Johanna Anderson Trueblood
Johanna Anderson Trueblood, graduate of Lewis and Clark College, was an elite athlete and dedicated mother. Her passions for cycling and supporting worthy causes were infectious. Johanna, a 42-year-old mother of three children, was in peak physical shape when she was diagnosed with a liver sarcoma. Despite undergoing a rigorous treatment regimen that included chemotherapy and a complex 10-hour surgery, Johanna died eight months after her initial diagnosis. Her family has taken her legacy and moved into action to help others.
Curt and Elizabeth Anderson
“It broke our hearts — we did everything we could to help her, but the science just wasn’t there,” says Libba. “We want to make sure it’s there for the next person.” Curtis and Elizabeth (Libba) Anderson, Johanna’s parents, met as undergraduates at the University of Washington. The Andersons have a robust history of advocacy, leadership and philanthropy in medicine. In 2002, they helped establish The Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute at Memorial Health University Medical Center in their hometown of Savannah, Georgia. They have also been instrumental in expanding both the curriculum and student enrollment at Mercer University School of Medicine in Georgia. After their daughter passed away in 2014, supporting sarcoma research became a focal point of their lives. When the Andersons learned about the success and rich 30-year history of the UW Medicine/Fred Hutchinson Sarcoma Program, they were inspired to support this effort.
“The sarcoma program is the crown jewel within the context of UW Medicine,” says Curtis. “The strength, integrity and vision of the program really spoke to us, and given we were both UW alumni and how much we enjoyed our time there, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.”
Named after this exceptional family, the Anderson Sarcoma Innovation Pilot Program aims to provide broad-based support to innovative research projects aiming to improve the outcomes, quality of life, and therapeutic interventions available to sarcoma cancer patients.
OPPORTUNITY
The Anderson Sarcoma Innovation Pilot Project Program will provide up to $20,000 per year in direct costs for one research project for up to two years. The initial award period will be for one year and may be renewed with an updated application for an additional year. Research projects may be clinical, laboratory-based, epidemiological, or other as long as they promote the development of novel sarcoma cancer medical treatments or related supportive care.
ELIGIBILITY
In order to apply for the award, proposed research projects must meet the following criteria:
1. Applicant must be a member of the Cancer Consortium
2. Proposed project is less than one year in duration*
3. Proposed project may be intended to gather pilot data for the submission of additional external funding
4. Priority will be given to proposals which launch a new project or support moving research to the next critical phase.
*If at the end of the first year the initial project has been completed as planned and further research is supported, a project may reapply for a second year of funding, up to a maximum of two years. The reapplication must include a summary of the initial year’s work, and a new application including the items outlined below for the second year. This is not an extension of the first-year project aims or endpoints.
AUTHORIZED EXPENDITURES
· Support for faculty, staff and/or graduate students
· Research materials and supplies, including equipment
· Indirect costs are not an allowable expense
APPLICATION FORMAT
1. A description of the proposed research project (limited to 2-3 pages), which includes the following:
a. Rationale for the project described in lay language when appropriate
b. Planned Specific Aims
c. Brief statement of the overall experimental approach
2. A budget in line-item format that includes sufficient detail to explain how funds will be allocated
3. Principal Investigator’s Curriculum Vitae
APPLICATION DEADLINE
A single PDF of the project description and budget should be sent in an e-mail to sarcomainnovation@seattlecca.org by May 15th, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Questions should be directed to sarcomainnovation@seattlecca.org.
REVIEW AND DECISION PROCESS
Applications will be reviewed, and decisions will be made by the selection committee. Up to five (5) applications will be selected per year. The application review process will begin in late May 2022 with award announcements in late June 2022, and funding to begin dispersing in July 2022. The project term start date will be based on the date funding is dispersed to the investigator, and will last for 12 months.
RECOGNITION
All major activities and accomplishments supported by this endowment shall recognize the donor and shall be identified with the Anderson Sarcoma Innovation Pilot Project Program and the Anderson Sarcoma Research Fund.
The recipient will be required to provide a 6-month and 12-month progress report to the donors who funded this award. The recipient may also be asked to participate in donor meetings.