PROVIDENCE – Approximately $440,000 in seed funding has been awarded by the Rhode Island Foundation to five health organizations and higher education institutions to support 18 medical research projects, the nonprofit funder announced Friday.
The foundation says the research work conducted by various organizations ranges from cutting cervical cancer rates to testing strategies that will lessen developmental delays in premature babies. The grants are also designed to help early career researchers advance and bridge projects to where they can compete for national funding, the foundation says.
Grants, which ranged between $17,453 to $25,000, were also made available to study infectious diseases, cardiac research, coronary artery disease, cerebral accidents, cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, diabetes, allergies and performance enhancing substances, the foundation says.
“Together with our donors, we can provide the crucial seed funding that enables local researchers to purse promising medical advances,” foundation CEO and President David N. Cicilline said in a statement. “Although the grants are relatively modest, we hope they lead to big discoveries that will spark substantial new investments in the state’s research sector that will grow our economy as well as create healthy communities across Rhode Island.”
The organizations that received grants are:
- The Miriam Hospital
- Providence College
- Rhode Island Hospital
- University of Rhode Island
- Women & Infants Hospital
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.