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2017 Annual Report

Our 2017 Donors

The FNIH acknowledges and thanks each of our valued partners, whose generosity provides the critical resources needed to accelerate scientific discoveries to diagnose, treat and cure the world’s most devastating diseases. Unrestricted gifts allow the flexibility to use donations where they are urgently needed, while restricted gifts serve a specific area of research. Other donors choose to partner and establish funds and endowments to pay tribute to loved ones.

To learn more about ways to give, please select from the following links:

Key

  • 3 Superscript Indicates Number of Years of Consecutive Giving
  • + Indicates Gifts in Kind
  • Member of the Partners for Innovation, Discovery and Health Society
  • * New Members of the Legacy Society

$5,000,000+

$2,500,000–$4,999,999

$1,000,000–$2,499,999

$500,000–$999,999

$250,000–$499,999

$100,000–$249,999

$50,000–$99,999

$25,000–$49,999

$10,000–$24,999

$5,000–$9,999

$2,500–$4,999

$1,000–$2,499

$500–$999

$250–$499

Partners Society

The FNIH acknowledges individuals who have supported its programs with a major gift in 2017 as members of the Partners Society.

Visionary (Gifts of $50,000+)

Trailblazer (Gifts of $25,000–$49,999)

Pioneer (Gifts of $10,000–$24,999)

Investigator (Gifts of $5,000–$9,999)

Explorer (Gifts of $1,000–$4,999)

Fellow (Gifts of $500–$999)

Gifts in Honor Of

Honor a friend or family member for an important occasion with a gift to the FNIH. It is a wonderful way to send good wishes for a birthday or anniversary, thanks to a friend or doctor, or congratulations for retirement, a job well done or graduation. In 2017, the FNIH received gifts in honor of the following individuals.

Gifts in Honor Of

Memorial Gifts

Contributions are given to the FNIH at the request of family members in memory of loved ones. These generous contributions enhance our ability to support the National Institutes of Health in its mission to improve health, by forming and facilitating public-private partnerships for biomedical research, education and training. We extend our sympathies to the family and friends of those memorialized below.

Memorial Gifts

Legacy Society

The Legacy Society recognizes individuals who have informed us that they have named the FNIH as a beneficiary in their will or estate plan. These legacy gifts can support a specific National Institutes of Health program, area of research or other identified need, or they may provide unrestricted support to the FNIH. We thank the following individuals who have named the FNIH as a beneficiary.

Legacy Society

Named Funds

Named funds are created to support specific areas of research or fellowships, lectures or awards at the National Institutes of Health.

BRCA Challenge Fund

The BRCA Challenge is based on shared data from clinicians, clinical laboratories and researchers across the world, all with the intention of improving the precision of interpreting variants identified in clinical testing of BRCA1 and BRCA2. API for all to use on smartphones to query clinically determined variants. Inherited variation in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can indicate genetic predisposition to breast, ovarian and other cancers. Since the large majority of BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants are not pathogenic, there is great need to develop a comprehensive data resource for collecting, annotating and interpreting variation across both genes. The Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics is co-leading the effort to develop a resource that will be a comprehensive repository of BRCA variation, linking current structure and resources while encouraging deposition of new data.

Pamela Anne Cafritz Renal Cell Carcinoma Award Fund

The Pamela Anne Cafritz Renal Cell Carcinoma Award Fund is designed to support the development of highly innovative approaches and technologies aimed at addressing kidney cancer. The Award will be disseminated as a special call for proposals at the National Cancer Institute, under the leadership of the Director of the Center for Cancer Research or his/her designee. The Award seeks to provide an investigator enabling research support in hopes of reducing the proliferation of and death from this disease.

Cancer Research Fund

As a part of its outreach efforts to individuals who may be interested in supporting the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and, more specifically, the work of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), this fund was established to hold contributions received to support cancer research. Contributions may be designated simply for “cancer research” or, if desired by the donor, for more targeted initiatives underway at the NIH. The FNIH will work with NCI to determine how this growing pool of general funds might best be applied whether through fellowships, as project seed funding or through another mechanisms.

