The Lupus Foundation of America Seeks Applications for its 2010 Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship Program

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. (LFA) is seeking applications for its 2010 Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship Program.  The purpose of these awards is to foster an interest among young investigators in lupus research under the supervision of an established investigator.  Undergraduate, graduate, and medical students are eligible to apply; however, preference is given to students with a college degree.

It has been 50 years since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a drug for lupus. The Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship Program is part of the LFA's National Research Program, Bringing Down the Barriers, which seeks to advance the science and medicine of lupus and bring down the barriers that have obstructed lupus research in the past.

Named after the daughter of former LFA President Emeritus Dr. Sergio Finzi, the Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship Program has supported the work of approximately 200 young investigators since it was founded in 1984. The purpose of these grants is to accelerate research related to the causes, treatments, prevention and cure of lupus, as well as to directly sponsor research focused on testing new approaches and developing experimental therapies or treatments.

The amount of the award is $2,000, and applications are due no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on March 5, 2010. The expected notification date is May 5, 2010. To learn more about the Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship Program, and download application guidelines, visit www.lupus.org/finzifellowships.

The LFA uses an electronic grants submission process. All interested grant applicants must submit their full application packages through proposalCENTRAL: https://proposalcentral.altum.com/Login.asp. Applicants are encouraged to register and complete a professional profile at proposalCENTRAL as soon as possible. Applicants should ensure that their grants and contracts office has registered their institution, financial, and signing officials with proposalCENTRAL.

A proposalCENTRAL helpline is available for questions from applicants during normal business hours 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, EST. Call toll-free 1-800-875-2562. You can also send an email to [email protected].

About Lupus

Lupus is an acute and chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system is unbalanced, causing inflammation and tissue damage to virtually any organ in the body. Its health effects include heart attacks, strokes, seizures, miscarriages, and organ failure. Ninety percent of the people with lupus are women, and it is two to three times more common among African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans, and Asians.  Lupus is unpredictable and potentially fatal, yet at present no satisfactory treatment or cure exists.

About the LFA

The LFA is the foremost national nonprofit voluntary health organization dedicated to finding the causes of and cure for lupus, and providing support, services, and hope to all people affected by lupus. Founded in 1977, the LFA has a nationwide network of nearly 300 chapters and support groups and operates programs of research, education, and advocacy.

SOURCE Lupus Foundation of America