Immunology: Alloimmunization, immune modulation, and tolerance; Animal models for the study of graft-vs-host disease; Biology of autoimmune hemolytic anemia; Hematology: Autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplants; Detection of residual disease following stem cell transplants; Effects of growth factors in vitro and in vivo; Biochemistry of coagulation factors; Immunohematology: Blood group serology; Biochemistry of red cell antigens; Molecular genetics of the blood groups; Infectious Diseases: Studies on Lyme disease, West Nile Virus, SARS and babesiosis and other emerging diseases; Effect of allogeneic transfusion in HIV-infected and immunocompromised patients; Improved detection of transfusion-transmitted diseases; Biotherapies: Cell separation, cell culture or expansion studies for cell therapy applications; Development of novel cell therapies or assays to measure cell viability or function; Pilot studies in regenerative medicine; Studies on mechanisms or roles of cells in stem cell transplantation; Studies on cytokines or growth factors involved in stem cell differentiation; Patient Blood Management: Treatment of pre-admission anemia and bleeding tendencies; Intraoperative/postoperative blood recovery; Surgical hemostasis; Appropriate indications for transfusion; Changing physician behaviors; Blood utilization review.

The AABB Foundation awards Early-Career Scientific Research Grants of up to $100,000 to support investigator-initiated original research in all aspects of blood banking, transfusion medicine, and biotherapies. Applications are evaluated on scientific merit, relevance and impact on transfusion medicine and biotherapies, focus and appropriateness to the scope of funding, and likelihood of generating meaningful data.

To be eligible, applicants must be early-career investigators—professionals such as MDs, PhDs, medical technologists, transfusion medicine or biotherapies professionals—who are within ten years of completing their terminal research degree or medical residency and have not received a substantial research grant like an NIH R01. Applicants must not have previously received an AABB Foundation early-career grant, although resubmission is allowed if the project remains unfunded and criteria are still met.

Applications are accepted annually from July 1 through December 1. The selection process involves review by the AABB Foundation Scientific Research Grants Review Committee, external reviewers as needed, and final approval by the Board of Directors. Applicants receive a confidential critique sheet, and grants are typically announced in June, with funds disbursed in July.

For more information, visit AABB.

https://www.aabb.org/foundation/early-career-scientific-research-grants-program