News

Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation Extends its Realigned Grantmaking

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to adversely affect communities, the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation will extend its realigned grantmaking strategy into 2021. Supported programs will address basic needs, such as food access, housing insecurity, and financial assistance for essential needs and services. Additionally, the Foundation will partner with nonprofits that provide programming for vulnerable youth and families.

At this time, the grant portal will remain closed. Invitations will be extended to nonprofits within our geographic focus areas who fit the Foundation’s funding profile. Unsolicited requests will not be considered at this time.

Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation Invites Letters of Inquiry for 2021 Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) Research Fund

This national funding initiative expands the Foundation’s investments in support of cutting-edge MDS research and related programs that will lead to the future standards of care and ultimately cure, by facilitating the advancement of innovative basic science, translational or clinical research.

A total of three new grants, two Early Career Awards and one Established Investigator Award, will be awarded. Early Career Awards will provide funding of up to $125,000 per year for two years and Established Investigator Awards will provide funding of up to $250,000 per year for two years.

Letters of Inquiry (LOI) from 501(c)3 institutions must be received no later than Friday, March 19, 2021 (3 pm EDT). The LOI must be submitted via the online MDS grant application on the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation website MDS Research Fund. Full proposals are by invitation only.

Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation Announces 2020 Myelodysplastic Syndrome Research Fund Grant Recipients

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation is pleased to announce its fourth annual Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) Research Fund grant recipients. Grants were awarded to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins University and Yale University. These grants totaling $1,000,000 support the research of two early career investigators and one established career investigator. The principle goal of the research fund is to support cutting-edge MDS research and related programs that will lead to the future standards of care and ultimately, a cure.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center received a grant to support the early career work of Dr. Stanley C. Lee. Dr. Lee will work closely with his mentor, Dr. Joachim Deeg. The aim of this research is to identify, validate and translate novel therapeutic targets with the goal of expanding treatment options for patients with MDS.

The second early career grant was awarded to Dr. Kristen E. Schratz, through Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Schratz, working closely with her mentor Dr. Mary Armanios, will examine the role of telomere shortening in the evolution of myelodysplastic syndromes. She will study the genetic mechanisms underpinning progression from clonal hematopoiesis to overt malignancy and has the potential to both change the standard of care and uncover novel mechanisms of clonal evolution underlying MDS biology.

Yale University was awarded a grant to support Dr. Stephanie Halene, an established investigator. The goal of this research project is to develop combination therapies that exploit DNA damage repair defects in IDH mutant MDS and to take the most effective therapies to the clinic.

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation Appoints Maria Figueroa, MD, as Chair, Myelodysplastic Syndromes Research Fund Scientific Advisory Board

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Maria Figueroa, MD, as the Chair of the Foundation’s Myelodysplastic Syndromes Research Fund (MDSRF) Scientific Advisory Board. This national initiative provides grant support for innovative MDS basic science, clinical and translational research.

In this planned leadership transition, Dr. Figueroa will assume the Chair position that was held by Dr. Mikkael Sekeres since the fund’s 2017 inception. Dr. Figueroa will formally assume this role on January 1, 2021.

Read the full announcement here.

Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation Realigns Grantmaking in Response to COVID-19

To better serve communities during the COVID-19 outbreak, the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation has realigned its grantmaking strategy for the remainder of 2020. The Foundation will prioritize supporting organizations that are addressing urgent needs of impoverished and vulnerable youth, families, and individuals. Supported programs will address basic needs, such as food access, housing insecurity, and financial assistance for essential needs and services.

Given the changes, the Foundation has closed its general grantmaking portal. Invitations will be extended to nonprofits within our geographic focus areas, who fit with the Foundation’s funding profile. Unsolicited requests will not be considered at this time.

Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation Announces its COVID-19 Community Assistance Fund

In response to the impact of COVID-19, the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation has created a fund to assist organizations responding to the emerging critical needs of impoverished, vulnerable children, families and individuals, residing in the Foundation’s geographic focus areas of Southeast Michigan, City and County of Denver (CO), and the Aspen-Parachute Corridor (CO).

