Process Development Grant

The AABB Foundation Process Development Grant supports projects that develop, implement, validate and scale processes, tools, technologies, and operational models.

Applications should propose innovative approaches that enhance efficiency, quality, accessibility or decision support to advance transfusion medicine and biotherapies for patients and donors.

Applications for 2027 AABB Foundation Process Development Grants are being accepted through Dec. 1.

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2025 Process Development Grant Recipients

Jose Ramon Conejo-Garcia, MD, PhD
Beth Shaz, MD, MBA

Professor of Pathology
Duke University School of Medicine

Project : Novel cord blood-derived immunotherapy for solid tumors.

Summary: To develop an investigational new drug-enabling good manufacturing practice manufacturing protocol for a clinical allogeneic off the shelf vimentin chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) gamma delta T cell product derived from umbilical cord blood to treat non-small cell lung cancer. The ability to create an allogeneic cord blood derived CAR T-cell product will lead to a new generation of CAR T-cell therapies which are affordable, democratized, off-the-shelf and ready to use.

Katherine Risvold

Circulate

Project: Enhance the nation's abilities in disaster preparedness, planning and decision-making through the expansion of a comprehensive data warehouse for the national blood supply and its offerings.

Summary: To expand the current dataset of historic and future data, create new data exhibits to provide deeper insights into national blood collection and inventory trends, and enhance the health and reliability of the existing and incoming datasets that Circulate receives daily. The final products of these proposals are dynamic and will strengthen the portfolio of available data and data exhibits in a sustainable manner.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants can be a doctor (MD, PhD, or equivalent), medical technologist preferably with an advanced degree, or any transfusion medicine or biotherapies professional.
Applicants must be affiliated with an academic institution, research institution or other non-commercial organization.
AABB membership is not required.

Project Areas

The Process Development Grant does not fund basic research. Project areas can include, but are not limited to:

Operational process improvement
Product development and manufacturing
Quality control and assurance
Laboratory operations and safety
Blood collection and processing
Donor recruitment and retention
Information technology and informatics
Inventory management

Examples of previously funded projects:

GMP manufacturing process development supporting IND-enabling cell therapy work
Digital decision-support tools for disaster preparedness and operational resilience

Selection Process

A committee of expert reviewers appointed by the AABB Foundation will make funding recommendations, subject to final approval by the AABB Foundation Board of Directors. Applicants will not receive written critiques after review.

Selected recipients receive up to $100,000, paid in full, to support their proposed project over a one-year grant period. As a condition of accepting the award, recipients are expected to present updates or results at an AABB Annual Meeting or other AABB Foundation forum and must agree to attend.

Key Dates and Deadlines

The application submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. ET, Dec. 1.
Applicants are typically notified of funding decisions in June of the following year, and grant funds are disbursed in July. Applicants will not receive written critiques after review.
A final project report is due within 60 days after the grant end date.

Further Inquiries

If you have any questions on this application process, please contact the AABB Foundation at foundation@aabb.org.

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