The Orphan Disease Center 2020 Million Dollar Bike Ride Grant Program is offering a $68,245 grant for the study of inclusion body myositis (IBM). Researchers from around the world are eligible to apply. Letters of Interest are due Friday, September 18. The grant is available due to the efforts of Team Cure IBM, which participated in this year’s virtual event. The Orphan Disease Center of the University of Pennsylvania organizes the Million Dollar Bike Ride (MDBR) and will award and administer the grant.
The MDBR is an annual cycling event held in Philadelphia to raise money for research of rare diseases. Each team rides to raise awareness and to fundraise for a specific rare disease. Last year, for the first time, a team represented inclusion body myositis, resulting in a $102,340 IBM research grant which was awarded to Dr. Steven Greenberg of Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
This year we weren’t able to ride in Philadelphia because of the coronavirus, so the event was held virtually. To allow as many people as possible to participate, no matter where they lived, no matter their physical capabilities or the local state of the virus pandemic, team members were encouraged to choose the most appropriate physical activity for themselves.On June 13, 41 members of Team Cure IBM participated from their hometown, cycling, walking, running, and riding in their wheelchair close to home. An online program, including a special MDBR spin class, brought us together and celebrated our mission and our success.
The money raised by Team Cure IBM, combined with $30,000 of matching funds from the Orphan Disease Center, has resulted in this new research grant of $68,245.
The one-page Letter of Intent (LOI) is due by Friday, September 18, 2020. Application is open to all individuals in the international community “holding a faculty‐level appointment at an academic institution or a senior scientific position at a non-profit institution or foundation.” After review the preliminary applications, the Orphan Disease Center will offer invitations to submit full applications, which will be due by October 26, 2020.
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