On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Roche Organ Transplantation Research Foundation (ROTRF), I am very pleased to announce that, in Cycle XIV, 2.1 million CHF has been awarded to eight conventional and two clinical research projects. The funding provided by the ROTRF continues to support the research of scientists working in the area of organ transplantation in many parts of the world.
With reference to the activities of the ROTRF, in summer 2004 a new clinical initiative was launched, aimed at supporting research projects using human clinical material and patients. This initiative supports projects which address new issues in organ preservation, human transplant pathology and other human transplant problems, and which promise to have a significant impact in the clinical setting in the near future. As had been the case in the previous cycle (XIII), the response by investigators to this new initiative was very positive, with almost 40% of the total applications submitted in Cycle XIV being applications for clinical research grants.
Furthermore, this year the ROTRF and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) have joined forces. A new joint grant award competition has been added to the grant award competitions already listed in the agenda of both foundations. This award will support research projects in immunology and biology research relevant to pancreatic islet transplantation, and transplantation solutions for human type 1 diabetes. The first submission deadline was 1 April 2006 and investigators working in the fields of immunology and cell biology, gene therapy, cellular engineering, stem cell research and other approaches that are relevant to both type 1 diabetes and transplantation were strongly encouraged to apply. We are pleased with the great attention that this additional grant award competition has received from investigators and hope that this will continue in the future.
During ROTRF symposia at transplantation congresses in Europe and USA, some of the excellent work carried out with ROTRF grants has been presented by the investigators. The quality of the research is further demonstrated by the quality of the Biannual Reports, and the papers published in peer-reviewed journals.
The ROTRF is deeply grateful to F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, and wishes to thank them for their generous support throughout all the years since 1998.
The ROTRF Board of Trustees would like to thank the ROTRF Scientific Advisory Committee and the ROTRF grantees for their excellent work and support, which have contributed to the overall success of the Foundation.
Finally, the ROTRF wishes to thank the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International for their input and enthusiasm in joining with the ROTRF in the new grant award competition.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees
Philip F. Halloran, MD, PhD, OC