Know Your Agency: American Diabetes Association

This week we wanted to profile the American Diabetes Association for those interested in their funding opportunities:

OVERVIEW

In 1945, 26 physicians joined together to form a new association to help them pool knowledge about a perplexing disease. Today, the American Diabetes Association (ADA), located in Arlington, VA, has three main roles: 1) supporting research, 2) advocating for additional resources, and 3) providing information and support for those living with diabetes or at-risk for developing diabetes and for healthcare professionals. (Source: ADA 2017 and Beyond, p. 2)

Specific Interests

ADA funds research on Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, obesity, gestational diabetes, and diabetic complications. (Source: We Are Research Leaders)

Approach

Organized as a voluntary health agency, ADA funds basic and clinical/translational research efforts – primarily supporting pilot project and early career investigator opportunities through their research program. The ultimate goal of this research program is to encourage new ideas and breakthroughs in diabetes research. ADA expects their investigators to then parlay their findings into larger funding, a strategy that has proven successful as more than 90% of their researchers have funding from other sources within 5 years (Source: Research 2017 Year in Review, p. 13). In addition to its grants program, ADA also publishes several leading peer-reviewed scholarly journals including Diabetes, Diabetes Care, and Diabetes Spectrum.

AGENCY ORGANIZATION

The ADA is led by a Chief Executive Officer and Leadership Team, and is governed by a Board of Directors. While ADA membership was originally limited to health care professionals, as the agency’s roles increased, membership was opened to general members beginning in 1970 (Source: 75^th Anniversary Timeline). Today, their membership consists of over 14,000 health care professionals, and 500,000 people with diabetes, their families and caregivers.

AGENCY GRANTS PROCESS

The agency’s external research program, started in 1952, has provided funding for more than 4,700 research grants at $807.4 million since its inception (Source: Research Programs Grant Portfolio web page). Today, ADA offers two major grant programs:

1) CORE RESEARCH PROGRAMS FOR FACULTY

This is the standard research grants program. Applications are due in April with awards starting in January of the following year. Preference is given to less established researchers. Competitions offered are:

•         Innovative Basic Science Research Awards – $115,000/year for up to 3 years
•         Innovative Clinical or Translational Science Research Awards –  $200,000/year for up to 3 years
•         Junior Faculty Development Awards –$138,000/year for up to 4 years; supports investigators up to Assistant Professor rank with less than 10 years of research experience beyond receipt of terminal degree

2) PATHWAY TO STOP DIABETES® INITIATIVE

This nomination-based program is designed to bring in a new generation of diabetes researchers, and puts the focus on people instead of projects. Each award provides $1.625 million in total funding. Institutions are limited to one nomination across three possible categories:

•        Initiator Award – Provides transitional funding at the postdoctoral level through independent researcher status (7 years of funding)
•         Accelerator Award – Targets early career investigators (5 years of funding)
•        Visionary Award – Seeks established, productive investigators who wish to move into diabetes research (5 years of funding) 

Awards:

In 2017, the Association invested more than $37.4 million, supporting 371 research projects in their Core Program. Basic research accounted for 65% of this spending with the remainder allocated to clinical/ translational research efforts. (Source: Research 2017 Year in Review, p. 15). From 2013 through 2018, the Pathway Program has funded 29 scientists, a $47 million investment. (Source: 2017 Pathway Annual Summary Report, p. 8)

For more information on the ADA, see the links below

Resources:

Know Your Agency Brief: ADA - ORDE

ADA Grants Programs