Nonprofits are eligible to apply for a grant up to $20,000 per organization. The request must be directly related to COVID-19 and not an ongoing need. Small to mid-sized organizations ($500k – $5m) will be given primary consideration. Other requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Although it’s the Foundation’s intention to assist as many organizations as possible, funding decisions will be based on the most urgent and compelling requests in conjunction with organizational capacity to deliver the identified services.

Nonprofits must apply via the Foundation grant portal by no later than April 15, 2020 (5 pm EDT). Please use the Community Assistance Fund LOI application. The grant request process will be expedited by requiring only Letters of Inquiry and the following supporting documentation (audit or review and organizational and project budgets). Grant decisions will be made on an ongoing basis, but by no later than April 30, 2020.

Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation Invites Letters of inquiry for 2020 Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Research Fund

This national funding initiative expands the Foundation’s investments in support of cutting-edge MDS research and related programs that will lead to the future standards of care and ultimately cure, by facilitating the advancement of innovative basic science, translational or clinical research.

A total of three new grants, two Early Career Awards and one Established Investigator Award, will be awarded. Early Career Awards will provide funding of up to $125,000 per year for two years and Established Investigator Awards will provide funding of up to $250,000 per year for two years.

Letters of Inquiry (LOI) from 501(c)3 institutions must be received no later than Friday, March 20, 2020 (5 pm EDT). The LOI must be submitted via the online MDS grant application on the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation website MDS Research Fund. Full proposals are by invitation only.

Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation Announces 2019 Myelodysplastic Syndrome Research Fund Grant Recipients

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation is pleased to announce its third annual Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) Research Fund grant recipients. Grants were awarded to The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and the University of Miami. These grants totaling $1,000,000 support the research of two early career investigators and one established career investigator. The principle goal of the research fund is to support cutting-edge MDS research and related programs that will lead to the future standards of care and ultimately, a cure.

“These grants from the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation will advance exciting research into the biology of MDS as well as optimize treatment strategies, particularly within older adults. Our goal continues to be eliminating these diseases and improving the lives of MDS patients,” said Dr. Mikkael A. Sekeres of Cleveland Clinic and Chair, MDS Research Fund Scientific Advisory Board. Virginia Romano, the Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer said, “The Foundation is pleased to continue to support nationwide institutions that seek to develop improved MDS treatment modalities.”

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center received a grant to support the early career work of Dr. Richard J. Lin. Dr. Lin will be working closely with his mentor, Dr. Sergio A. Giralt. The goal of the research is to evaluate the efficacy of an adopted strategy based on geriatric vulnerabilities and geriatric management to reduce non-relapse mortality for older MDS patients receiving curative intent allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation.

The second early career grant was awarded to Dr. Luisa Cimmino, through the University of Miami. Dr. Cimmino, working closely with her mentor Dr. Stephen Nimer, will assess the role of vitamin C in the maintenance of TET enzymatic activity during MDS progression and treatment.

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation was awarded a grant to support
Dr. Richard A. Padgett, an established investigator. This research will attempt to show the use of the characterization of DDX41 perturbed cells and animals provide rational targets for therapeutic approaches to treat splicing factor mutated MDS.

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation Welcomes Erin Marie McDonald

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation introduces Erin Marie McDonald as the Grant and Program Associate. In this position, Ms. McDonald will support all aspects of grantmaking including partnering with grantees and sourcing new opportunities.

Erin Marie most recently served as a senior grant coordinator with Henry Ford Health System. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI.

Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation Invites Letters of Inquiry for 2019 Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Research Fund

This national funding initiative expands the Foundation’s investments in support of cutting-edge MDS research and related programs that will lead to the future standards of care and ultimately cure, by facilitating the advancement of innovative basic science, translational or clinical research.

Early Career Awards will provide funding of up to $125,000 per year for two years and Established Investigator Awards will provide funding of up to $250,000 per year for two years.

Letters of Inquiry (LOI) from 501(c) (3) institutions must be received no later than Friday, March 22, 2019 (5 pm EDT). The LOI must be submitted via the online MDSRF grant application on the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation website MDS Research Fund. Full proposals are by invitation only.