Process Development Grant

The AABB Foundation Process Development Grant provides funding to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of blood- and biotherapies-related processes and operations in donor and patient care settings.

The Process Development Grant supports improvements to business operations through the development, implementation and outcomes analysis of innovative processes, techniques or technologies.

Applications are now closed.

2025 Process Development Grant Recipients

Beth Shaz, MD, MBA

Professor of Pathology
Duke University School of Medicine

Project Title: "Novel cord blood-derived immunotherapy for solid tumors."

Project Summary: To develop an investigational new drug-enabling good manufacturing practice manufacturing protocol for a clinical allogeneic off the shelf vimentin chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) gamma delta T cell product derived from umbilical cord blood to treat non-small cell lung cancer. The ability to create an allogeneic cord blood derived CAR T-cell product will lead to a new generation of CAR T-cell therapies which are affordable, democratized, off-the-shelf and ready to use.

Katherine Risvold

Executive Director
Circulate

Project Title: "Enhance the nation’s abilities in disaster preparedness, planning and decision-making through the expansion of a comprehensive data warehouse for the national blood supply and its offerings."

Project Summary: To expand the current dataset of historic and future data, create new data exhibits to provide deeper insights into national blood collection and inventory trends, and enhance the health and reliability of the existing and incoming datasets that Circulate receives daily. The final products of these proposals are dynamic and will strengthen the portfolio of available data and data exhibits in a sustainable manner.

Funding Amount

Up to $100,000 is available from the AABB Foundation for a one-year project through the Process Development Grant.

Focus Areas

Proposals that offer potential for widespread dissemination and adoption for the field will receive priority.

Examples of eligible focus areas include:

Models to streamline operations, maximize financial performance, and improve decision-making
Strategy and frameworks for optimizing donor engagement, retention, or management
Research in new diagnostic tools or optimized, existing diagnostic tools
Process validation to optimize quality, potency or safety
Pilot clinical studies or IND-enabling studies

General Applicant Criteria

Applications are accepted from throughout the world and applicants at any career level are welcome to apply.

An applicant must be a doctor (MD or PhD), medical technologist, transfusion medicine or biotherapies professional. Additionally, they must be affiliated with an institution that will serve as the administering organization if the grant is awarded. We particularly welcome applications from individuals associated with AABB-accredited facilities.