Follicular Lymphoma Research Fund

This fund supports the work of Drs. Wyndham Wilson and Louis Staudt, among other National Cancer Institute colleagues, who are working on a research project to further understand the biology of follicular lymphoma. The study titled “Use of functional genomics to define new therapeutic strategies in transformed follicular lymphoma” has two aims: 1) Identify essential genes in cell line models of tFL using CRISPR-based genetic screens, and 2) Identify genes that confer sensitization or resistance to BCL2 inhibitors in tFL.

John I. and Elaine K. Gallin Fund

This fund has provided support for the Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge and patient and clinical research needs at the National Institutes of Health.

Genome Research Fund

As a part of its outreach efforts to individuals who may be interested in supporting the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and, more specifically, the work of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), this Fund was established in January 2013 to hold contributions received to support genetics/genomics research. Contributions may be designated simply for “genetics or genomics research” or, if desired by the donor, for more targeted initiatives underway at the NIH. The FNIH will work with NHGRI to determine how this growing pool of general funds might best be applied whether through fellowships, as project seed funding or through another mechanism.

Global Health Fund

The FNIH has many programs at work in dozens of countries around the world, as well as across the United States. The programs aim to alleviate wide spread suffering and death from diseases such as malaria, enteric infections and HIV, as well as train researchers and medical personnel in the developing world. The Global Health Fund was established by the FNIH in January 2013. Contributions directed to this fund will be used within the global health field as directed by the FNIH.

Jayne Koskinas Ted Giovanis Foundation for Health Policy

Jayne Koskinas Ted Giovanis (JKTG) Foundation for Health and Policy provided funding for the intramural training and education of two deserving young scholars at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during the 2015-2016 academic year. Under the mentorship of Sharon Milgram, Ph.D., in the Office of Intramural Training and Education, one student received a NIH Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award/Cancer Research Training Award (Postbac IRTA/CRTA) with interest in nanotechnology and cancer therapeutics; the other, a scholarship to NIH’s Graduate Partnership Program (GPP) with research interest in mathematical/molecular modeling, brain circuitry and pain.

Roth Fellowship for CAEBV-HV Research

The Roth Fellowship fund was established to support a two-year fellowship in the laboratory of Jeffrey I. Cohen, M.D., Chief of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Chief of the Medical Virology Section at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. From 2015-2017, this fellow conducted research to accelerate efforts in finding new drugs to treat Chronic Active Epstein Barr Virus (CAEBV) and Chronic Active Epstein Barr Virus-Hydroa Vacciniforme (HV), as well as to understand genetic causes of the diseases that can lead to new treatments.

The Charles A. Sanders Legacy Fund

The creation of the Charles A. Sanders Legacy Fund will provide the flexibility for the FNIH to incubate new ideas and launch innovative, creative initiatives that will continue to enhance biomedical research. This investment also will allow the FNIH to maintain the operations structure to react rapidly and responsibly to new National Institutes of Health requests under unique circumstances. Lastly, the fund will enable the FNIH to establish the Charles A. Sanders, M.D., Partnership Award to recognize an outstanding, top-contributing industry partner each year.

Sayer Vision Research Lecture & Award

The Sayer Vision Research Fund, in collaboration with the National Eye Institute, supports an annual presentation delivered by an investigator conducting outstanding research in the area of vision research or related fields. The fund also provides the Sayer Vision Research Award, a grant to support the research of a promising independent investigator in the early stage of his or her career in the Division of Intramural Research whose work is closely related to aspects of vision research.

Swanson Family Fellowship

The Swanson Family Fellowship supports research in TTF-1 Mutation Causing Benign Chorea in the laboratory of infectious diseases under the direction of Steven M. Holland, M.D., Chief of the Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.

Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP)

The UDP diagnoses patients who have long been unable to find any diagnosis, to discover new disorders that will provide insight into biochemical and cell biological pathways and to bring genomics to modern medicine, especially in the area of rare diseases. It fosters personalized medicine. The FNIH will serve as a conduit for donations of funds and services.

Memorial Funds

Memorial funds create a living legacy. In many cases a family member may request that friends and relatives make donations—rather than send flowers—to support a chosen cause in memory of a loved one. Families may wish to make an investment in the FNIH by establishing a fund that embodies a loved one’s passion and spirit.

