OVERVIEW: Sontag rewards brilliant, early-career scientists with four-year, $600,000 grants to further their research and help them establish their labs. It supports researchers working in the fields of brain cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, and also funds an oral health initiative in Northeast Florida.
IP TAKE: This accessible and approachable foundation is laser-focused on its areas of giving. Aside from its research grant, the majority of its grantmaking is proactive and highly targeted.
PROFILE: The Sontag Foundation is a family-based charity that was founded in 2002, after Rick Sontag and his wife Susan (no relation to renowned writer and activist Susan Sontag) sold their profitable aviation parts business, Unison, to investors. In 1994, Susan was diagnosed with brain cancer and given less than two years to live. Now, the foundation “passionately supports people and organizations who make a significant and continuing impact in the lives of individuals and communities, primarily in the field of brain cancer research.” Sontag’s three main program areas are Brain Cancer, Oral Health in NE Florida, and Early Career Rheumatoid Arthritis Scientists.
Grants for Brain and Cell Research
In the field of Brain Cancer Research, Sontag’s primary grantmaking vehicle is the Distinguished Scientist Award, which “seeks to provide career and research support to early career scientists who demonstrate outstanding promise for making scientific and medical breakthroughs in the field of brain cancer research.” This award provides a four-year grant of up to $600,000. Sontag is also one of the five funding partners of the Brain Tumor Funders’ Collaborative, which sometimes releases calls for proposals through its own website. Finally, the foundation funds the Quality of Life Award offered by the Society of Neuro-Oncologists (SNO). This prize is awarded to scientists whose projects are “recognized as having the potential to make a significant impact on enhancing the quality of life for brain cancer patients.”
Grants for Diseases
In the field of Brain Cancer Research, Sontag’s primary grantmaking vehicle is the Distinguished Scientist Award, which “seeks to provide career and research support to early career scientists who demonstrate outstanding promise for making scientific and medical breakthroughs in the field of brain cancer research.” This award provides a four-year grant of up to $600,000. Sontag is also one of the five funding partners of the Brain Tumor Funders’ Collaborative, which sometimes releases calls for proposals through its own website.
Sontag also supports Early Career Rheumatoid Arthritis Scientists. In partnership with the Arthritis National Research Fellowship (ANRF), Sontag sponsors the ANRF Sontag Fellowship, which aims to support “new exciting research… to help find a cure for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.” Visit ANRF’s website for more information on this program.
Grants for Public Health
The Sontag Foundation’s Oral Health Initiative in NE Florida supports nonprofit organizations in Northeast Florida, where the foundation is headquartered. Based on a 2013 survey of community health needs in the area, it was determined that “there was an overwhelming need to address the service gaps around access to oral health in our community for under-served and vulnerable populations.” The foundation has committed $10 million to a new partnership model involving Community Health Outreach, The Sulzbacher Center, and Healing Hands Dental and Medical Clinic to raise awareness of oral hygiene and expand access to care.
Important Grant Details:
The deadline for Sontag’s Distinguished Scientist Award generally falls in March of each year. The foundation has an open application process, and applicants are evaluated by a Scientific Advisory Board and an internal selection committee. For information on other awards that Sontag supports, visit the website of the relevant organization.
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