BrightFocus Foundation

BrightFocus Foundation is a premier nonprofit funder of research to slow, prevent, treat, and ultimately end three diseases affecting mind and sight: Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. These diseases currently have no cure and impact more than 300 million people worldwide—1 in 7 people over age 40.

Through its flagship research programs—Alzheimer’s Disease Research, National Glaucoma Research, and Macular Degeneration Research—the Foundation is currently supporting a $75 million portfolio of 287 innovative scientific projects around the world.

BrightFocus shares the latest research findings, expert information, and English/Spanish disease resources to empower the millions impacted by these devastating diseases and raise awareness about the diseases' human, social, and financial impact on our communities, our nation, and the world.

We support bold, promising research, acting as a catalyst for scientists to pursue innovative ideas that push the frontiers of discovery. These are the ideas that may transform our understanding of these diseases and accelerate the path to treatments and a cure. Much of the work we support occurs earlier in the scientific pipeline, where other sources of funding can be scarce. Our 360-degree approach to funding research examines the full range of scientific paths toward better treatments and ultimately a cure for Alzheimer's, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.

We are a trusted source of information, sharing the latest research updates and helpful resources with individuals and families impacted by these diseases. We deliver this information through a series of free print materials and digitally through our website, brightfocus.org, our growing social media communities, educational programming programming, and more.

BrightFocus works closely with nonprofit and corporate partners on issues of common concern. As a respected member of broad coalitions, we communicate with key policymakers and elected officials on the importance of research funding and caregiving support.

BrightFocus has a strong track record of being a consistent source of early-stage research support. We have awarded nearly $290 million in research funding to date on diseases of mind and sight. This support has funded research across the U.S. and in 25 other countries across the globe. We ensure the high quality of research proposals through our rigorous peer review process involving world-class, renowned scientists and clinicians who identify and support the science with the greatest potential to succeed.

More than 75% of our research funding is awarded to early-career investigators, many of whom have gone on to become prominent industry leaders in fact, our funding helped launch the careers of two Nobel Prize winners. Most BrightFocus-funded researchers go on to receive ten times the amount of their initial BrightFocus grant from larger funding sources, including the National Institutes of Health.

Accomplishments

• BrightFocus has steadily increased the funding of our research awards, nearly $100 million in the last five years alone, and increased the size and scope of BrightFocus public education and engagement, as described above.

• Discoveries by BrightFocus-funded scientists have shaped the field for 50 years and include many groundbreaking “firsts,” including the development of the first widely accessible blood test in the U.S. to identify early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, the first-ever reversal of age-related vision loss and eye damage from glaucoma using gene therapy, and the world’s first artificial intelligence model that detects Alzheimer’s by reading a patient’s retina images.

• We continue to increase the amount of funding available for high-impact investigator-initiated research. In 2022, BrightFocus awarded nearly $25 million in grants, a fivefold increase in annual funding from a decade ago. Since inception BrightFocus has supported 1,826 research projects for a total of nearly $275 million.

• We continue to broaden the field of research and are proud that this year, 44% of our awarded scientists are women; nearly 25% are to leading institutions outside the U.S., and 80% of the new awards support promising early-career researchers.

• Our public awareness efforts reach millions of people via television and radio public service announcements and digital engagement campaigns. BrightFocus serves as a presentation partner for the acclaimed documentary “Turning Point,” which raises awareness about Alzheimer’s clinical trials. We have increased our participation and influence in Washington-based coalitions that advocate for greater federal support for research.

Still to be Accomplished

• Although our research funding is at an all-time high, and collaboration with advocacy coalitions has been fruitful, BrightFocus and other like-minded organizations have still not ended Alzheimer's disease, glaucoma, or macular degeneration. And despite progress in public awareness of these diseases and greater participation in clinical trials, collectively we have still not removed the stigma associated with these three diseases, and with Alzheimer's in particular. More financial support from foundations, government, and industry is needed to defeat these diseases of mind and sight.

• We must work to increase our nation's commitment and level of research funding to end these diseases. That will take the building of a substantial public network to advocate for increased federal funding. When scientists cannot get the resources they need to move forward, this delays discovery, treatments, and a potential cure for people with diseases of mind and sight.

Despite these challenges, BrightFocus Foundation has hope—based on the brilliance of our funded scientists and the commitment of our donors and advocates—that we will one day end these diseases of mind and sight.