As a way of recognizing and honoring the efforts of apheresis professionals, clinicians, therapeutic developers, cellular manufacturers and others who further the practice of apheresis and patient care, Terumo BCT is pleased to announce the 2018 Advancing Apheresis Award: Advancing peripheral venous access in red blood cell exchange procedures.
Terumo BCT’s Advancing Apheresis Award is designed to support those who are making a difference in the use of therapeutic aphersis and cell collections around the globe. Terumo BCT will award one USD 10,000 educational grant to the winning site, chosen by an external, global committee of key opinion leaders. This year, the award will focus on advancing peripheral venous access in red blood cell exchange procedures.
To ensure fairness, the grant committee will have global representation from external key opinion leaders. Grant committee members are selected based on their leadership roles in the practice of patient care in therapeutic apheresis and/or cell collections. Each application will be evaluated according to the criteria identified by the Grant Committee in these key performance areas:
Applications will be accepted beginning on 1 September 2018 and must be received by 30 November 2018.
The following terms and conditions apply for every submission:
Who is eligible for the grant award? Are applicants from all countries eligible?
Apheresis professionals, clinicians, physicians, therapeutic developers, cell manufacturers, or others from around the world who are interested in advancing apheresis are encouraged to apply.
How much funding is available?
One USD 10,000 educational grant will be awarded to a single site to be used in its efforts to advance peripheral venous access in red blood cell exchange procedures. As part of the application process, sites are required to outline their plans for the grant funding, and to demonstrate their leadership in patient care for consideration by the Terumo BCT Grant Committee.
Is the grant awarded to the individual’s institution?
Yes, this award will be granted to an institution.
Who is on the Terumo BCT Grant Committee?
To ensure fairness, the grant committee will consist of independent key opinion leaders from around the world. Committee members have been selected based on their leadership role in the practice of patient care in therapeutic apheresis. The grant comittee has sole decision-making authority in determining the winner and runner-up and will score applications based on pre-determined criteria.
Once a grant is awarded, will there be any requirements for the investigator to meet certain milestones or report to Terumo BCT?
Yes, the winning team is required to share its outcomes through a report at the completion of the project.
UCLH will share successes and practices they have had for collecting cells for immunotherapy.
AUH will advance the practice of venous access through education on the use of peripheral ultrasound-guided vascular access (PUGVA).
SGPIMS will create awareness and form an online platelet donor registry for optimizing patient care by supplying ABO-matched platelets. In addition, they will promote the use of apheresis through their position at the center of the telemedicine program throughout India and Southeast Asia.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is working on a mobile application to educate patients, nurses, clinical providers and transfusion medicine trainees to raise the awareness and understanding of apheresis medicine.
Royal Children’s Hospital is using the educational grant to establish standard operating procedures for red blood cell exchange and improve educational support provided to children with sickle cell disease.