Foundation Board Approves CARRA Grants

Last week the Alpha Omicron Pi Foundation Board approved three exciting Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) grants for projects led by female researchers. The investment in these grants totals $100,000 and is part of our partnership with the Arthritis Foundation. During 2020-2021 the AOII Foundation invested more than $607,000 in arthritis programs and research. This funding was made possible through the hard work of our collegiate and alumnae chapters and our generosity of our donors.

“The AOII Foundation and Fraternity are honored to be funding three significant CARRA research grants for the coming year. It is especially heartwarming to support three admirable female researchers in their important work while also providing funds to Canadian and USA research projects. It is our sincere hope that the three selected grants will provide outcomes that prove beneficial to the arthritis community,” shared Foundation Board President, Andrea Dill.

• Linda Hiraki’s project at The Hospital for Sick Children, Understanding the Genetics of Childhood-Onset Systematic Lupus
• Yuki Kimura’s project at Children’s Hospital/Hackensack UI, Biologic Switching and Treatment Effectiveness in JIA
• Erin Treemarcki’s at University of Utah, Emotional Distress and Acceptance of Mental Health Interventions in Pediatric Rheumatology

Special thanks to Rachel Boison (Kappa Kappa, Ball State U), Grants Committee Chair and Nancy Hohmann (Phi, U of Kansas), Foundation Director and Board Liaison to Grants Committee, and our Grants Committee members for their work reviewing all of the grant submissions.

CARRA’s mission is to conduct collaborative research to prevent, treat and cure pediatric rheumatic diseases. We envision a world free of limitations from pediatric rheumatic diseases.