Medical Research Grants to Improve the Lives of Children – Thrasher Research Fund

Scope: The Thrasher Research Fund has been awarding grants for children’s medical research for over 30 years. The purpose of the E.W. "Al" Thrasher Awards is to improve children’s health through medical research, with an empha- sis on projects that have the potential to translate into clini- cally meaningful results within a few years. The Fund awards grants two times per year, with no fixed number of awards given in each funding cycle or in each year. The Thrasher Research Fund is open to applications that address a variety of significant pediatric problems. Both incidence and severity are considered when determining the signifi- cance of the proposed topic. The Fund supports research both within and outside the United States. Ideal applications for the E.W. "Al" Thrasher Award address significant health problems that affect children in large numbers and offer the potential for practical solutions to these problems. Such solutions should be innovative and have the potential for rapid and broad applicability with low financial and/or technical barriers to implementation. Hypothesis-driven research is given priority over exploratory, hypothesis- generating research. Projects with a shorter distance to clini- cal applicability are given priority. Eligibility: Principal Investigators must be qualified in terms of education and experience to conduct research. A doctoral-level degree is required. There are no citizenship or residency requirements. The Fund is open to applications from institutions both inside and outside the United States. Funding: The grant amount is based on the actual budgetary needs of the project. The duration of the project can be up to three years. Indirect costs of no more than 7% of direct costs will be paid on E.W. "Al" Thrasher Awards. In 2011-2012 the median grant was $300,000 (total, not annually).