RFP Grant Announcement

Amy Strelzer Manasevit Research Program

The National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP)/Be The Match® and the Be The Match Foundation® are once again proud to announce the annual request for applications for the Amy Strelzer Manasevit Research Program. The Amy Strelzer Manasevit Research Program for the Study of Post-Transplant Complications (Amy Research Program) is one of the largest and most coveted grants in the field of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and cellular therapy. The grant supports the research endeavors of basic scientists and clinical researchers early in their careers. Its goal is to launch these young investigators on a life-long journey to discover solutions to potentially life-threatening post-transplant or post-cellular therapy complications such as infection, relapse or graft-versus-host disease.

The emphasis on early career support attracts new talent to the field and encourages researchers to focus on these complications throughout their careers. Amy Scholars receive a maximum of $400,000 divided over five years from the Be The Match Foundation. This crucial funding enables the researchers to continue with their projects without having to stop and apply for further financial support.

Access the Application for the 2024 Amy Research Program and Application Instructions.

2024 Requirements and Conditions of the Amy Strelzer Manasevit Research Program

The research proposal must address complications arising after allogeneic HCT or a cellular therapy directed at a disease traditionally treated by HCT. The cellular therapy being studied does not have to be given in conjunction with HCT. Post-transplant or post-cellular therapy complications are defined as acute and late complications, including relapse.
Proposals may describe either clinical or pre-clinical investigations. Clinical investigations include observational human research, prospective interventional clinical trials in humans, and ancillary laboratory studies performed in conjunction with a human prospective clinical trial. This year, NMDP/Be The Match is particularly interested in studies evaluating strategies to improve outcomes following HLA-mismatched unrelated donor transplantation or cellular therapies involving unrelated donors, survivorship or supportive care. Pre-clinical investigations include laboratory-based human and/or animal studies designed to test the mechanisms, safety, and efficacy of an intervention prior to or in conjunction with its application in humans.
All proposals must have only one principal investigator (the applicant) and no co-investigators.
Up to two awards will be made for the Amy Strelzer Manasevit Research Program and depending on the number and quality of proposals received, at least one clinical proposal and one pre-clinical proposal will be awarded. Each award is for a total of $400,000 in support over five years. Payments will be made in segments: upon receipt of grant, at six-month reporting milestones and upon receipt of final report.
Grant award recipients shall use data, samples, physical collections and other supporting materials solely for performing the research activities as defined under their grant award. Any other proposed use by the grant recipient will require NMDP/Be The Match’s prior written approval.
Applicants must:
- Have received a doctoral degree (MD, PhD, DO or equivalent) within the past 10 years (Jan. 1, 2014, or later) in a field pertinent to the award.
  - For applicants with more than one relevant doctoral degree, eligibility will be based on the most recent degree.
  - Applicants whose careers have been interrupted may request an extension of the degree requirement by completing the Extension Request Form and emailing it to asmgrant@nmdp.org.
- Not hold an NIH R01 or equivalent research grant at the time of the award.
- Hold a position in a U.S. facility at the time of the application and award. Awardees may transfer the award to another facility during the award period if a written request with justification is submitted to the NMDP/Be The Match for review and approval.
- Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or foreign citizen holding a valid U.S. visa.
If credentials for eligibility are uncertain, please email asmgrant@nmdp.org.
Proposals must be submitted by 2 p.m. CDT on or before Friday, Aug. 4, 2023.
A review panel will select up to two scholars for the funding period July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2029. The Awardees will be announced at the 2024 Tandem Meetings | Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings of ASTCT and CIBMTR held Feb. 21–25, 2024.

Grant History

The program was established in 1997 to honor the memory of Amy Strelzer Manasevit. A vibrant young mother of two, Amy was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1993. After receiving a successful bone marrow transplant, she succumbed to pneumonia and passed away six weeks after returning home. Amy’s family and friends partnered with the NMDP/Be The Match to establish the research program in the hope they could prevent other families from losing their loved ones to complications arising from HCT.

To date, the Be The Match Foundation has supported 49 scholars and 13 post-doctoral fellows and currently is committed to 16 Amy Strelzer Manasevit scholars with a total financial commitment of $3.3 million through September 2026. Amy Scholars have gone on to win more than $250 million in subsequent government grants following their Amy awards. The Be The Match Foundation appreciates financial contributions to fund this critical research fellowship. Learn more.