Click to watch a video on the mission of the Jerome Lejeune Foundation

Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, the Jerome Lejeune Foundation has provided over 600 grants to researchers working all over the world since its first call for grants in 1996.

Over $25 million has been provided in our twice-annual call for grants alone, with about 20% of that funding supporting researchers working in the United States.

But our call for grants is only one way we support cutting-edge research to improve the lives of children and adults living with genetic intellectual disabilities. The Foundation invests our donors’ funds to advance research in three ways:

• Through our biennial call for grants.
• By selecting and funding special projects that show promise of rapidly moving discoveries out of the lab and into the clinic to benefit patients.
• By supporting projects designed and carried out at the Jerome Lejeune Institute in Paris, our specialized medical clinic and clinical research site.

I. Call for Grants

Twice each year the Foundation invites researchers to submit project proposals for funding. Our Call for Grants typically provides funding to support fundamental research that is directed toward furthering an understanding of the biological mechanisms and metabolic imbalance that results from trisomy 21 and other genetic anomalies. Projects considered for funding may intend to study anything from isolated genes to cellular processes, to entire organisms. A limited amount of funding is also provided for research into understanding and improving co-existing medical conditions, however preference is given to research targeted toward improving cognition.

See who we have funded

II. Special Projects

The Jerome Lejeune Foundation is focused on moving developments in science from the discovery stage to treatments that will benefit patients as quickly as possible. The Foundation selects highly promising clinical programs that are testing the safety and efficacy of treatments in humans to improve the lives of those living with genetic intellectual disabilities. The Foundation also supports the development of new drugs to treat cognitive disability, and new tools for researchers that will assist them in testing therapies and advancing their understanding of intellectual disability.

Read about a few of these special projects

• TESDAD - investigations into the use of an anti-oxidant in green tea to improve memory and executive function in those with Down syndrome
• TRIAD - a new drug under development that may benefit both those living with Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease
• Rat Program - new tool for researchers

III. Research Program at the Jerome Lejeune Institute

The Jerome Lejeune institute is a world-renowned specialty medical clinic largely funded by the Jerome Lejeune Foundation. The Institute benefits from the close synergy between the treatment of patients and their doctors that are involved in scientific investigations to improve their lives.

Discover our ACHTYF program at the Jerome Lejeune Institute

Other internal research programs funded by the Jerome Lejeune Foundation and managed by the Jerome Lejeune Institute:

Protein - Protein Interactions
Transcriptome Trisomy 21
CiBleS21

The Jerome Lejeune Foundation and the Jerome Lejeune Institute are committed to pursuing ethically sounds, safe and effective therapeutic treatments for Down syndrome and other genetic intellectual disabilities. No funding is provided for research projects that make use of human biological material derived from a direct abortion.