JFF Is Funding the Research That Doesn’t Exist Yet
If you search for research on infertility in the Jewish community, you won’t find much. Not because the questions aren’t important, but because almost no one has funded the people asking them.
That’s what the JFF Research Grant is here to change.
Starting this fall, the Jewish Fertility Foundation will award two $10,000 grants to early-career REI fellows conducting original research focused on infertility among Jewish individuals and couples. This is the first program of its kind from JFF, and it reflects something we’ve known for a long time: the Jewish community has distinct genetic, cultural, and religious factors that shape fertility and the path to treatment, and those factors are almost entirely absent from the research world.
Think about it. Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrahi communities each carry different genetic predispositions relevant to fertility. Religious practices around family purity and timing intersect directly with fertility treatment. Cultural expectations around family building can create isolation for people struggling to conceive. None of this is a footnote. It’s central to how Jewish individuals and couples experience infertility, and yet it rarely shows up in the studies that shape clinical practice.
The JFF Research Grant is our way of putting real dollars behind closing that gap.
Who this is for
We’re opening applications to current REI fellows in ACGME-accredited programs across the U.S. Applicants don’t need to be Jewish themselves. What matters is that the research centers Jewish populations, whether that’s genetic factors, access to care, psychological impact, fertility preservation, LGBTQ+ family building, or recurrent pregnancy loss within Jewish communities.
Each award comes with a full year of funding, and awardees will be expected to present their findings at the ASRM Annual Meeting or an equivalent national conference, plus share a lay-language summary so the Jewish community itself can benefit from what they learn.
Why it matters beyond the research
Every study funded through this grant becomes something REI physicians can point to. Something that validates what so many Jewish patients have felt but couldn’t find written down anywhere. That’s the real return on this investment: better-informed care, and a body of research that finally reflects the population it’s meant to serve.
Applications are open now through November 30, 2026. If you know an REI fellow who should apply, or a program director who should share this, now’s the time to tell them.
Learn more about the JFF Research Grant & Apply Here!
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