‘Team PHenomenal Hope’ Accepting Applications for 2020 Research Award

Seeking to further advance research into treatments for pulmonary hypertension (PH), the nonprofit Team PHenomenal Hope is now accepting submissions for its research award program.

Called the PHenomenal Impact Fund for Global PH Research, the program supports investigations in basic or translational science, clinical research, and clinical need. It offers grants of $50,000 for year-long projects aimed at enhancing the quality of life and medical care of people with PH.

Letters of intent are due by Feb. 29 — Rare Disease Day 2020, as designated by EURORDIS. If selected, full proposals are due April 9. The winner will be announced on May 18 at the International Conference of the American Thoracic Society, to be held in Philadelphia.

Now in its second year, the contest is open to citizens of countries that have a Team PHenomenal Hope chapter — including the United States, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, and South Africa.

The organization’s award steering committee selects winners based on scientific merit, originality, feasibility, and/or clinical applicability to the diagnosis and treatment of PH. The proposal must be achievable within the 12-month period, and within the $50,000 fiscal allocation.

“Receiving an award from the PHenomenal Impact Fund meant a lot to me as a young investigator,” Vineet Agrawal, MD, PhD, a recipient of last year’s award, said in a press release.

“Not only did it provide funding that has made my ongoing research possible, but it also felt extra special to receive validation of our work from the very people who are directly affected by PH: the patients and providers,” Agrawal said. “I hope I can say years from now that Team PH is the reason we found a new therapy for PH!”

Agrawal and Anna Hemnes, MD, won the 2019 award for their proposal, titled “A Pathogenic Role for Natriuretic Peptide Receptor-C in Modulating Pulmonary Hypertension and Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction.” Among other results, the study found that the natriuretic peptide receptor C (NPRC) signaling pathway was a promising therapeutic target in right ventricular dysfunction in PH.

The award program was established in 2016 with $50,000 raised by the PH patient community and Team PHenomenal Hope athletes — volunteer endurance athletes from around the world who continue to support the PHenomenal Impact Fund for Global PH Research. To raise funds, athletes choose their own challenge, be it running, cycling, swimming, triathlon, mountain climbing, cross-country skiing, or another sport. Go here to join the effort.

For more information about the award program, please visit this site.

The nonprofit Team PHenomenal Hope works to raise awareness for PH, a rare disease with an estimated prevalence of one to two cases per every 1 million U.S. residents, and to fund research into treatments and a cure. The organization offers several programs, including micro-grants to help cover the non-medical needs of PH patients.