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Research Grant Program

Immune Deficiency Foundation

The Immune Deficiency Foundation research grants are funded in large part by proceeds from the foundation’s Walk and Community Days.

The Research Grant Program has been developed to encourage and support patient-oriented research on primary immunodeficiencies (PIs). The intent of the grant is to support well-defined research projects that have a specified benefit for improving the treatment, health, disease management, or diagnosis of persons with PI. Consideration will also be given to studies that contribute to the body of medical knowledge in PI.

The program is open to applicants currently based in the U.S. and will consist of one-year grants.

Award value: $25,000-$50,000.
The Michael Blaese Research Grant Award is given to the highest-scored application in each cycle.

Review criteria

Applications will be judged on significance, defined as direct relevance to persons with primary immunodeficiency and to needs particularly relevant to underserved populations. Approach will be assessed for scientific rigor. Investigator qualifications will be considered, as will facilities, including institutional support and access to patients with primary immunodeficiency and/or their data.

Application deadline

September 14, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Awardee responsibilities

Awardees will provide a scientific summary at the end of the grant period and a copy of a submitted work product (manuscript, abstract, poster presentation, etc.) with Immune Deficiency Foundation support acknowledged. Any funds not utilized will be returned to the foundation.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Direct relevance to primary immunodeficiency (PI/IEI) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the most important predictor.

The project should directly concern primary immunodeficiency/inborn errors of immunity and ideally address:

PI diagnosis
Treatment
Disease management
Patient health
Genetic testing
Immune dysregulation
Rare PI disorders
Gene/cell therapies
Clinical manifestations of PI
Patient outcomes

IDF defines significance partly by the project's direct relevance to people with primary immunodeficiency.

2. Clear and specific patient benefit ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

IDF is particularly patient-oriented, rather than being a general basic-immunology funder.

The proposal should demonstrate a specified benefit for improving:

Diagnosis
Treatment
Health
Disease management
Clinical decision-making
Quality of life

This patient-oriented emphasis is explicitly stated in the 2026 application guidelines.

3. Scientific significance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Significance is an explicit review criterion.

A competitive application should establish:

An important PI problem
A clear knowledge gap
Why solving the problem matters
How the findings would advance PI knowledge
Why the project deserves funding now

IDF also considers research that adds substantially to the broader body of medical knowledge on PI, even when the benefit is not immediately therapeutic.

4. Strong relevance to underserved populations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is an especially important IDF-specific predictor.

The 2026 guidelines state that significance is evaluated not only for direct relevance to PI patients but also for needs particularly relevant to underserved populations.

Projects may therefore be strengthened by addressing:

Diagnostic disparities
Underdiagnosed populations
Geographic barriers
Racial/ethnic disparities where scientifically relevant
Limited access to genetic testing
Rare PI populations
Delayed diagnosis

This is more than a generic diversity statement—it is part of IDF's published significance criterion.

5. Rigorous scientific approach ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Approach is another explicit review criterion.

IDF evaluates the proposal for scientific rigor.

A strong application should contain:

Clear specific aims
Appropriate research design
Appropriate methods
Well-defined outcomes
Suitable statistical analysis
Feasible study population
Appropriate controls/comparators
Realistic one-year work plan

The 2026 application provides two pages specifically for Approach, including research design and methods.

6. Strong investigator qualifications ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Investigator qualifications are explicitly evaluated.

Competitive applicants should demonstrate:

PI/immunology expertise
Relevant research experience
Appropriate clinical/scientific training
Publications where applicable
Ability to perform the proposed research
Commitment to PI research

Eligible academic investigators include MD, DO, PhD, and RN researchers. IDF particularly encourages investigators interested in or pursuing careers in primary immunodeficiency research.

7. Strong mentorship for trainees and early-career applicants ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

IDF is unusually accessible to investigators at earlier career stages.

Eligible applicants can include:

Medical students
Graduate students
Residents
Fellows
Other professional-school students

However, they need an appropriate mentor and must provide a mentor support letter and the mentor's NIH biosketch, demonstrating research support, mentorship, and supervision.

For a trainee applicant, therefore:

Strong project + strong mentor + clear supervision = much stronger application.

8. Excellent facilities and access to PI patients/data ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Facilities are another explicit review criterion.

IDF specifically considers:

Institutional support
Research infrastructure
Access to PI patients
Access to relevant PI patient data

This means an application becomes substantially stronger when the investigator can demonstrate credible access to the patient population or dataset necessary to complete the project within the one-year award period.

9. Diagnostic and therapeutic potential ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recent IDF awards demonstrate strong interest in projects that can improve diagnosis and treatment.

For example, the 2025 grants included research on rare PIs ranging from disease biology to diagnostic and therapeutic development. The highest-scoring 2025 application—the Michael Blaese Research Grant Award—focused on developing a screening test and ultimately a gene-editing strategy for a form of IFNAR2 deficiency found in Inuit and Alaska Native communities.

Similarly, IDF's 2024 grants emphasized reducing the time to diagnosis, which the Foundation identifies as a core goal.

Therefore, particularly attractive areas include:

earlier diagnosis + better diagnostics + better treatment + rare PI characterization + clinically actionable findings.

10. Exact compliance with IDF's patient-oriented research model ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is critical, because several projects that might be scientifically strong are simply outside the program.

For 2026:

Animal-model proposals will not be funded
Research must be non-commercial
Applicants must be U.S.-based academic researchers
No institutional overhead is provided
Only one submission per applicant is allowed.

So a basic laboratory project relying primarily on animal models would be a poor fit regardless of scientific quality.

Specialties

Immunology

Eligibility Requirements

Academic researchers in science and medicine (M.D., D.O., Ph.D., RN) with an interest in or currently pursuing a career in primary immunodeficiency and research are particularly encouraged to apply.
Note that medical students, graduate students, residents, fellows, and other professional school students can apply, as long as they have the support of an appropriate mentor. Please ensure that you provide a letter of support from the academic mentor as well as their NIH biosketch clearly demonstrating their support of the research project, mentorship, and supervision.
Because this program focuses on patient-oriented research on primary immunodeficiencies, no proposals using animal models will be funded.
Only non-commercial proposals will be considered for funding.
No funds are provided for institutional overhead.
Only one submission per applicant.

Eligible Countries:

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Immune Deficiency Foundation

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 7550 Teague Road, Suite 220 Hanover, Maryland 21076

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