Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy

Overview

Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy

The New York Community Trust’s (The Trust) Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy (Heiser Program) was established by the will of Dr. Victor G. Heiser, an American physician and researcher who spent his professional life studying and caring for people with leprosy.

The Heiser Program is part of The Trust’s biomedical research competitive grants program. Since it began making grants in 1975, the Heiser Program has made approximately 200 grants totaling more than $20 million. Grants supported Fellowships for early-career researchers as well as seminal research projects led by senior scientists. Grants helped increase available tools for diagnosis and blocking leprosy transmission; develop new and improved treatment with a leprosy elimination goal; and expand dynamic “seek-and-treat” surveillance programs. In addition, Heiser Program grants were a primary source of support for the whole genome sequencing of M. leprae. For a brief period, the Heiser Program also supported research in Tuberculosis. The Heiser Program is now solely focused on leprosy research.

A volunteer Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of expert leprosy researchers review proposals and make funding recommendations to The Trust’s Board of Directors. The SAC sets priorities for funding, monitors projects, and convenes grantees for shared learning. SAC members are listed at the end of this RFP.

The Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy

The Trust’s Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy (Heiser Program) was established by the will of Dr. Victor G. Heiser (1873 – 1972), an American physician and researcher who spent his professional life studying and caring for people with leprosy. Like hundreds of other donors, Dr. Heiser left his estate to The Trust to carry out his interests in perpetuity: research in leprosy. Today, the Heiser Program is part of The Trust’s biomedical research competitive grants program.

Since it began making grants in 1975, it has made approximately 200 grants totaling more than $20 million. Over the decades, Heiser Program grants have supported Fellowships for early-career researchers as well as seminal research projects led by senior scientists. Grants helped increase available tools for diagnosis and blocking leprosy transmission; develop new and improved treatment with a leprosy elimination goal; and expand dynamic “seek-and-treat” surveillance programs. Heiser Program grants were a primary source of support for the whole genome sequencing of M. leprae. And, for a brief period, the Heiser Program supported research in tuberculosis. The Heiser Program is now solely focused on leprosy research.

Eligibility

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Application Details

www.thenytrust.org
Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy
Request for Proposals 2025
(Proposals due by 5:00pm on Thursday, September 25, 2025)
Table of Contents
Overview Page 1
The New York Community Trust
Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy
Request for Proposals and Eligibility Criteria page 2
Submission Materials and Directions page 3
For United States-based Applicants
Submission Materials and Directions Page 4
For International/non-United States-based Applicants
Important Dates, Scientific Advisory Committee, and Questions page 6

Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy- Request for Proposals (2025)
I. Overview
The New York Community Trust
The New York Community Trust (The Trust), established in 1924, is New York’s
community foundation—one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the United
States. The Trust’s mission is to foster and engage in enduring and innovative philanthropy. To
meet the mission, The Trust:
• supports donors charitable giving through their Trust donor advised funds;
• offers philanthropic advising to Trust donors as well as other individuals, foundations,
and institutions to meet shared giving interests and goals;
• makes competitive grants from funds, most derived from donor legacies using strategies
approved by The Trust’s Board, to address issues affecting New York and beyond; and
• convenes and collaborates with nonprofit, government, foundation, and partners from
other civic and social sectors to make communities we care about better places for all.
The Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy
The Trust’s Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy (Heiser Program) was established
by the will of Dr. Victor G. Heiser (1873 – 1972), an American physician and researcher who
spent his professional life studying and caring for people with leprosy. Like hundreds of other
donors, Dr. Heiser left his estate to The Trust to carry out his interests in perpetuity: research in
leprosy. Today, the Heiser Program is part of The Trust’s biomedical research competitive
grants program. Since it began making grants in 1975, it has made approximately 200 grants
totaling more than $20 million.
Over the decades, Heiser Program grants have supported Fellowships for early-career
researchers as well as seminal research projects led by senior scientists. Grants helped increase
available tools for diagnosis and blocking leprosy transmission; develop new and improved
treatment with a leprosy elimination goal; and expand dynamic “seek-and-treat” surveillance
programs. Heiser Program grants were a primary source of support for the whole genome
sequencing of M. leprae. And, for a brief period, the Heiser Program supported research in
tuberculosis. The Heiser Program is now solely focused on leprosy research.
A volunteer Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of expert leprosy researchers and
scientists review proposals and make funding recommendations to The Trust’s Board of
Directors. The SAC sets priorities for funding, monitors projects, and convenes grantees for
shared learning. Current SAC members are listed at the end of this RFP.
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Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy- Request for Proposals (2025)
II. Request for Proposals
The New York Community Trust’s Heiser Program invites proposals to support two-
year Fellowships in leprosy research conducted by an early-career scientist. Grants totaling $1
million will support three (3) to five (5) Fellowships to conduct research in one or more of the
following areas including human experimental medicine studies:
1. investigate mechanisms of nerve damage and reactions in patients with leprosy;
2. develop more effective chemoprophylaxis, immunoprophylaxis, and rapid
bactericidal drugs to treat active disease;
3. understand the organism, and/or its pathogenicity to identify the immunological
spectrum the bacilli can induce and/or to identify new drugs or drug targets;
4. investigate host-directed therapies for leprosy, including a range of approaches from
pre-clinical to clinical areas of research.
III. Eligibility Criteria
Potential Fellows must investigate the pathogenesis of leprosy in a post-doctoral
position, a non-tenured associate/assistant professor position, or an early-career scientist at an
independent research institute. Preference is for grants to be made to United States-based non-
profit colleges, universities, or other research institutes. The applicant must be the institution at
which the proposed Fellow is employed. Leprosy research can focus on cases in the United
States and/or other parts of the world, with preference for geographies with high levels of
incidence and/or transmission. If the application is from a United States institution, potential
Fellows must have existing legal authorization to be employed in the United States. Potential
Fellows will be considered from applicants that are colleges, universities, and/or medical
research institutions not based in the United States if the applicant institution can satisfy
requirements to receive philanthropic funds from The Trust such as their charitable purposes,
independent governance, fiscal capacity, and other criteria that may be required by The Trust.
The Fellowship can cover salary and fringe for the Fellow; research equipment and
supplies; and travel to research sites (if applicable). Other staff from the applicant or partner
institutions involved in research are expected to cover their own costs. Budgets must include
allocations to cover travel costs for the Fellow to two (2) mandatory one- or two-day in-person
meetings with the SAC in New York City over the grant period.
Applicant institutions (United States-based and international) should note The Trust
policy for overhead costs for grant administration at universities, hospitals, academic medical
centers, and affiliated nonprofit fiscal sponsors (e.g. foundations that receive private funds on
behalf of the institution). Overhead costs for grant administration may not exceed five (5)
percent of the total project budget/grant. Administrative costs related to carrying out the grant
activities, such as space, supplies, and technology for project staff, are not subject to the five
percent limit, and should be itemized separately in the budget. Grants will be $100,000 to
$250,000 over two-years ($50,000 to $125,000 a year) including grant administration costs.
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Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy- Request for Proposals (2025)
IV. Submission Materials & Directions for United States-based Institutions
Submission Materials (United States-based applicants)
1. A Cover Sheet. Please make sure the top of the Cover Sheet you fill out states it is for
the National: Heiser Fund for Leprosy Research 2025 RFP, not The Trust’s regular
competitive grants program or another RFP. This RFP can be found on the New York
City section of The Trust’s website under information for non-profits. Details on how
to complete this form are in the Submission Directions section.
2. A cover letter on the applicant institution’s letterhead signed by the principal
investigator (i.e., potential Fellow) and department chair and/or other
institutional official authorized to request and receive grant funds on behalf of
the institution.
3. An executive summary in layperson’s language (up to 500 words) which outlines:
• need for the grant;
• why the Fellow and applicant institution are well positioned to conduct the research;
• specific work to be conducted and its importance to the field of leprosy research; and
• measurable outcomes by the end of the grant period (3 to 6 bulleted items).
4. A proposal detailing the research to be conducted by the Fellow. This proposal
should not exceed six (6) single-spaced, typewritten pages, exclusive of bibliography,
reference tables, figures, charts, budgets, and other required attachments detailed below.
