Sixteen years of the Roche Organ Transplantation Research Foundation

Organ transplantation was one of the key medical successes of the 20th century, transforming irreversible organ failure from a death sentence to a potentially solvable problem. Nevertheless, at the end of the last century, a number of problems still limited the potential of transplantation. With this in mind, the Roche Organ Transplantation Research Foundation (ROTRF) was established in 1998, with a mission to advance the science of organ transplantation to further improve transplant results. The Foundation was set up by F. Hoffmann-La Roche (Roche) as an independent medical research charity that provides operating grants to academic staff for innovative and important research projects. The Foundation is legally independent from Roche and is guided solely by the ROTRF Board of Trustees according to its charter. The initial funding of 25 million Swiss Francs (CHF) over 5 years was subsequently increased to a total of 67.5 million CHF (U.S. $70.6 million). The ROTRF is proud to announce that it completed its mission and in May 2014, the Foundation completed its 29th and final funding cycle. Funding was awarded to 7 projects for innovative research proposals, bringing the total number of projects funded by the ROTRF to 289 projects in 103 centers in 17 countries around the world. Although researchers at all stages of their careers have received funding, the ROTRF has always made it a priority to support the careers of young, promising investigators. The results from ROTRF-funded projects not only created novel areas of research and remarkable insights but also helped to establish the careers of many of the emerging leaders in numerous fields of organ transplantation. In order to distribute the funds to the most deserving applicants, a novel online two-step application process was developed. In the first step, a short letter of intent was submitted, which was reviewed by at least 3 members of the Scientific Advisory Committee based on scientific excellence, relevance, and originality. The top-ranked applicants were then invited to submit a full application. Since 2008, the ROTRF has exclusively funded clinically oriented research projects to encourage research that is likely to have a near-term impact on the clinical management of patients. In 2006, a 3-year initiative was launched with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International to support projects in immunology and biology research relevant to pancreatic islet transplantation, and transplantation solutions for human type 1 diabetes. During this initiative, a total of 2.5 million Swiss francs was distributed to 10 research projects. Over the years, ROTRF grantees have made significant contributions to our understanding in the field of transplantation. The results of the excellent scientific and clinical research have not only been published on the ROTRF website (www.rotrf.org) and in the ROTRF Annual Reports but also at scientific symposia at international transplantation congresses and in prestigious international scientific journals, highlighting how the results of ROTRF-supported projects have contributed to our understanding of organ transplantation. Furthermore, in 2011, the Foundation awarded ROTRF Recognition Prizes to those investigators whose ROTRF-funded research findings have had a major impact on the field and exemplified the mission of the ROTRF. Over the coming months, the ROTRF will distribute its final grants and the Foundation will complete its mandate. The Trustees, on behalf of the transplant community and the patients whom they serve, want to extend their deepest gratitude to F. Hoffmann-La Roche for the outstanding gift that they provided in the form of the ROTRF. The Trustees also want to acknowledge the many individuals who served on the Scientific Advisory Committee and as ad hoc reviewers. Their thoughtful and insightful reviews supported the Trustees in making their final decisions. The ROTRF Secretariat has guided and supported us through the complex financial and legal requirements of providing an international peer-reviewed granting system, and the Trustees would like to thank NSPM Ltd for administrative support, in particular Niki Schmidt and Claudia Ellenrieder. Finally, the Trustees would like to thank the grantees, whose hard work and commitment to bettering the lives of transplant patients ultimately realized the mission of the ROTRF, and for this we wish to express our most sincere gratitude. As the ROTRF completes its mission, the legacy it leaves behind will carry on across the world’s transplant centers as we continue to improve the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives are being changed by organ transplantation. ACKNOWLEDGMENT Board of Trustees (terms of office in brackets): Philip Halloran, Chairman, Canada (1998–); Andrew Bradley, UK (2004–); Dominique Borie, USA (2007–2008, 2014–); Robert Booth, USA (1998–2002); Robert Colvin, USA (2007–); Pekka Häyry, Finland (1998–2002); Allan Kirk, USA (2004–); Maarten Kraan, USA (2009–2010); Leslie Miller, USA (1998–2000); Peter J. Morris, UK (1998–2003); Gerhard Opelz, Germany (2003–); Laurence Peterson, USA (2010–2012); Anthony Quinn (2005–2006); Giuseppe Remuzzi, Italy (2008–); Alberto Sanchez-Fueyo, Spain (2010–); Hans W. Sollinger, USA (1998–2003); Jean-Paul Soulillou, France (2002–2007); Megan Sykes, USA (2001–2006); George Vratsanos, USA (2010); Peter Wijngaard, Switzerland (2004–2007); Hans Wizgell, Sweden (1998–2003); James Woody, USA (2002–2003). Scientific Advisory Committee (terms of office vary): Maria-Luisa Alegre, USA; Anthony d’Apice, Australia; Jeffrey Bluestone, USA; Andrew Bradley, UK; Sophie Brouard, France; Jeremy Chapman, Australia; Pierre-Alain Clavien, Switzerland; Robert Colvin, USA; Henrik Ekberg, Sweden; Sandy Feng, USA; Christiane Ferran, USA; Jay Fishman, USA; Xavier Forns, Spain; Michel Goldman, Belgium; Gregg Hadley, USA; Claus Hammer, Germany; Bruce Kaplan, USA; John Kirby, UK; Fadi Lakkis, USA; Robert Lechler, UK ; Leendert Paul, The Netherlands; Philip O’Connell, Australia; John O’Grady, UK; Tom Pearson, USA; Richard Pierson III, USA; Jeffrey Platt, USA; Heinz Regele, Austria; Giuseppe Remuzzi, Italy; Alberto Sanchez-Fueyo, Spain; Stephen Schwartz, USA; Angus Thomson, USA; Yves Vanrenterghem, Belgium; Larry Turka, USA; Hans-Dieter Volk, Germany; Mark Waer, Belgium.

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