ASH Significantly Expands Bridge Grant Eligibility

The changes offer increased opportunities and flexibility for researchers facing challenges in securing NIH funding in light of recent cutbacks to federal research support.

(WASHINGTON—March 20, 2025) The American Society of Hematology (ASH) expanded eligibility for the Bridge Grant, an award which provides a one-year installment of $150,000 to ASH members who have applied to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grant but were not funded.

The ASH Bridge Grants were established in 2012 to help sustain critical blood disease research amid severe NIH funding restrictions by supporting investigators with meritorious, but unfunded, NIH grant applications. Recognizing the recent disruptions to NIH study sections, ASH has waived the requirement that an NIH proposal be discussed and critiqued prior to submission to the ASH program. Additionally, the limit on other research funding/resources has increased to $500,000, the institutional match requirement is suspended, and individuals who have previously received a Bridge Grant can now apply for funding for a new proposal.

“ASH is deeply committed to the research community and dedicated to advancing hematology, especially during this time of uncertainty. These changes will help support basic, translational, and clinical researchers who may otherwise have difficulty advancing their project,” said Belinda Avalos, MD, 2025 ASH president. “While these grants cannot substitute for sustained and appropriate levels of NIH funding, we hope that expanding the eligibility for this grant will support critical research that may otherwise be put on pause.”

Since its launch, the ASH Bridge Grant has funded 180 research projects for a total of $27 million. These projects have advanced the understanding of blood diseases across hematology, including improving therapy for pediatric leukemia, advancing immunotherapy techniques, and measuring the impact of sickle cell disease on cognitive function. In 2018, an evaluation of the program found that 70 percent of researchers funded by a Bridge Grant received subsequent R01 funding.

“The Bridge Grant is a unique program that can be a lifeline to mid-career hematologists who are between funding,” said Ivan Maillard, MD, PhD, chair of the ASH Awards Committee and a leading hematologist-oncologist and physician-scientist in New York. “This grant supports well-established and promising projects.”

Applications for the Bridge Grant are now open and will close May 1, 2025. All eligible applications will be reviewed by the Bridge Grant study section and judged on the scientific merit of the proposed research and the applicant’s qualifications. A full list of eligibility requirements, deadlines, and required materials can be found online.

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) (hematology.org) is the world’s largest professional society of hematologists dedicated to furthering the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting the blood. Since 1958, the Society has led the development of hematology as a discipline by promoting research, patient care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology.

The Blood journals (https://ashpublications.org/journals) are the premier source for basic, translational, and clinical hematologic research. The Blood journals publish more peer-reviewed hematology research than any other academic journals worldwide.

Contact:
Melissa McGue, 202-552-4927
newsroom@hematology.org