American Brain Tumor Association Launches 2018 Request for Grant Applications to Continue Driving Advances in the Brain Tumor Field

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Oct 17, 2018, 13:24 ET

CHICAGO, Oct. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA), the nation's first nonprofit organization dedicated to brain tumor education and research, is now accepting Letters of Intent (LOI) for three research funding opportunities. The ABTA's grants and fellowships support novel and high-impact projects focused on brain tumor diagnosis and treatment. The ABTA will be accepting LOIs until Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. CDT.

This year marks the American Brain Tumor Association's 45th anniversary and, throughout the years, research has been at the forefront of the organization's mission. To date, the ABTA has funded over $31 million in brain tumor research while contributing to industry defining breakthroughs including:

In 1990, the ABTA initiated a feasibility study, which lead to the founding of the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS). The CBTRUS remains the nation's official resource for gathering and disseminating current epidemiological data on all primary brain and central nervous system tumors.
In 2009, ABTA-supported research identified two genetic mutations in IDH genes (IDH1 and IDH2) and found that these mutations occur early in tumor development. The IDH1 and IDH2 mutations are now well-established molecular markers used to classify gliomas.

"There is excitement in the air each year when we begin accepting applications for research funding," said Nicole Willmarth, PhD, the chief mission officer of the ABTA. "When you consider what our funding has led to in the past, including the support of early career researchers that are bringing innovative discoveries to the field, we're very optimistic about the future of brain tumor research. We look forward to funding more projects that have the potential to positively impact patient lives."

The three available funding opportunities include:

Research Collaboration Grant Program: These are two-year grants that support multi-PI, multi-disciplinary projects that can streamline and accelerate advances in the understanding and treatment of brain tumors through collaborative team science.
Basic Research Fellowship Program: These two-year fellowships are supporting postdoctoral fellows conducting brain tumor research under the mentorship of an experienced investigator in the field.
Discovery Grant Program: These one-year grants are working to support innovative high-risk/high-impact projects that have the potential to change current diagnostic or treatment paradigms for adult or pediatric brain tumors. Submission of discovery-driven science and proof-of-concept studies are encouraged.

For more information about the American Brain Tumor Association's research program and grant funding opportunities, and to begin your LOI, visit www.abta.org/brain-tumor-research/research-grants

ABOUT THE AMERICAN BRAIN TUMOR ASSOCIATION
Celebrating 45 years of impact on the brain tumor community, the American Brain Tumor Association was the first national patient advocacy organization committed to funding brain tumor research and providing support and education programs for patients, caregivers and their loved ones. For more information, visit www.abta.org or call 800-886-ABTA (2282).

SOURCE American Brain Tumor Association