American Kidney Fund Awarded $100,000 Grant from Hearst Foundations to Support Clinical Scientist in Nephrology Fellowship Program

ROCKVILLE, Md.(Oct. 4, 2023) — The American Kidney Fund (AKF) is pleased to announce a $100,000 grant from the Hearst Foundations to support a postdoctoral research fellow in AKF's Clinical Scientist in Nephrology (CSN) program, which identifies and funds emerging clinical researchers seeking to advance kidney care.

Since 1989, AKF's highly competitive research program has provided grants to more than 50 nephrologists dedicated to improving the quality of care provided to people with kidney disease. It has funded some of the field's most prominent researchers early in their careers, helping to address the shortage of nephrology researchers. Alumni of AKF's research program have gone on to pioneer national guidelines for detecting and managing chronic kidney disease, led research on biomarkers' influence on the progression of kidney disease and spearheaded initiatives to reduce racial disparities in kidney patient care.

Kidney disease affects 37 million people in the U.S. and more than 800,000 are living with kidney failure. People with kidney failure must either get a kidney transplant or depend on life-sustaining dialysis treatments to survive.

"AKF deeply appreciates the Hearst Foundations' generous support of our CSN program and AKF's work to improve the lives of people with kidney disease," said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. "This funding is critical because at a time when kidney disease is a public health crisis, harnessing the skills, knowledge and insights of every up-and-coming researcher is key to bringing us one step closer to a world without kidney disease."

Fellows in the CSN program conduct prevention and outcomes research on kidney disease while receiving advanced training in medical ethics, biostatistics and epidemiology, all of which are essential to kidney research.

The Hearst Foundations previously donated $100,000 to AKF's CSN program in 2019.

The Hearst Foundations was founded by William Randolph Hearst in 1946 as a national philanthropic foundation that identifies and funds nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and satisfying lives.

"On behalf of the Hearst Foundations, we are proud to support AKF's work to improve kidney care and better the lives of people with kidney disease," said Donna Kalajian Lagani, VP, Eastern Director, The Hearst Foundations. "AKF's Clinical Scientist in Nephrology program has served as a launching point for a distinguished career for many talented researchers who have made significant contributions to nephrology and we are honored to continue funding this important effort."