CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF RESEARCH FUNDING, THE NATIONAL ECZEMA ASSOCIATION WILL AWARD $1 MILLION IN 2023

Since 2004, NEA has been funding critical research on all aspects of eczema from the science behind itch and inflammation, to how the disease changes over a lifespan, to new pathways for potential therapies.

NOVATO, Calif., April 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Eczema Association (NEA) today announced that it will award $1 million in research grants this year to researchers studying all aspects of eczema. In its twenty years of research funding, NEA has continued to increase investment in its research grants, more than doubling the amount in two years, with new grant categories to fund more investigators in various stages of their careers.

Applications are currently being accepted and must be received by July 31, 2023, at 5 p.m. PDT. Recipients will be announced in late 2023.

As the largest private nonprofit funder of eczema research, NEA has invested over $3 million since its first grant was awarded in 2004. Collectively, NEA-funded grants for basic science, clinical and translational research have supported a deeper understanding of the symptoms, comorbidities and burdens of eczema, provided insights into the biology contributing to eczema and targets for new potential treatment strategies, and furthered the ability to improve patient care and disease prevention.

Most notably, for every $1 NEA has invested in eczema research, grantees have collectively gone on to obtain an additional $10.12 in subsequent National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to support further eczema research.

"Eczema affects over 31 million people in the U.S. alone, many with severe, even debilitating impacts to their life which merits appropriate investment in research," says Julie Block, CEO of NEA. "We've been working hard to fill this gap, to increase the number of scientists, research projects and research dollars devoted to eczema which will lead to better therapies, better care, better outcomes – and one day, potentially a cure."

The 2023 research grant categories are as follows:

Impact Research Grant – Provides funding support for collaborative research projects to conduct multi-institution innovative eczema research.

Champion Research Grant– Encourages proven researchers to continue research on emerging or ongoing challenges in eczema or bring their expertise to the field of eczema.

Spotlight Research Grant – This award promotes research tied to specific areas of interest. This year focuses on eczemas outside of atopic dermatitis, specifically chronic vesicular hand eczema, nummular eczema and seborrheic dermatitis.

Catalyst Research Grant – Designed to support talented early-career scientists on the path toward becoming the next generation of eczema thought leaders by supporting hypothesis-driven research projects.

Engagement Research Grant – Intended for emerging investigators exploring a new research concept, piloting a new experiment, or undertaking a novel or secondary data analysis. 

Childhood Eczema Challenge Grant – Created in collaboration with the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA), this is intended for early or mid-career scientists to accelerate research that improves the health and quality of life of pediatric patients and their families.

Learn more about NEA's ongoing support of eczema research.

About the National Eczema Association

Founded in 1988, the National Eczema Association (NEA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the largest patient advocacy organization serving the over 31 million Americans who live with eczema and those who care for them. NEA provides programs and resources to elevate the diverse lived experience of eczema, and help patients and caregivers understand their disease, actively engage in their care, find strength in one another – and improve their lives. Additionally, NEA advances critical eczema research and partners with key stakeholders to ensure the patient voice is represented and valued in education, care and treatment decision-making. The eczema community is at an exciting juncture, with increased recognition of the seriousness and burden of eczema and a surge in scientific interest and development of new treatments. Bolstered by NEA's strategic plan, Blueprint 2025, we are driving toward the ultimate vision: a world without eczema. Learn more at NationalEczema.org.

SOURCE National Eczema Association