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Medical Research and the Report from the Parliamentary Inquiry into Allergies and Anaphylaxis

18 June 2020

AIFA medical research grants

The Australian Government’s recognition of the importance of medical research into allergy is highlighted in the report from the Parliamentary Inquiry into Allergies and Anaphylaxis, Walking the Allergy Tightrope, tabled in Parliament on 15 June 2020. 

Implementing the recommendations in the report will lead to improved outcomes for patients and the community, and more research into the causes and treatment of allergy. This is consistent with the aim of the Allergy and Immunology Foundation of Australasia (AIFA), which has supported research into allergy and other immune system disorders since 2014. 

AIFA is an initiative of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA), which was recognised in the report as having a pivotal and leading role in improving the care of Australians with allergic disease. AIFA has made an ongoing commitment to support researchers working on the complexities of the immune system. Their work is fundamental to finding new treatments for allergic disease. 

In 2020 AIFA will award a total $110,000 to allergy and immunology research, and the closing date for expressions of interest is 28 August 2020. For details go to www.allergyimmunology.org.au/grants 

We now welcome donations for the 2021 AIFA grants.

By supporting AIFA before 30 June 2020, 100% of your donation will directly fund research projects and will be tax deductible in the 2019-2020 financial year. To donate to AIFA go to www.allergyimmunology.org.au/donate

We take this opportunity to thank our generous donors and sponsors who have made the following 2020 AIFA grants possible:

  • $40,000 - AIFA Food Allergy Research Grant
     
  • $30,000 - AIFA Allergy (other than food allergy) or Autoimmunity Research Grant
     
  • $15,000 - AIFA Primary Immunodeficiencies Clinical Research Grant
    (supported by CSL Behring)
     
  • $15,000 - AIFA Hereditary Angioedema Clinical Research Grant
    (supported by CSL Behring)
     
  • $10,000 - AIFA Food Allergy Research Grant
    (supported by DBV Technologies)

At a time when medical research is more important than ever, we believe that the annual AIFA grants play a vital role, by providing seed funding, encouraging emerging researchers and promoting allergy and immunology research in Australia and New Zealand.

To view the grants awarded in 2019, click in the image below or see www.allergyimmunology.org.au/projects

Read more …Medical Research and the Report from the Parliamentary Inquiry into Allergies and Anaphylaxis

AIFA grant EOI deadline is now 28 August 2020

27 April 2020

person in labIn recognition that many potential AIFA grant applicants have less discretionary time in 2020 due to the demands from COVID-19, the AIFA grant EOI deadline (previously 15 April 2020) has been deferred.

The revised dates for the AIFA 2020 grant process are as follows:

  • EOIs due: 28 August 2020 (using the form at www.allergyimmunology.org.au/grants)
  • Shortlist announced: 30 September 2020
  • Full grant applications due: 30 October 2020
  • Grant recipients announced: 15 December 2020

In 2020 AIFA will award a total $110,000 to immunology/allergy research via the following grants: 

  • $40,000 - AIFA Food Allergy Research Grant
  • $30,000 - AIFA Allergy (other than food allergy) or Autoimmunity Research Grant
  • $15,000 - AIFA Primary Immunodeficiencies Clinical Research Grant (supported by CSL Behring)
  • $15,000 - AIFA Hereditary Angioedema Clinical Research Grant (supported by CSL Behring)
  • $10,000 - AIFA Food Allergy Research Grant (supported by DBV Technologies)

We take this opportunity to thank our generous donors and sponsors of the 2020 AIFA grants.

At a time when medical research is more important than ever, we believe that the annual AIFA grants play a vital role, by providing seed funding, encouraging emerging researchers and promoting more immunological research in Australia and New Zealand. We welcome donations for the 2021 AIFA grants, which should proceed with the usual timeline, with grants being presented at the ASCIA 2021 Conference in Melbourne in September 2021.

We look forward to receiving the 2020 AIFA grant EOIs.

Read more …AIFA grant EOI deadline is now 28 August 2020

AIFA opens research grant round for 2020

AIFA grants open5 March 2020

AIFA announce that research grant round for 2020 is now open.

Due to the continued support from generous donors and sponsors, a total of $110,000 will be granted to immunology and allergy research in 2020.

  • $40,000 - AIFA Food Allergy Research Grant 

  • $30,000 - AIFA Allergy (other than food allergy) or Autoimmunity Research Grant 

  • $15,000 - AIFA Primary Immunodeficiencies Clinical Research Grant(supported by CSL Behring) 

  • $15,000 - AIFA Hereditary Angioedema Clinical Research Grant (supported by CSL Behring)  

  • $10,000 - AIFA Food Allergy Research Grant (supported by DBV Technologies)

AIFA Expression of Interest forms are on the AIFA website www.allergyimmunology.org.au/grants

Grants are awarded on merit, with preference for early stage projects and early career researchers. Criteria for rating grant applications are: originality and scientific quality, significance of outcomes, research methodology, team quality and capability.

Why is medical research important?

When you support medical research, you are helping to build the future of medicine, to advance medical knowledge, improve patient care and save lives.

