NMDP Amy Strelzer Manasevit Research Program

Supporting early-career physician-scientists focused on post-transplant complications

The NMDP^SM Amy Strelzer Manasevit Research Program has helped launch the careers of physician-researchers who aim to discover solutions to potentially life-threatening post-hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) or post-cell therapy complications. First awarded in 1998, the Amy Research Program is one of the largest and most coveted grants in HCT and cell therapy.

The Amy Research Program focuses on early career support to attract new talent to the field and encourage researchers to study ways to alleviate therapy-associated complications, such as infection, relapse or graft-versus-host disease. Amy Scholars receive a maximum of $400,000 divided over five years.

The application period for 2026 grants is closed. The 2027 grant application period will open in Summer 2026.

How the Amy Research Program impacts HCT patients

The work of Amy Scholars leads to advances in HCT that make a difference in the lives of patients. Watch the video to learn how the program is driving forward research that addresses complications after transplant—and allows you to join the ranks of elite leaders in the field.

How the Amy Research Program benefited past scholars

Since 1998, the Amy Research Program has supported 55 scholars and at least 12 post-doctoral fellows with financial investments of more than $12 million.

The Amy award got me started in chronic graft-versus-host disease research, and that has been the focus of my career. We now have four new drugs approved to treat this complication. All of those approvals used evidence from the survey tool [I developed as part of the Amy Research Program] to support that we were benefiting patients."

Stephanie Lee, MD

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1998 Amy Scholar

Achieving funding through NMDP and the Amy Research Program is a significant milestone for young translational investigators working to improve the lives of patients after cell therapies. I aim to improve the lives of patients with AML."

Mark B. Leick, MD

Massachusetts General Hospital, 2025 Amy Scholar

2025 Amy Scholar Dr. Mark Leick smiling at the camera. He has short brown hair and is wearing glasses, a tan jacket and shirt, with a dark tie.

Amy Research Program since 1998

55

early career physician-scientists supported by NMDP

$12 million+

awarded by NMDP for research portfolio development and lab establishment

$250 million+

in subsequent government grants won by Amy Scholars

Honoring Amy Strelzer Manasevit through innovative research

Amy was a young, vibrant mother of two who had a successful transplant after a multiple myeloma diagnosis in 1993. However, she succumbed to pneumonia and passed away just six weeks after returning home.

Her family and friends partnered with NMDP in 1997 to establish the research program. Their hope—prevent other families from losing loved ones because of complications from HCT.

NMDP relies on financial contributions from generous supporters to fund this critical research fellowship.

For more information about the Amy Research Program, email asmgrant@nmdp.org.

Amy Strelzer Manasevit smiling at the camera wearing a purple sweater and off-white vest. She has shoulder-length brown hair.

NMDP Barbara Buchbinder Nurse Research Program

In addition to supporting early-career physicians through the Amy Research Program, NMDP invests in pediatric HCT nurse researchers through the NMDP Barbara Buchbinder Nurse Research Program.