funding.
How can you help ASH continue to support research funding? In 2012, the ASH Foundation was launched to enable ASH to expand the reach of its successful award programs, as well as to develop new initiatives to address critical challenges facing hematologists. You can make a difference by donating to the ASH Foundation; rest assured that all donations will let ASH “do more” (i.e., each dollar will go toward supporting additional awards, not toward defraying existing expense commitments). Know that 100 percent of each gift will go toward specific program costs and that all administrative/overhead expenses are borne by ASH. Visit the ASH Foundation page to learn more and do your part in protecting the future of hematology by donating to the program.
ASH is dedicated to addressing the critical barriers to the recruitment and retention of talented hematologists through our award programs. The next time you or a mentee is seeking support for research, I hope you’ll consider applying for one or more of the ASH Awards.
Visit the ASH Awards page for more information about any of the awards mentioned above.
