Please note there will
be no NRFTD Grant Cycle in 2015. We urge all interested
investigators to monitor this page for future developments regarding
possible Request for Application (RFAs).
About The NRFTD
The NRFTD was
founded in 1999 to address the critical research needs of persons
afflicted by emerging tick-borne diseases, including those caused by
Lyme disease and relapsing fever Borrelia, Anaplasma, Babesia,
Bartonella and Ehrlichia species. Such needs have grown considerably in
recent years as Lyme disease has spread throughout the country and as
other tick-borne infections have been recognized as public health
The NRFTD is organized exclusively to promote the
advancement of scientific knowledge regarding tick-borne diseases and to
facilitate the translation of these advances into improved health for
patients. NRFTD is dedicated to sponsoring only the most scientifically
rigorous research at pre-eminent research institutions throughout the
world, adhering to the norms and standards of research projects
currently funded by domestic science agencies such as the National
Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
The mission of the NRFTD is entirely research-oriented,
with the exclusive goal of raising and disbursing funds for scientific
studies. The NRFTD does not engage in patient advocacy issues, nor does
it offer opinions on matters of clinical policy.
With the generous support of our benefactors,
the NRFTD has raised more than $1.3 million. Our initial efforts focused
on funding research locally. Innovative studies at Columbia University,
including adjunct projects to the National Institutes of Health-funded
Study of Chronic Lyme Disease, were our first accomplishments.
To broaden the
scope of our research effort and to make pilot project funding available
to researchers at academic centers throughout the United States and
worldwide, we established a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) in 2005. The
SAB, which includes investigators from multiple institutions, assisted
the NRFTD in the establishment of an application and review process that
would allow for rapid distribution of annual research awards.
Board of Directors
The NRFTD is served by a highly competent Board of Directors who possess
demonstrable experience in the business and professional worlds.
Determined to achieve increased national awareness and to accelerate
scientific understanding, the board intends to establish and develop a
coordinated national research effort. The NRFTD is committed to
expanding its fundraising base to include major donors, foundations and
corporations. This expansion will allow the NRFTD to entertain a wide
array of scientific proposals and to fund multiple research projects.
Scientific Advisory Board
institution of both the NRFTD Scientific Advisory Board and a
rigorous scientific review process in 2005 confirms the NRFTD's
commitment to excellence. The Scientific Advisory Board
(SAB), comprised of nationally known researchers in the field of
tick-borne diseases and related areas, advises the NRFTD on a wide
variety of matters concerning overall scientific objectives. The SAB
maintains the highest standards in the selection of the most promising
grants. In addition, the SAB ensures that broad segments of the
scientific community become aware of the NRFTD's activities and goals.
The NRFTD will provide grants of varying
project lengths and monetary levels. A Request for Applications (RFA),
in which project length and funding level are specified, will be issued
by the Scientific Advisory Board before each funding cycle. Applicants
are required in their applications to elucidate the potential for their
work to lead to long term funding by NIH, NSF or other scientific or
biomedical agencies. Emphasis is placed on the transformation of
discoveries into tangible results, such as publication in peer-reviewed
medical journals and presentations at scientific conferences.
c/o Greg Torski
12 Raynor Drive
Hingham, MA 20243