REF’s Campaign to Support RA Research Nears its Initial Funding Target

Dr. Cohen

As we are all aware, there is a significant workforce shortage looming over our specialty due to the projected increase of demand for rheumatologic care—an estimated 67 million U.S. adults will have some form of arthritis by 2030. The supply of adult rheumatologists coming into the field will not keep pace. What additional impact healthcare reform and changes in healthcare delivery will have on these projections is not yet clear. It is, in fact, the vision of the ACR to “enhance the value and impact of rheumatology in a changing healthcare environment.” To fulfill its mission, the ACR must remain nimble in this dynamic and complex medical ecosystem, proactively addressing issues relevant to practice, advocacy, education, workforce, quality of care, and research.

Standing with the ACR, our Research and Education Foundation (REF) supports the overall goals of the ACR, but has a narrower focus: to ensure the future of rheumatology through advancing research and training. Bright spots in this effort have been the REF’s successful Within Our Reach: Finding a Cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis campaign, which has raised nearly $28 million towards the support of RA research, and the ongoing support of the core programs devoted to early career development. However, research funding from other sources has steadily declined over the past few years, and this reduction in funding could threaten our subspecialty in the years to come by shrinking our clinical and academic workforce. We can act as a community to combat these threats by making a philanthropic investment in the ACR REF.

Career Support at All Stages

Attracting more professionals to the rheumatology field—and keeping them—is significantly influenced by the availability of rheumatology training and research funding. Historically, the ACR has focused on expanding rheumatologic research, and 25 years ago it established the REF as a separate charitable organization exclusively to promote and expand the field of rheumatology by funding fellowship training and a peer-reviewed research grants program. Today, this portfolio of funding opportunities spans the full spectrum of a rheumatology career, with a particular focus on advancing the careers of young rheumatologists.

Over the last decade, the REF has taken a leadership role in ensuring the future of rheumatology. It has grown to become the second-largest funding source of rheumatology training and research programs in the U.S., behind only the National Institutes of Health. Through its core programs, the REF awards funds to medical students and residents with a clinical or research interest in rheumatology, fellows-in-training, and junior faculty aiming for a career in academics. Presently, the other large portion of funds goes to support the best and the brightest scientists from our disease-targeted research program. Over the next two years, the REF will invest $22 million in rheumatology training and research. This substantial outlay of funds will hopefully entice quality trainees into our specialty, while at the same time advancing the science of rheumatology and improving the care of patients with rheumatic disease.

Support for RA Research

The disease-targeted research initiative, Within Our Reach, has been a major step forward in addressing the shortage of research funding in our field. In its first phase, this unprecedented campaign aimed to raise a minimum of $30 million to invest in accelerating RA research by creating a new, rigorous peer-review research-grant program. The idea came from the realization that little NIH funding was being directed to basic and clinical research in RA, compared with less prevalent disease such as lupus and multiple sclerosis. At a REF-organized session of leading RA investigators in 2005, it became clear that additional funding was necessary to reinvigorate RA research in the U.S.

The ACR and REF leadership were wary of setting an ambitious goal of raising and spending $30 million over five years, but, owing to the enormous efforts of many people, including our own members, industry executives, and grateful patients and their families, these concerns proved to be unwarranted. The campaign was launched in 2006 with the first Pinnacle gift given by the ACR, setting the tone for others to follow. At press time, $27.7 million had been raised from a variety of sources, including industry and our patients and their families. More than $9.2 million has been generated to date from non-industry sources. Donors support the REF through the Within Our Reach campaign because they know that 100% of their donations go directly to research, with the hope that these efforts will lead to a cure for RA.

Successes So Far

As of the most recent funding cycle, the Within Our Reach program has funded $24 million in grants to 54 investigators whose projects are designed to better understand the causes of RA, identify the factors responsible for disease progression, discover new therapeutic approaches, and improve the delivery of rheumatology care. Within Our Reach has brought new investigators to the field of RA research from a variety of scientific disciplines outside of rheumatology, including cardiology, infectious disease, biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics. The REF’s support has rapidly increased the number of U.S. researchers focused on RA and opened the door to exciting discoveries. Recent studies supported by Within Our Reach grants have led to improved strategies for communicating with patients, shed new light on possible links between RA and cardiovascular disease, dissected novel pathways of joint inflammation and damage, and identified predictors of treatment response. The REF remains committed to strengthening the U.S. rheumatology research environment. The overwhelming response to Within Our Reach from investigators is a testament to the need for this type of funding. By maintaining its level of support for disease-targeted research initiatives, the REF will address the most conspicuous deficiencies in rheumatology research funding and will move itself into a position where it can set national priorities for future scientific advances. The success of Within Our Reach also has provided a much-needed spark in rheumatology research by attracting talented investigators who will make major scientific breakthroughs in rheumatic disease.

The successful completion of the first phase of the Within Our Reach campaign is essential for creating momentum for future programmatic initiatives that will seek to achieve even larger research goals. As members, we have a unique opportunity to show our shared conviction with those who have already invested in Within Our Reach, providing hope for our patients. As the REF approaches its $30 million fundraising goal for the initial campaign, we are encouraging the ACR community to consider either making a pledge or one-time donation to the REF for the Within Our Reach campaign. You can also designate a portion of your gift for the REF’s core programs supporting rheumatology training and career development.

Supporting the REF is a direct investment in rheumatology. Your support will sustain the pool of academic rheumatologists and ensure that we have future generations of rheumatologists—a necessary ingredient to improving care for patients with rheumatic disease. The REF will not be able to meet its goals without your help. If we do not lead the way, who will?

Dr. Cohen is president of the ACR. Contact him via e-mail at [email protected]. Dr. St.Clair is president of the REF. Contact him by e-mail at [email protected].