Early-Career Scientific Research Grants Program

Since its inception, the NBF has awarded over $10 million to early-career investigators through its Scientific Research Grants Program. Many NBF early-career grant recipients have become leaders in the field. NBF awards grants for investigator-initiated original research in all aspects of blood banking, transfusion medicine, cellular therapies and patient blood management. Areas of Interest 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 Cellular Therapies 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.