Because sometimes a great idea doesn’t fit into existing funded parameters, and because science may need support more quickly than a traditional grant system allows, the IEA Innovation Fund launched in 2023 to provide direct seed funding to Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (WAI) and University of Wisconsin Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology PIs, staff and program teams. With funding from donations to the Initiative to End Alzheimer’s (IEA), the fund’s goal is to advance promising new ideas in UW–Madison Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) research and programming, enhance resources available to researchers, program leads and staff and respond to innovative and emerging needs of this area of medicine. The IEA Innovation Fund aims to be a key driver of novel ideas and entrepreneurial energy for both the Wisconsin ADRC and WAI.
Through tremendous charitable support of this initiative, the fund’s advisory committee is able to award more than $450,000 in IEA Innovation Fund awards in its first funding cycle. The fund advisors announce award funding in five of the seven award categories, including Pilot, Research, Bridge, Equipment and Recruitment & Retention.
IEA Innovation Fund Awards
Nathaniel Chin, MD
Recruitment & Retention
$88,790
How the funds will be used: Hire dedicated communications staff to support the Dementia Matters podcast, which has become the academic podcast of choice on Alzheimer’s-related topics.
Lindsay Clark, PhD
Bridge
$132,475
How the funds will be used: Bridge Funding support while NIH R01 application is reviewed and scored; allow us to continue to build the results disclosure service and gather additional data.
Carey Gleason, PhD, MS
Pilot
$100,000
How the funds will be used: Pilot program with health equity focus; expansion of current AA-FAIM to Tribal communities.
Natasha Merten, PhD, MS
Equipment
$20,988
How the funds will be used: Maintenance service contracts for freezers.
Maria Mora Pinzon, MD, MS, FACPM
Clinical Research
$114,927
How the funds will be used: Outreach initiatives that aim to bridge the gap between our research findings and the wider community, while also raising the visibility of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute and geriatrics in Latino communities.
“We are grateful to our donors and the team at the UW Foundation, led by Steve Ramig, who were able to raise this funding in a relatively short amount of time,” said Sarah Klein, WAI Administrator and co-creator of the IEA Innovation Fund. “We are humbled by the opportunity to award these funds to our best and brightest PIs and researchers who strive to make an impact in the field of AD research.”
Stay tuned for updates regarding further IEA Innovation funding availability in the months to come.