2021 Spring/Summer Highlights of Hope

PHILANTHROPY
Scored Grant Program helps turn
inspiration into action
A spark of inspiration can strike at any moment. Picture a scientist
working hard at the bench, focusing intensely on an exciting new
idea. She buckles down to investigate her newfound idea, and the
data and evidence accumulate. Ready to take her research to the
next level, she applies for a grant, but falls just below the threshold
to receive funding.
Now what?
Grants from federal agencies such as the National Institutes of
Health are the main source of funding for scientific research in
the U.S. Funding is limited each year, and the process for earning
federal grants is highly rigorous and competitive.
To earn a federal grant, scientists must show that they have
enough data to support the idea they want to investigate. But
conducting the research necessary to generate this foundational
data can be hampered by a lack of funding — quite a catch-22.
That’s where Van Andel Institute’s Scored Grant Award Program
comes in. It provides research funding to scientists whose federal
grant applications scored very highly but just below the funding
threshold. This approach gives scientists with promising projects
the extra boost needed to conduct the additional research
necessary to put forth a revised, successful application in the
next round of grants. Philanthropic support of this program is an
important springboard for future research.
Projects supported in
2020 by VAI’s Scored
Grant Award Program
• Dr. Peter Laird: Developing a better cellular clock
• Dr. Matt Steensma: Connecting the genetic dots between a
rare disease and breast cancer
• Dr. Xiaobing Shi: Finding a new target for a tough-to-treat
type of lung cancer
• Dr. Hong Wen: Developing new treatments for pediatric
blood cancer
Dr. Laird was awarded a five-year, $3 million award from the
National Institute on Aging to support his research — a 30-fold
return on investment from the $100,000 that he received from
the Scored Grant Award Program. 1 Dr. Wen was awarded a
four-year, $818,173 award from the National Cancer Institute to
support her research. 2 Drs. Steensma and Shi also are seeking
federal funding.
1
This work is supported by Van Andel Institute and the National Institute on Aging of
the National Institutes of Health under award no. R01AG066764 (Laird). The content is
solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official
views of the granting organization.
2
This work is supported by Van Andel Institute and the National Cancer Institute of
In 2020, West Michigan engineering firm
Prein&Newhof marked 50 years in business. To
celebrate, and to honor the firm’s co-founder
Thomas Newhof, they established the Thomas &
Garretta Newhof/Prein&Newhof Research Fund
to support VAI’s Scored Grant Award Program.
The fund also honors Tom’s wife Garretta for
her unwavering commitment to the company’s
success.
Prein&Newhof also invited 150 employees to
support the fund, and Tom and Garretta showed
their appreciation with their own generous gift.
The combined gifts from Prein&Newhof and
matching dollars from VAI funded the Institute’s
Scored Grant Award Program in 2020.
the National Institutes of Health under award no. R01CA255506 (Wen). The content is
solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official
views of the granting organization.
28 | VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE HIGHLIGHTS OF HOPE