Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Funds cystic fibrosis science, care advances, and community support while building research momentum across treatment pathways.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) is a U.S. patient-advocacy foundation founded in 1955 and based in Bethesda, Maryland. It backs cystic fibrosis research, clinical infrastructure, and industry investment around a single disease mission, with the foundation’s 2024 report pointing to a patient registry covering about 80% of the U.S. cystic fibrosis population.

Its funding mix runs through academic grants and fellowships, peer-reviewed on NIH-style lines, and Mission Ventures, the foundation’s venture-philanthropy arm. Named routes in the record include the Path to a Cure Collaborative Research Grant up to $1 million, the Clinical Research Award up to $350,000, the Research Grants and Pilot and Feasibility awards, and training awards for postdoctoral, clinical, and physician-scientist applicants.

CFF uses standing committees for basic and translational work, clinical proposals, Path to a Cure priorities, and physician-scientist training. Applications move through awards.cff.org and missionventures.cff.org, reviews typically take four to eight months, and the foundation pairs funding with the Therapeutics Development Network, an in-house Therapeutics Lab, and patient and family input on some clinical reviews.