In fiscal year 2013, the Foundation is funding the most awards in its history, to the tune of $12.3 million. This includes more than $6 million to education and training awards and career development awards, as well as $6.3 million to the disease-targeted grants initiative, which includes $2 million to the new clinical trial grants.
The disease-targeted research initiative is a key aspect of advancing treatment and finding cures, Dr. Daikh explains. The initiative began with the Within Our Reach: Finding a Cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) campaign, the Foundation’s first disease-targeted research initiative.
Gregg J. Silverman, MD, professor of medicine and pathology and codirector of the Musculoskeletal Center of Excellence at NYU School of Medicine in New York City, member-at-large (2009–2012), and Foundation clinical trials peer reviewer, says the proposals submitted for the clinical trials program were “absolutely remarkable” and he was impressed with the questions the researchers posed. “This really is one of the most informative and exciting reviews that I’d ever been involved in,” he says. “People opened up their perspectives on what could really be important to help influence clinical decision making in the rheumatologist’s office.”
The most recent campaign, Journey to Cure, will help address the ongoing need for research into the causes of RA and other forms of inflammatory arthritis and to develop more effective treatments for these conditions. The thought for expanding beyond RA, Dr. Daikh says, is to address additional areas of need while sustaining the momentum in RA research that has been generated so far. At the same time, through new fundraising for the Foundation’s core training awards, the Journey to Cure campaign will also address the critical need for new junior investigators to sustain rheumatology programs across the country and for new clinical rheumatologists to meet the growing workforce issues in rheumatology.
The Journey to Cure program has already been met with great enthusiasm from donors, and progress toward initial goals is ahead of schedule, Dr. Silverman says. “That suggests that there are many like-minded and sympathetic people in our community who not only agree with the Foundation’s vision but believe that we should be moving even faster,” he continues. “There has been a groundswell of support….We see that the impact of our programs, and the deepening of our partnership with the ACR, will have broad benefits for the care of our patients and for the practice of rheumatology in the future.”
Getting Involved
Support for the Foundation’s mission can be found not only among practicing rheumatologists, but from the patients they serve. Garnering support doesn’t have to be uncomfortable, Dr. Arnold says, noting that rheumatologists and the patients in their offices are key for moving the mission forward.
