PKD Australia is partnering with its American counterpart, the PKD Foundation US, to co-fund a Fellowship Grant.
The two-year grant aims to increase the pipeline of researchers focused on polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and will support world-leading and recognised scientific research into the disease.
PKD is one of the most common, life-threatening genetic diseases, often resulting in kidney failure and death. Currently, the only available treatments for PKD are dialysis or a kidney transplant.
The two organisations will invest a total of US$50,000 per year in 2017 and 2018 in the fellowship grant to support an early-career scientist whose achievements and potential identify them as the next generation of scientific leaders in PKD research. This is the first time the US and Australian organisations have partnered to co-fund research.
“In only our second year, the PKD Foundation of Australia is extremely excited that the PKD Foundation in the U.S. has agreed to join with us to fund an inaugural two-year fellowship supporting an up-and-coming Australian researcher to better understand PKD and its impact on sufferers,” said Mr Robert Gardos, Chair of PKD Australia. He is also optimistic about the future of this collaboration. "We are confident that this is only the start of a program of collaboration between our two patient-focused organisations in our drive to find a cure for this condition that affects 12 million people globally.”
US PKD Foundation Chief Scientific Officer Dr David Baron agrees this is an important partnership. “The PKD Foundation is fortunate to be able to co-fund research with Australia –these partnerships allow our research funding to increase its already international scope and facilitate collaboration around the globe.”
Early-career PKD researchers from Australia or overseas researchers based in Australia, are encouraged to apply for the fellowship. “This grant, like any others the Foundation funds, must be approved through our peer review process and represent state-of-the-art PKD research,” said Dr Baron.