Dr. John L. Barr Memorial Fund

The Dr. John L. Barr Memorial Fund was established to support pain and palliative programs and cancer prevention and treatment. John L. Barr, M.D., was involved with both these fields as a doctor and a patient. The fund also supports the Intramural Research Training Award Fellowship Program at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center’s Pain and Palliative Care Program. The objective of the fellowship is to conduct research on pain and palliative care, and also to encourage young investigators to become more familiar with the importance of this field of study.

Adam J. Berry Memorial Fund

The Adam J. Berry Memorial Fund assists early career Australian scientists with travel between Australia and the United States to work at the National Institutes of Health. The Fund was established by Michael and Sue Berry to commemorate their beloved son Adam’s life and enthusiasm for research. Adam came from Australia to work as a research scientist at the National Cancer Institute.

The William N. Cafritz Trust

The William N. Cafritz Trust is directed squarely at recruiting talented scientists and researchers to the National Institutes of Health studying in the field of Parkinson’s Disease.

John Laws Decker Memorial Fund

The Dr. John Laws Decker Memorial Fund honors the late John Laws Decker, M.D., who began working at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1965 and had a long career there as Chief of Arthritis and Rheumatism Branch, before serving as the NIH Clinical Center Director and Associate Director for Clinical Care from 1983 until his retirement in 1990. Dr. Decker was an outstanding teacher who strived to connect scientific communications around the world in an effort to accelerate important research. As part of the memorial, the NIH Fellows Committee nominates a presenter for the annual John Laws Decker Memorial Lecture at the Contemporary Clinical Medicine: Great Teachers Grand Rounds Program. This speaker also receives the Distinguished Clinical Teacher’s Award. The John Laws Decker Memorial Lecture is a fitting tribute to a recognized leader and teacher who was dedicated to education and to promoting research communication.

Jerry D. Jennings Memorial Fund

The Jerry D. Jennings Memorial Fund honors the father of Catherine Jennings Davis who died of renal cell cancer in July 2006. The Jennings Family funds renal cell cancer research at the National Institutes of Health.

Tracy’s Toy Box

Established by the family in memory of Tracy Nadel, this fund purchases toys and activities for children staying at the Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge (Family Lodge). These items help make their time at the Family Lodge more comfortable and pleasant.

The Dr. Franklin A. Neva Memorial Fund

The Dr. Franklin A. Neva Memorial Fund honors the legacy of Franklin A. Neva, M.D., a renowned virologist, parasitologist, clinician and former director of the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases (LPD) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The Fund supports an annual lecture on a topic related to clinical tropical medicine and associated pathophysiology as part of the LPD’s ongoing lecture series. It also supports an annual session held by the LPD and the Greater Washington Infectious Disease Society that is devoted to parasitic and/or tropical medicine, featuring discussions of individual cases.

Dean R. O’Neill Renal Cell Cancer Research Fund

Founded in 2003, the Dean R. O’Neill Renal Cell Cancer Research Fund supports renal cell cancer research at the National Institutes of Health. The most common form of kidney cancer, renal cell carcinoma is an under-researched and growing disease, with more than 50,000 cases diagnosed each year. The FNIH works closely with the O’Neill family to establish and continue a dedicated renal cell cancer research fellowship program in the laboratory of Richard Childs, M.D., Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The Fund supports two research fellowships — the Dean R. O’Neill Fellow and the Rancic-O’Neill Fellow — to explore new and existing treatments for renal cell cancer, such as allogeneic stem cell transplantation, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, vaccine therapy and drug treatments. Contributions to the Fund are provided by generous donors and the proceeds from the annual Boo! Run for Life 10K Run and Tidal Basin Walk in Washington, D.C. each October.

Dr. Edward T. Rancic Memorial Fund

The Dr. Edward T. Rancic Memorial Fund provides support for a post-doctoral fellowship focused on renal cell cancer — the most common form of kidney cancer in the laboratory of Richard Childs, M.D., Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The goal of this fund is to provide critical personnel support to accelerate the search for new breakthroughs in the treatment of kidney cancer with additional significant contributions received from individual donors.

