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.