Funding Paradigm

Most scientific research organizations are handcuffed by the imperative to spend a large amount of time and focus on raising money. Not us. NTAP is funded by a select number of extraordinary philanthropists who had the vision to provide a 10-year gift commitment of over $10M/year. This extraordinary commitment has transformed the work of NTAP in crucial ways:

Leadership: NTAP is led by scientists not professional fundraisers. NTAP’s Executive Director, Dr. Jaishri Blakeley is one of the foremost NF clinician scientists in the world. Our research mission is profoundly enhanced by leadership that is capable of meaningfully participating in and leading the scientific conversation across industry, academia and government entities.

Science, not parties: Many research organizations are necessarily distracted by a calendar of traditional fundraising activities. Auctions, roadshows, walk-a-thons, we all know the drill. With the equivalent of a 10-year endowment already committed, NTAP wastes no time on all the overhead costs of building, maintaining and satisfying the needs of a development team.

Objectivity: This unique funding model means we have no incentive to pursue one avenue of research over another. Our team goes where the science leads.

Speed: Flexible and robust funding means we are able to jump on new ideas as they arise without first having to wait for funds to be raised. This is essential to delivering on our mission of accelerating the discovery, approval and delivery of effective therapeutics.

Intellectual property: NTAP is housed within Johns Hopkins University and many of our staff are part of the Johns Hopkins family. However, the independent funding we enjoy means that we are not beholden to Johns Hopkins in any way, and are free to publish all research as soon as it is available.

In our first decade we granted over $60 million and have already achieved remarkable breakthroughs. With NTAP’s support, AstraZeneca released the first ever treatment for plexiform neurofibromas, and we are moving fast to deliver more hope to millions of NF patients.

If you have an idea you’d like to explore in the field of NF, please visit our pages on open proposals, solicited proposal programs, and the next-generation of MD/PhDs leading NF1 research.