American Society for Reproductive Medicine Announces Major Research Initiative- Creation of the ASRM Research Institute, a $10 Million Startup Investment for the Future of Reproductive Medicine

Jun 12, 2018
By: ASRM
Origin: ASRM Bulletin

ASRM sent the following press release today.

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the nation’s leading professional organization in reproductive medicine, today announced the creation of a new research arm, the ASRM Research Institute, with an initial funding level of $10 million to be spent over the next five years. 

At its Spring meeting in Washington DC, the ASRM Board of Directors gave final approval to a plan that was more than 18 months in the making. The Research Institute will implement the “2018 ASRM Research Blueprint” and, in its first phase of development, the focus will be on developing a budget for supporting the research agenda, sponsoring workshops for exploring potential areas for research support, overseeing a subsequent call for research proposals in targeted areas, and most importantly, funding research projects.

In developing the Research Blueprint, ASRM leadership was guided by the principle that the work had to focus on those areas that would have the most impact on the practice of reproductive medicine – particularly, in areas where the questions are most relevant, and where other funding sources are most inadequate and often nonexistent. The Blueprint calls for priority to be given to basic and translational human gamete and embryo research, understanding of the human trophectoderm and the impact such research can have on clinical practice. General clinical topics, such as the role of precision medicine in reproductive care, the safety of assisted reproductive technologies, and long-term outcomes of fertility treatments on offspring and their parents, will also be evaluated. Importantly, questions addressing access to care, such as methods for lower cost IVF, will be a top priority.

Another critical goal of the ASRM Research Institute is the support and development of the next generations of physician scientists, basic researchers, and clinical investigators in reproductive medicine. This is considered a major priority, so that advances in reproductive medicine are sustained and continue well into the future.

The ASRM Research Institute will initially be a virtual facility and will be the administrative home to a newly invigorated and resourced research program for the Society. ASRM has a long and robust history of providing financial support to various training and mentorship programs, and in more recent years has begun to invest more in direct research support. Many of these initiatives have been collaborative, a practice ASRM intends to continue as part of its Research Institute programming.

“Over the last decade, we have seen the need for increased research, while the traditional places to obtain resources to conduct it have been disappearing,” said Christos Coutifaris, M.D., Ph.D., President of ASRM. “The resulting status quo is neither acceptable nor sustainable. Our members have made it clear that we must help them find better ways to serve their patients. Better, more accessible treatments for our patients require improved understanding, and that only happens with research. Thanks to careful stewardship of our assets, ASRM can now make a major startup investment in the field. We are thrilled to announce the creation of the ASRM Research Institute. We are equally excited to anticipate the impact this initiative will have on patient care worldwide and on the current and next generation of researchers it will support.”