METAvivor 2019 Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Competition is Open
METAvivor Research and Support Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to funding research grants for Stage IV metastatic breast cancer (MBC), announces the opening of the 2019 metastatic breast cancer research cycle. According to METAvivor President, Beth Fairchild, “In honor of our 10-year anniversary, we are excited to announce we are adding a $500,000 Founders Grant Award to our existing $200,000 Translational Grant Awards and our $50,000 Early Career Investigator Awards. We are looking forward to receiving novel research proposals that advance metastatic breast cancer research and will be a catalyst for extending the lives of stage IV metastatic breast cancer patients.”
The METAvivor Founders Awards will focus on key research priorities that can quickly translate into effective patient treatment and therapies.
This year, Metavivor is dedicating the new $500,000 award to the three deceased founders of Metavivor. Dian “CJ” Corneliussen is the only living founder of METAvivor and wants to honor the memory of Karen Presswood, Rhonda Rhodes, and Avis Halberstadt . In the most trying of times, they gave their energy to make a difference. The four founders met in a peer support program CJ had founded in 2007. CJ and the other three founders banded together in 2009, to start METAvivor with the purpose of funding stage IV metastatic breast cancer research grants. There was very little funding, support or awareness for the terminal disease. CJ said, "In 2009, at an early Board Meeting around my dining room table, we’d discussed setting our first grant goal. The amount of $25,000 was on the table when Rhonda suddenly stood up and threw out her arms saying, 'Reach for the stars! Let’s do $50,000! ' At that point we had about $14,000 in the bank. We exceeded our fundraising goal and the first grant awarded was $55,000."
Metastatic breast cancer, also known as Stage IV or advanced stage cancer, is the spread of breast cancer to other parts of the body -- most commonly to the bones, liver, lungs and/or brain. At least five percent of patients are diagnosed de nova with metastatic breast cancer, 30% of earlier stage breast cancer patients metastasize, and 97 – 98% die as a result, with the average survival after diagnosis being two to three years. In the U.S., only 2-5% of all cancer research funds are dedicated to Stage IV cancer research – yet nearly 100% of all breast cancer deaths are caused by a metastasis.
This is METAvivor’s tenth annual grant cycle that is made possible through generous support from donors. METAvivor has awarded a total of 68 grants totaling $7.4 million to cancer metastases researchers to study innovative models and treatments focusing on the already-metastasized patient. Since its founding in 2009, METAvivor has put 100% of donations into its peer-reviewed research grant program.
To apply for a metastatic breast cancer research grant or for additional information go to https://metavivor.infoready4.com/CompetitionSpace/#homePage
