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American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.0M
Grant Range
$4K - $0.3M
Decision Time
5mo

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,000,000 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Highly competitive (150 awards from pool of applicants)
  • Decision Time: 4-6 months (varies by program)
  • Grant Range: $4,000 - $300,000
  • Geographic Focus: North America (USA, Canada, Mexico)

Contact Details

Website: www.aasldfoundation.org
Email: awards@aasld.org
Phone: 703-299-9766
Address: 1001 North Fairfax Street, 4th floor, Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Office Hours: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm ET, Monday - Friday

Application Portal: www.liverresearchawards.org

Overview

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Foundation, founded as the charitable arm of AASLD, is the largest medical society funding source for liver disease research and training in the United States. Since 2000, the Foundation has invested over $63 million to approximately 2,150 grantees supporting innovative hepatology research and career development. In 2023, the Foundation distributed $2 million to nearly 150 grant recipients across various award programs. The Foundation's mission is to invest in innovative hepatology research and in the people who study and treat liver disease, with a vision to prevent and cure liver disease. In recent years, the Foundation received a transformational $25 million gift from Dr. R. Todd Stravitz that will significantly expand resources for early-career investigators. The Foundation prioritizes equity and access, ensuring at least 30% of training awards are allocated to individuals from groups underrepresented in medicine.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Pinnacle Research Award in Liver Diseases: $300,000 over three years ($100,000/year)

  • Three-year basic science award providing young scientists with support to bridge the gap between research training and independent research scientist status
  • Application deadline: December 8
  • Application method: Online portal (www.liverresearchawards.org)

Clinical, Translational and Outcomes Research Award (CTORA): $200,000 over two years ($100,000/year)

  • Supports career development for individuals performing clinical, translational, or outcomes research in liver-related areas
  • Application deadline: December 8
  • Application method: Online portal

Bridge Award in Liver Diseases: $100,000 over one year

  • Supports investigators who received competitive scores on NIH R or equivalent federal awards but were not funded
  • Application deadline: Rolling (March 16 and October 15 deadlines)
  • Application method: Online portal

Pilot Research Award in Liver Diseases: $50,000 over one year

  • Small-scale exploratory research grants allowing investigators to test new ideas and gather data for longer-term grant applications
  • Application deadline: December 8
  • Application method: Online portal

Autoimmune Liver Diseases Exploratory Research Award: $20,000 over one year

  • Focuses on pathogenesis, diagnosis, management, or outcomes of autoimmune liver diseases
  • Application deadline: December 8
  • Application method: Online portal

Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award: $4,000 in travel funds

  • Supports fourth-year Transplant Hepatology fellows or third-year GI/Hepatology dual certification fellows
  • One recipient per year receives the Anna S. Lok Award ($30,000 total: $4,000 travel + $26,000 research support)
  • Application method: Online portal

Emerging Liver Scholars Program: Variable support

  • Professional development program for early-career investigators
  • Application deadline: April 15
  • Notification by June 30
  • Application method: Online portal

Priority Areas

  • Basic science research in all aspects of liver disease
  • Clinical and translational hepatology research
  • Outcomes research related to liver disease
  • Career development for early-career hepatologists
  • Training for advanced hepatology fellows
  • Research focused on autoimmune liver diseases (special funding available for 2026 cycle)
  • Innovative approaches that can lead to longer-term grant funding
  • Research addressing equity in liver disease care and outcomes

What They Don't Fund

  • Research conducted outside North America (USA, Canada, Mexico)
  • Indirect costs (facilities management, utilities, general-purpose equipment)
  • Salary for mentors or senior personnel
  • Capital equipment purchases without prior approval (equipment over $5,000 requires written approval)
  • Funding requests outside posted funding mechanisms
  • Multiple research award applications per calendar year (applicants limited to one award application annually)
  • Projects where applicant or mentor lack AASLD membership

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Kimberly Ann Brown, MD, FAASLD - Chair
Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI

Michael R. Lucey, MD, FAASLD - Vice Chair
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Heather Patton, MD, FAASLD - Treasurer
VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA

Trustees:

  • David Eric Bernstein, MD, FAASLD - NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
  • Rotonya M. Carr, MD, FACP, FAASLD - University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA
  • Jennifer Lai, MD, MBA - University of California, San Francisco
  • Nancy Reau, MD - Rush University Medical Center, Frankfort, IL

Board Advisors:

  • Cynthia A. Moylan, MD, FAASLD (Individual Fundraising) - Duke University, Durham, NC
  • Richard K. Sterling, MD, MSc, FAASLD (Research Awards) - Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA

Leadership Perspective

Dr. Anna S. Lok, a major Foundation donor and Leadership Gifts Division Co-Chair, articulated the Foundation's importance: "The hepatology community has been kind to me – embracing and nurturing me in my early years, providing me with opportunity to grow and lead, and more recently, recognizing and rewarding me for years of hard work. Because of this, I want to give back, and the Tomorrow's Cures Campaign provides the perfect opportunity to make an immediate and long-lasting impact."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted electronically at www.liverresearchawards.org by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the specified deadline. Late applications will not be reviewed.