Please follow National Institute of Health guidelines for margins, font and size of type.
5. An itemized project budget with expenses and (if applicable) confirmed or pending
sources of support for the project. Identify any in-kind time provided by the institution
or partner institutions to support the project. Budget can cover salary or research costs.
6. Proposed Fellow’s curriculum vitae or NIH-style bio sketch and, if applicable, those
of other researchers involved with the project.
7. Current year departmental and institution annual operating budgets (revenues and
expenses)
8. Applicant institution board of directors with professional affiliations and terms.
Note any directors that are paid.
9. Applicant institution audited financial statements or signed IRS Form 990.
Statements or 990 must be for fiscal year 2022 or 2023 (most recent available).
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Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy- Request for Proposals (2025)
If applicable, include items 10 and 11:
10. If the applicant institution/potential Fellow has a current or former affiliation with
any Heiser SAC members, please note the specific affiliation (e.g., employee,
advisor, co-PI, relative, etc.)
11. If human studies are involved, a statement of intention to apply for Institutional Review
Board (IRB) approval. IRB approval will be required before funds are released. IRB
approval is not needed prior to submission.
Submission Directions (United States-based institutions)
1. Merge items 2 to 9 (and 10 to 11, if applicable) from the Submission Materials section
into a single PDF file no more than 25 MB in size. Name it in the following format:
“Fellow Last Name, Fellow First Name, Applicant Organization Name.pdf”.
2. Complete a Proposal Cover Sheet for the Heiser Program for Leprosy Research
RFP available through The Trust’s website.
a) For purposes of the staff and board ethnicity breakdown, please provide information
for the entire institution, not just the department where the Fellow works. Fields
cannot be left blank. Applications without this information will not be considered.
b) If you are applying from an academic institution or research university, your
department administrator can provide the EIN, staff composition, and/or other
information requested on the Cover Sheet. Some applicants prefer to have the funds
go to a funds administrator. The proposal coversheet allows this option. You will
need to (i) check the box noting that is your preference, and (ii) enter the funds
administrator EIN on the form in the appropriate location.
3. Please make sure that all the Submission Materials (items 2 to 9 or 2 to 11) are in a single
PDF prior to starting the Cover Sheet. The Submission Materials and Proposal Cover
Sheet are submitted at the same time. You will know your submission has been successful
when after uploading the document you see “You have successfully uploaded your PDF.”
on your screen.
4. Once uploaded, check the certification box at the end and click submit. You will get an
email confirming the proposal was received and include a PDF of the Cover Sheet you
just completed. The email will be sent to the email address entered in the “Information
about Person Completing this Form” field on the Cover Sheet.
5. The Trust’s communications about the result of your submission will be by email, whether
notification of a decline or grant. Please add noreply@thenytrust.org to your address
book so important communications do not get caught in your spam filters.
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Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy- Request for Proposals (2025)
V. Submission Materials and Directions for Applicants from
International/non-United States-based Institutions
Submission Materials (International/non-United States-based Institutions)
1. Provide items 2 through 11 as detailed in the section IV above (page 3): Submission
Materials for United States Applicants. This includes:
• item 2 (cover letter)
• item 3 (layperson executive summary)
• item 4 (proposal)
• item 5 (itemized project budget)
• item 6 (curriculum vitae)
• item 7 (department and institution budgets)
• item 8 (board of directors)
• item 10 (affiliation with the Heiser SAC, if applicable)
• item 11 (human studies approval, if applicable).
2. In addition, please make sure the following information is included in the submission as
an addendum entitled Institutional Information (consider this to be item 12):
• Legal name of the institution receiving the funds. This should match the name of
bank account where grant funds will be wired.
• The name, email, and phone number of the applicant institutions paid staff head and
governing board chair.
• The charitable or government registration number associated with the institution.
• Authorization documents from a government entity establishing/recognizing the
institution as a charitable entity, non-profit institution, or international non-
governmental organization.
• Independent audit of financial statements of the institution.
• Name, title, email, and phone number of person(s) to contact regarding the
administrative/financial review of the application.
Submission Directions (International/non-United States-based Institutions)
1. Merge items 2 to 8, items 10 and/or 11 (if applicable), and item 12 from the Submission
Materials from section above into a single PDF file no more than 25 MB in size. Name it
in the following format: “Fellow Last Name, Fellow First Name, Applicant Organization
Name.pdf”.
2. Email the PDF file to heiser@thenytrust.org.
3. The Trust’s communications about the result of your submission will be by email,
whether notification of a decline or grant. Please add noreply@thenytrust.org to your
address book so important communications do not get caught in your spam filters.
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Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy- Request for Proposals (2025)
VI. Dates for Proposal Submission and Funding Decisions
1. All proposals are due by 5pm (EST) Thursday, September 25, 2025.
• US-based applicants must submit electronically via The New York Community
Trust’s portal/website)
• Non-US-based applicants must submit by email following directions in V above by
emailing the proposal to heiser@thenytrust.org.
2. Grant approvals and declines issued by Friday, February 20, 2026.
3. For proposals that are recommended for funding, the grant period will be from March 1,
2026 to February 28, 2028.
VII. Scientific Advisory Committee (affiliations as of February 2025)
1. Gilla Kaplan, PhD (Chair); Former Director, Global Health
Program/Tuberculosis, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
2. Stewart Cole, PhD; Former Director General, Pasteur Institute, Paris France
3. Rhea Coler, PhD; Senior Investigator, Seattle Children’s Hospital
4. Sabine Ehrt, PhD; Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill
Cornell Medical College
5. Thomas Hawn, MD, PhD; Professor of Medicine, Allergy and Infectious
Diseases, University of Washington
6. David Scollard, MD, PhD; Former Director, National Hansen’s Disease Programs
VIII. Questions
If you have questions about the RFP, please email Irfan Hasan, Vice President, Programs and
Grants at ihasan@thenytrust.org.
If you need assistance with navigating the portal or uploading the proposal, please email Marc
Schell, Program Department Manager at mschell@thenytrust.org.
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