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Engaging Patients in Research and Health

The Research Acceleration and Innovation Network (TRAIN)

Overview

The Research Acceleration and Innovation Network (TRAIN) is a network of more than 160 foundations interested in taking a strategic and entrepreneurial approach - what some refer to as “venture philanthropy” – to funding medical research. TRAIN convenes forward-thinking groups to learn from each other and share their novel solutions with the rest of the medical research system.

Celebrating 20 Years of TRAIN


This year, FasterCures’ Research Acceleration and Innovation Network (TRAIN) proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary. Since its inception in 2005, TRAIN has been dedicated to empowering disease-focused patient organizations to adopt strategic and entrepreneurial approaches to funding medical research and connecting with patient communities.
 
Over the past two decades, FasterCures has developed an array of resources, tools, and initiatives to help patient organizations build their capacity to advance research efforts for the communities they serve. TRAIN has also served as a vital platform for amplifying the needs and perspectives of patient organizations, ensuring their voices play a key role in shaping biomedical research and development (R&D) priorities, policy decisions, and ecosystem-wide initiatives.
 
Today, TRAIN brings together more than 180 patient organizations, representing both rare and common diseases. While each organization within TRAIN is unique, they all share a common commitment to advancing R&D that benefits their patient communities.

 

TRAIN Toolkits

Foundation Company Partnership

Find the right partners and structure agreements to help you achieve your goals.

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Foundation University Partnerships

Craft agreements with universities that best serve the needs and interests of all parties.

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Foundations as Collaboration Conveners

Ease the pain points in collaborative processes, from governance structures to sharing data.

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Foundations’ Role in Supporting Clinical Trial Innovation

Access resources from the November 2021 TRAIN workshop, “Foundations’ Role in Supporting Clinical Trial Innovation."

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Foundation’s Role in Supporting Translational Science

Accelerate translational research and move good ideas from concept to the clinic.

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Research Partnership Maturity Model

Foster partnerships between patient organizations and help advance their research.

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Vital Voices: Opportunities for Patient Organizations to Engage CMS

Empowers patient organizations to engage effectively with CMS.

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Featured Content

The Research Acceleration and Innovation Network (TRAIN)
Featured Content

TRAIN Case Studies

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) is recognized as one of the best examples of venture philanthropy in medical research. CFF has provided over $1 billion in funding since 2005, it actively supports the development of new treatments—nine of them FDA-approved—and has industry partners including Vertex, Pfizer, PTC Therapeutics, and Genzyme.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) is the single largest funder of Parkinson's research outside of the US government. To date, MJFF has invested more than $450 million in research—almost 90 percent for translational research—funded testing of more than 100 therapeutic targets for Parkinson's disease (PD), and undertaken novel industry partnerships to support early-stage promising therapeutic approaches.

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and its sister organization, the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC), have created a remarkable engine for drug discovery and development. MMRF has raised more than $500 million and funded 135 institutions worldwide, been involved in the development of 15 new treatments, facilitated nearly 100 clinical trials through the consortium, and has 17 MMRF-funded compounds now in clinical trials.

The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation has demonstrated remarkable success in investing money and resources in early clinical stage trials and preclinical drug discovery research. ADDF has invested in 20% of the drugs currently in clinical development for Alzheimer’s disease.

EB Research Partnership has funded more than 80 research projects, which has led to 30 clinical trials, including 3 Phase III trials and, as of May 2023, the first ever approved treatment for EB. They have also started their own for-profit research company. In 2019, EBRP funded the formation of Wings Therapeutics, a new company dedicated to developing treatments for EB.

The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, through its IBD Ventures, invested $31 million in research in 2020. The IBD Ventures program is dedicated to funding mechanisms and providing resources and advisement to support product-oriented research and development for Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis.