The Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) and Takeda Development Center Americas have unveiled the Celiac Disease Foundation–Takeda Early Career Research Award. The award will offer an unrestricted early-career research grant focused on celiac disease to researchers seeking to prepare for a career of independent or clinical investigation. The goal of the grant is to stimulate and encourage innovative research in the biomedical and clinical sciences, to enhance the understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis, therapy, and prevention of celiac disease. The hope is that by encouraging collaborative efforts between basic scientists and clinicians will find a cure for the disease.
Speaking of the partnership, Marilyn G. Geller, CEO of Celiac Disease Foundation said that “the Celiac Disease Foundation is a global leader in accelerating research for celiac disease, and it is our core mission to compel funding that will lead to treatments and a cure. We greatly appreciate this partnership with Takeda to offer a new grant award that will not only advance our understanding of celiac disease and improve patients’ quality of life, but will also encourage continued progress and collaboration in the field of celiac disease research.”
The award will provide funds of $90,000 annually for the two-year funding period beginning from September 2023 till August 2025, with the application deadline set at August 1, 2023. Applicants interested in the award must submit all required materials through the CDF Grants Management System. A complete description of the award and application requirements is available on their website.
The focus on celiac disease research follows the Celiac Disease Foundation’s dedicated, long-standing efforts to promote innovation in research. The organization continues to fund international initiatives in three principal areas: medical research, patient and healthcare provider education, and public policy advocacy. The foundation has awarded five Young Investigator Awards since 2017 to support up-and-coming researchers in the field.
Takeda has been actively involved in celiac disease research and is dedicated to discovering and delivering life-transforming treatments; the company is guided by its commitment to patients, people, and the planet. They focus their R&D efforts on four key therapeutic areas: rare genetics and hematology, oncology, neuroscience, and gastroenterology.
As a leading R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, Takeda has targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. Emily Kocinski, Leader of the Celiac Disease Research and Development program at Takeda said that “we recognize the ongoing unmet medical need in the celiac disease community and are committed to advancing potential treatments and therapies […] Our collaboration with the Celiac Disease Foundation to support new and promising research leaders underscores our dedication to the research in this area, and to improving the lives of patients living with celiac disease.”
The announcement of the new research grant reveals a valuable opportunity for researchers who are starting in their careers to make significant contributions to the field of celiac disease research, and aids CDF’s goal to find a cure for a disease that affects an estimated 1 in 100 people worldwide.
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