In the last three years, the ACR REF has raised more than $26 million toward the $30-million goal for the Within Our Reach: Finding a Cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) campaign. Even in the worst economy this country has seen since the Great Depression, in fiscal year 2009, contributions to the Within Our Reach campaign exceeded $6.1 million. For the first quarter of fiscal year 2010, more than $1.1 million has already been received.
“We are committed to strengthening the national research environment in RA and other inflammatory diseases and have invested $18 million into research to find a cure for RA,” says E. William St.Clair, MD, REF president. “Research into the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment—as well as healthcare systems’ effects on RA—are high-priority goals that will positively affect the lives of patients with this disease and their family members.”
Mentor the Next Generation
Applications for the REF Preceptorship program are available online now at www.rheumatology.org/REF.
Over the next two years, through the Within Our Reach RA grant program, the REF will expand beyond basic research and commit $12 million in research funding to more collaborative projects, which will focus on translating recent advances in the prevention and treatment of RA into clinical practice for individuals and communities at risk.
December 2009 first marked the deadline for applications for the fourth round of research grants. Nearly 40 applications were received and are under review by a panel of RA research experts. The fourth round of grant recipients is expected to be announced in June 2010, and funding will begin in July.
Visit the Within Our Reach Web site at www.WithinOurReach.info to read about current Within Our Reach–funded projects.