Understanding primary immunodeficiency (PI)
Understanding PI
The more you understand about primary immunodeficiency (PI), the better you can live with the disease or support others in your life with PI. Learn more about PI, including the various diagnoses and treatment options.
Learn more about PI
Living with PI
Living with PI
Living with primary immunodeficiency (PI) can be challenging, but you’re not alone—many people with PI lead full and active lives. With the right support and resources, you can, too.
Learn more about living with PI
Get involved
Get involved
Be a hero for those with PI. Change lives by promoting primary immunodeficiency (PI) awareness and taking action in your community through advocacy, donating, volunteering, or fundraising.
Get involved today
Advancing research and clinical care
Advancing research and clinical care
Whether you’re a clinician, researcher, or an individual with primary immunodeficiency (PI), IDF has resources to help you advance the field. Get details on surveys, grants, and clinical trials.
View resource details

Research Grant Program

IDF provides research grants to support clinicians and scientists focused on primary immunodeficiency (PI).

Scope and eligibility

IDF’s Research Grant Program supports patient-centered research focused on improving the treatment, health, disease management, or diagnosis of people with PI, as well as research that contributes to the general body of PI knowledge.

Awards range from $25,000-50,000.
- Exceptional proposals are considered for higher levels of support.
- The Michael Blaese Research Grant Award is given to the highest-scored application each cycle.
Open to U.S-based academic researchers in medicine and science conducting non-commercial research.
- Investigators (MD, DO, PhD, RN) with an interest in, or currently pursuing, a career in primary immunodeficiency and research are particularly encouraged to apply.
- Note that medical, graduate, or other professional school students can apply as long as they have the support of an appropriate mentor; the application should be submitted in the mentor's name with the student listed as a team member.
One-year term.
Currently unavailable for individuals employed by federal government agencies or departments.
Applications are due June 30, 2025.

Evaluation process

IDF’s Research Committee, made up of recognized immunologists and past grant awardees, reviews and scores research proposals through a peer review process based on the system used by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The committee recommends funding for the proposals with the highest scores, ensuring an unbiased and independent selection process based on scientific merit.

Research Grant Application Form

Fill out the form below to apply for a 2025 Research Grant.

First name

Last name

Birthdate

Street address

City

State/Province

Zip/Postal code

Mobile phone

Do you want to receive IDF texts?

Company

Job Title

Work Sector

File upload

Please upload your completed PDF application , including your CVs and or biosketches, letters of support/recommendation, and letters from collaborators agreeing to participate.

Maximum 4 files.
25 MB limit.
Allowed types: pdf.

Most recent awardees

IDF 2024 research grantees Drs. Emily Harris, David Nguyen, Alexandra Martinson, and Laruen Meyer.

2024 grantees probe biology to aid PI diagnosis

Four projects, totaling more than $150,000, each work towards reducing the time to diagnosis. The awarded researchers are Drs. Emily Harris, David Nguyen, Alexandra Martinson, and Lauren Meyer.

Read article

2024 Blaese awardee

Dr. Emily Harris submitted the top-scoring proposal to IDF's 2024 Research Grant Program, earning the Michael Blaese Research Grant Award. She plans to investigate diagnosis and treatment of Evans syndrome.

Read article

Previous awardees

Starting in 2022, the top-ranked grant in each cycle has been awarded the Michael Blaese Research Grant Award, named in honor of IDF’s long-time medical advisor and noted PI researcher, Dr. Michael Blaese.

2024

Blaese awardee: Dr. Emily Harris, Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.

Dr. David Nguyen, University of California, San Francisco; Dr. Alexandra Martinson, Children's National Hospital; Dr. Lauren Meyer, Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Read about the 2024 winning grants.

2023

Blaese awardee: Dr. Donald Kohn, University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr. Benjamin Solomon, Stanford University; Dr. Xiao Peng, Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Brynn O’Laughlin, Children’s National Hospital; Dr. Junghee Jenny Shin, Yale University.

Read about the 2023 winning grants.

2022

Blaese awardee: Dr. Joud Hajjar, Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Brenna LaBere, Boston Children’s Hospital; Dr. Beth Thielen, University of Minnesota; Dr. Artemio Jongco, Feinstein Institutes of Medical Research.

Read about the 2022 winning grants.

2020

Dr. Alice Chau, Seattle Children’s Institute; Dr. Pietro Genovese, Dana Farber Cancer Institute; Dr. Sarah Henrickson, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Dr. Michelle Hermiston, University of California San Francisco; Dr. Paul Maglione, Boston University School of Medicine; Dr. Bethany Percha, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Dr. Qian Zhang, The Rockefeller University.

View 2020 awarded grants.

2019

Dr. Shanmuganathan Chandrakasan, Emory University; Dr. Stacey Lynn Clardy, University of Utah; Dr. Rui Yang, The Rockefeller University.

2018

Dr. Lori Broderick, University of California, San Diego; Dr. Megan Cooper, St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation; Dr. Attila Kumanovics, University of Utah; Dr. Carrie L. Lucas, Yale University.

View 2018 and 2019 awarded grants.

2017

Dr. Sara Barmettler, Massachusetts General Hospital; Dr. Nilesh Chitnis, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Dr. Joud Hajjar, Baylor School of Medicine; Dr. Artemio Jongco, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research; Dr. Sergio Rosenzweig, National Institutes of Health.

2016

Dr. Sonia Sharma, La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology.

View 2016 and 2017 awarded grants.

White paper challenge

In 2022, IDF sponsored a White Paper Challenge to seek out new ideas and address relevant topics in the PI community. We invited submissions from all individuals, institutions, schools, and researchers with exciting ideas about expanding awareness in communities of color, increasing equity in clinical trials, and shortening the time from diagnosis to treatment.

Read about the winners

Doctor speaking with girl and her parent.

Discover more research opportunities

Survey research

The IDF Survey Research Center provides current information on PI through the analysis of patient and caregiver survey responses.

Browse reports

Clinical trials

Provide your patients with information on participating in clinical trials for PI.

Explore trials

Patient registry

USIDNET is a national registry of PI patients who have volunteered their medical information to help researchers answer important questions.

View registry

Immune Deficiency Foundation
7550 Teague Road, Suite 220
Hanover, Maryland 21076

P: 410-321-6647

Understanding PI

Living with PI

Get involved

Advancing research and clinical care

Research Grant Program

Scope and eligibility

Evaluation process