Preeclampsia Foundation announced today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) 44th Annual Meeting – The Pregnancy Meeting™ – that applications are now being accepted for its 2024 Vision Grant program.

The Preeclampsia Foundation will award two medical research Vision Grants to study preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, up to $20,000 USD. The Foundation’s Canadian affiliate, Preeclampsia Foundation Canada, will award one Vision Grant up to $25,000 CAD. The Canadian award will specifically fund HELLP syndrome research, thanks to generous support from the Cara HELLPs research fund, created in honor of Cara Kernohan, who at 29 years old, lost her life tragically and suddenly to HELLP syndrome at 35 weeks. International applications are welcome; however, submissions must be in English.

Vision Grants are intended to provide initial funding for novel, innovative research by promising young investigators that will advance progress towards detection, prevention, or treatment of preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Post-doctoral, Clinical Fellows, or Early-Stage Investigators only are eligible to apply. Projects with the potential to alter clinical management and improve patient outcomes will receive priority, but any well-considered research proposal will be accepted for review. International applications are welcome; however, submissions must be in English. The Foundation has committed to funding grants that address known research knowledge gaps.

The application deadline is Wednesday, April 17, 2024, with award notification in August 2024. Instructions to apply can be found at www.preeclampsia.org/research-funding (US) or www.preeclampsiacanada.ca (Canada).

Since its inception, the Preeclampsia Foundation’s Vision Grant annual program has invested more than a half million dollars in novel research – ranging from molecular biology and immunology to potential therapies, with the goal of supporting new, potentially groundbreaking concepts. These results have, in turn, generated additional funding from the National Institutes of Health, earned scientific presentations at major conferences, and inspired young investigators to challenge a medical conundrum that has baffled the medical community for more than 2,400 years. Since 2016, the Preeclampsia Foundation Canada’s Vision Grant annual program has invested more than $230,000 CAD in novel research with the goal of supporting new, potentially groundbreaking concepts.

“We look forward to receiving diverse, quality applications again this year,” said Dr. Thomas Easterling, director of the Preeclampsia Foundation’s Medical Advisory Board. “There has been significant progress toward understanding preeclampsia during the past two decades, but there’s much more research that needs to be done. We’re pleased to be able to fuel this work through our Vision Grants for young investigators.”

“Preeclampsia Foundation Canada eagerly anticipates supporting ambitious and innovative research that will lead to improved maternal and infant health,” said Violet Mateljan, President of the Preeclampsia Foundation Canada Board of Directors. “We are very proud to partner and invest in research that will impact and make a difference for all expectant women and their babies.”

About the Vision Grant Award program

According to the World Health Organization, preeclampsia is one of the least funded areas of research, especially when considered against Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). The Preeclampsia Foundation’s Vision Grants fund medical research pertaining to the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

About the Preeclampsia Foundation
The Preeclampsia Foundation is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2000 to improve the outcomes of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by educating, supporting, and engaging the community, improving healthcare practices, and finding a cure. We envision a world where preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy no longer threaten the lives of mothers and babies. For more information, visit www.preeclampsia.org.

About Preeclampsia Foundation Canada
Preeclampsia Foundation Canada was incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act in May 2015. As an affiliate of the U.S.-based Preeclampsia Foundation, its mission is to raise awareness and advance education and research of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. For more information, visit www.preeclampsiacanada.ca.