Dr. Anita Roberts Memorial Fund

The Dr. Anita Roberts Memorial Fund awards travel scholarships for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows to present their work at a national meeting in honor of Anita Roberts, Ph.D., who was one of the first women laboratory chiefs at the National Institutes of Health and ranked in the top 50 most cited biological scientists in the world. The Fund was established by the family and lab colleagues of Dr. Roberts. Widely recognized as an outstanding mentor for young scientists, Dr. Roberts had a passion for encouraging the career development of young scientists. These scholarships are a fitting tribute to Dr. Roberts’ commitment to mentoring.

Norman P. Salzman Memorial Award and Symposium in Virology

Norman P. Salzman, Ph.D.’s, family, colleagues and friends remember the legacy of this noted pioneer in molecular biology through contributions to this fund, which supports the annual Norman P. Salzman Memorial Award and Symposium in Virology. The half-day symposium addresses key topics in virology and immunology and presents an award to a young researcher, in recognition of Norman P. Salzman, Ph.D.’s mentorship of so many younger scientists.

Robert Whitney Newcomb Memorial Lecture and Internship

The Robert Whitney Newcomb Memorial Lecture and Internship was established by the family of Robert W. Newcomb, Ph.D. who began his scientific career at the National Institutes of Health as a high school summer intern in a laboratory at the National Cancer Institute. The Fund endows an annual lecture by a recognized expert in neuroscience, selected by the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Honoring Dr. Newcomb’s own experience, it also provides for internships for high school students and a fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Susan Wray, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology Section at NINDS.

Stephen J. Solarz Memorial Fund

Established in 2010, the Stephen J. Solarz Memorial Fund supports research in the laboratory of David Schrump, M.D., Chief of the Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Oncology Branch in the Center for Cancer Research of the National Cancer Institute. In addition to overseeing thoracic surgery interventions for patients enrolled on National Institutes of Health protocols, his research is designed to stimulate a patient’s immune system into fighting and preventing many different types of new cancer growth. Funds are used to support incredible talent by providing international fellowship opportunities to aspiring post-doctorate scientists and researchers in the field of cancer.

Stephen E. Straus Distinguished Lecture

The Stephen E. Straus Distinguished Lecture in the Science of Complementary Health Therapies was established in 2006 with a generous gift from the Bernard Osher Foundation on behalf of Bernard and Barbro Osher. The annual address, given by leading figures in science and medicine who come to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to speak from their perspective about the field of complementary and integrative medicine, honors Stephen E. Straus, M.D., who was the founding director of NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

Endowments

Through these endowment gifts, donors ensure perpetual support for a variety of research and educational initiatives at the FNIH. The annual investment income generated by an endowment fund supports program expenses, while the principal remains intact to ensure future funding.

CarMollNat Muscular Dystrophy Endowment

Established by Carol-Ann Harris in honor of her family, the CarMollNat Muscular Dystrophy Endowment provides support for Muscular Dystrophy research at the Neurogenetics Branch of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Edna Williams Curl and Myron R. Curl Fund for Multiple Sclerosis Research

Established in 2007, this fund supports multiple sclerosis research at the National Institutes of Health.

Gramlich Melanoma Research Fund

This fund supports melanoma research at the National Institutes of Health through an annual gift provided by the Jack Gramlich Foundation.

Sallie Rosen Kaplan Fund for Women Scientists in Cancer Research

The Sallie Rosen Kaplan Fund for Women Scientists in Cancer Research provides annual post-doctoral fellowship awards for outstanding woman scientists at the National Cancer Institute. Underrepresented minorities are encouraged to apply to this unique initiative. The goal of the fellowship is to strengthen women scientists’ leadership skills through workshops, seminars, mentoring, coaching and support from a community of peers to retain and to help transition these women to independent research careers.

Endowments in Support of the Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge

Through endowment gifts, donors ensure perpetual support to the Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge for its operations and for the continued comfort of its guests.

GlaxoSmithKline Endowment

The GlaxoSmithKline Endowment supports programs and activities for families staying at the Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge, including services that help residents stay in touch with employers and loved ones.

Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Endowment

The Weinberg Endowment supports Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge operations and maintenance, ensuring that guests are provided a comfortable home-away-from-home for years to come.