Prerequisites:

  • Applicants and their mentors must be AASLD members at time of application and maintain membership throughout the award period
  • Research must be performed in North America
  • International researchers need appropriate work visa

Application Requirements:

  • Follow RFA (Request for Applications) formatting instructions precisely
  • Use single-spaced, 10-point minimum font with half-inch margins
  • Include header with applicant name and award name
  • Submit complete application with all required documents
  • Provide IRB/IACUC protocol compliance documentation

Decision Timeline

Research Awards (Pinnacle, CTORA, Pilot, etc.):

  • Application deadline: December 8
  • Award period begins: July 1 (following year)
  • Decision timeframe: Approximately 6 months

Bridge Award:

  • Application deadlines: March 16 and October 15
  • Award periods begin: July (for March deadline) or February (for October deadline)
  • Decision timeframe: Approximately 3-4 months

Emerging Liver Scholar Program:

  • Application deadline: April 15
  • Peer review period: April-May
  • Notification: By June 30
  • Decision timeframe: 2.5 months

Notification Method: Email notification to applicants. Award announcements published on Foundation website. Reviewer comments shared for research project-based applications only (available in "Results" section of applicant account).

Success Rates

The AASLD Foundation describes its awards as "highly competitive." In 2023, approximately 150 awards were distributed across all programs from a substantial applicant pool. Specific acceptance percentages are not publicly disclosed, but the Foundation has awarded over $63 million to more than 2,000 grantees since 2000, indicating sustained competitive selection processes.

Reapplication Policy

Previous applicants who were not selected are encouraged to reapply if they continue to meet eligibility criteria. There is no waiting period between applications for unsuccessful applicants. However, previous recipients of the same award are not eligible to reapply for that specific award. Applicants may only submit one research award application per calendar year.

Application Success Factors

Based on the Foundation's stated evaluation criteria and review process, the following factors contribute to successful applications:

NIH-Style Peer Review Process: The Foundation uses rigorous peer review modeled after NIH grant review. Applications undergo preliminary evaluation by 2-3 specialist reviewers, with meritorious applications considered by the full review body and assigned final scores. As the Foundation states: "All applications will be reviewed based on the written materials submitted."

Scientific Merit is Paramount: Funding recommendations are based exclusively on scientific merit as demonstrated by final scores. The Board of Trustees approves funding based on score order and available resources.

Critical Application Elements:

For Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award, evaluators assess "background and professional potential of the applicant as an academic hepatologist," a "candidate statement reflecting strong academic career plan," and "demonstration, via the hypothetical specific aims page, of the candidate's planned research focus, sound reasoning skills, understanding of scientific study design."

For Emerging Liver Scholars, candidates are "evaluated on their potential for a career in academic hepatology including their background and professional potential, scholarly activities and research productivity, and demonstration of motivation."

For Bridge Award, applicants are "evaluated based upon their background, their priority score and summary statement critique, and their strategy to address comments in the critique/summary statement."

Formatting Compliance: "Incomplete applications and applications that fail to adhere strictly to the instructions (including the submission deadline and page limitations) will not be reviewed." Applications must "adhere to stated page limits" and "candidates should ensure that all figures and legends are legible, as this can influence their proposal's evaluation."

Recent Funded Projects Examples (2024-2025):

Successful projects demonstrate innovation and focus on advancing hepatology knowledge:

  • "Disrupting the Sinister Nexus between Macrophages and Stem-like Cancer Cells in Cancer Recurrence" (Clinical/Translational Award)
  • "AI-Driven Synthetic Data Generation for Enhanced Prognostic Modeling and Clinical Trial Design in Alcohol-associated Hepatitis" (Pilot Award)
  • "In Vivo CRISPR Screens at Scale: Dissecting Steatosis Across Metabolic Contexts" (Pilot Award)
  • "Potato Starch as a Novel Therapy to Treat Hepatic Encephalopathy" (Bridge Award)

Strong Mentor Relationships: Applications benefit from clear demonstration of mentor support and institutional backing for the proposed research.

Clear Research Focus: Projects should demonstrate sound reasoning skills, understanding of scientific study design, and potential to generate data for longer-term grant applications (particularly for pilot awards).

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • AASLD membership is mandatory - Both applicants and mentors must be current AASLD members at application and maintain membership throughout the award period; this is non-negotiable
  • Follow formatting requirements exactly - Applications that exceed page limits, miss deadlines, or deviate from formatting requirements will not be reviewed; use 10-point minimum font, single spacing, and half-inch margins
  • One application per year limit - You can only apply for one AASLD Foundation research award per calendar year, so choose the program that best fits your career stage and research focus
  • North American research requirement - All research must be conducted in the USA, Canada, or Mexico; the Foundation does not currently fund projects outside North America
  • Bridge Award targets NIH near-misses - If you received a competitive NIH score but weren't funded, the Bridge Award ($100,000) is specifically designed for you; apply within the appropriate cycle to maintain momentum
  • Scientific merit drives decisions - The NIH-style peer review process focuses exclusively on scientific merit with final scores determining funding; invest time in a compelling research design and clear communication of innovation
  • Leverage pilot funding strategically - Pilot awards ($20,000-$50,000) are designed to generate preliminary data for larger grants; frame your proposal as a stepping stone to R01 or equivalent funding

References

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