Australia and New Zealand have a proud history of donating to medical research. The high quality of medical care we enjoy today is built upon decades of quality research. This has resulted in breakthrough treatments and the prevention of life-threatening diseases. It is vital work because what we learn about the immune system now will help fight a wide range of human illness in the future. 

There is still so much work to be done.

It is our goal to give a total of more than $500,000 in grants by 2023. 

To achieve this, we ensure that 100% of donations directly fund AIFA grants. There are no expensive marketing campaigns and all of our administration costs are supported by ASCIA.

Read more …AIFA opens research grant round for 2020

AIFA Grants Awarded in 2019

Dr Melanie Wong at AIFA awards announcement16 October 2019:

We are delighted to announce that the Allergy and Immunology Foundation of Australasia (AIFA) has awarded $120,000 in grants to support allergy and immunology research in 2019.

The grants were presented by AIFA Chair Dr Melanie Wong at the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) Annual Conference in Perth on 6 September 2019.
 

Sidonia Eckle 100The AIFA Food Allergy Research Grant of $40,000 was awarded to Dr Sidonia Eckle who will study how mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells affect food allergies. Dr Eckle works at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne. Read more…
 

Dr Rachel PetersThe AIFA Food Allergy Research Grant of $10,000 (supported by DBV Technologies) was awarded to Dr Rachel Peters for her research: “Does the resolution of vitamin D deficiency in food allergic infants predict the resolution of food allergy?” Dr Peters works at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne. Read more…
 

Jason TrubianoIn celebration of ASCIA’s 30th Anniversary, AIFA awarded a $30,000 grant to Dr Jason Trubiano, to help establish the Australian Registry of Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions (AUS-SCAR) for severe drug allergy. Dr Trubiano is based at Austin Health in Melbourne. Read more…
 

Dr Tri Phan 100We are excited to announce that the first AIFA Primary Immunodeficiency Clinical Research Grant of $25,000 (supported by CSL Behring), was awarded to Dr Tri Giang Phan at the Garvan Institute, Sydney. Dr Phan will be using machine-learning to improve the diagnosis of Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases. Read more… 
 

Dr Samantha ChanAnother new initiative is the AIFA Hereditary Angioedema Clinical Research Grant of $15,000 (supported by CSL Behring). Dr Samantha Chan is the first recipient of this grant, and her project is “Improving the diagnostic utility of next-generation sequencing in Hereditary Angioedema”. Dr Chan is part of a team based at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Read more …

Read more …AIFA Grants Awarded in 2019

Donate to AIFA research grants before 30 June 2019 to obtain your end of year tax deduction

Donate to AIFA research grants before 30th June 2019 to obtain your end of year tax deduction11 June 2019

On behalf of the AIFA and ASCIA team, I am excited to advise that we received a total of 27 expressions of interest for AIFA research grants in 2019. These include a range of outstanding projects that have the potential to make real progress in the field of allergy and other immune system disorders. The AIFA grant selection expert panel (chaired by Dr Melanie Wong), will work over the next few months to select the final grant recipients. Due to our generous supporters over the past two years, five AIFA research grants will be announced at the ASCIA 2019 Conference closing function on Friday 6th September 2019.

Can you make a tax deductible donation to help AIFA fund more of these potentially ground-breaking projects?

There is an abundance of world leading research being undertaken in Australia and New Zealand and it is our ultimate goal to be fund more of these valuable research projects. To help us do this, please consider donating during this tax time to help fund even more research, to create a lasting impact. Donations of $100 or more are acknowledged on the AIFA website, and this is updated every time you make a donation. Named grants of $10,000 or more are also possible.

To donate go to www.allergyimmunology.org.au/donate and secure your tax deduction before 30 June 2019.

AIFA is 100% dedicated to fund research that will improve the health and wellbeing of people with allergy and other immune system disorders.  By donating to AIFA, you can be reassured that:

  • 100% of donations to AIFA directly fund allergy/immunology research grants.
  • 100% of AIFA grants are selected by allergy/immunology experts.
  • 100% of donations to AIFA are tax deductible.

Thank you for your ongoing support of AIFA. This is greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,
Jill Smith
ASCIA CEO

Catalyst allergy program

13 February 2019

CatalystIf you missed watching the Catalyst allergy program on ABC TV last night (12 February 2019),  you can watch it on ABC iview https://iview.abc.net.au/show/catalyst  

Several ASCIA members were involved in the program, including Prof Connie Katelaris, Prof Dianne Campbell, Dr Preeti Joshi, Carolina Valerio, Rebecca Sertori and Prof Janet Davies.

The Catalyst allergy program highlights the high prevalence, wide range and seriousness of allergic conditions.  These include food allergy, anaphylaxis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, eczema and cold urticaria (hives). 

Skin testing, food allergen challenge testing, the need to seek professional help from a specialist and examples of current research were featured in the program.  It was also explained why more research is required.

How can you help support research?

By making a tax deductable donation to AIFA, this will enable AIFA to fund more allergy/immunology research. www.allergyimmunology.org.au/donate 

Read more …Catalyst allergy program