Since our inception in 1991, IFFGD has helped millions of people, providing education, assistance, and support.
IFFGD is a leader in the fight for more research to improve diagnostic and treatment options for gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. With donations from people like you, we directly fund grants and recognition awards to basic and clinical scientists working in the field.
With your input, we make the needs and concerns of people with functional GI and motility disorders known to the physicians, nurses, therapists, and researchers who work with patients and research these diseases. We have also fostered scientific exchange among leading researchers and clinicians through our International Symposium on Functional GI Disorders, and we collaborate on projects to evaluate the prevalence of these disorders and to determine the needs of those affected.
Research Awards
In 2003, IFFGD introduced Research Awards to recognize researchers making significant contributions to the field of functional gastrointestinal (GI) disease. The goal is to encourage collaboration among clinicians and scientists to advance the understanding of GI and motility disorders in both adults and children for better treatments and cures
Travel Award
In 2023, IFFGD awarded travel grants to support the education of young investigators. These opportunities will allow for networking with other clinicians and scientists to further develop research programs around the world. Each award consists of up to $2,000 to cover expenses related to travel and registration.
Preceptorship Award
In February 2024, IFFGD awarded its first preceptorship grant of $5,000 to an early career physician with an interest in the clinical aspects of functional gastrointestinal (GI) and motility disorders. The grant is for a four-week visit to a medical center with expertise in these disorders.
Research Grants
Since 2008, IFFGD has awarded Research Grants in addition to the IFFGD Research Awards. These grants provide funding for research related to understanding and managing functional gastrointestinal (GI) and motility disorders, with the goal of improving patient care.
Timeline
2024
- IFFGD awarded Dr. Prashant Singh with IFFGD’s 2024 Research Grant
- IFFGD awarded its first Preceptorship Award to Dr. Mohsin Butt
- IFFGD awarded 15 Travel Awards to support young investigators in neurogastroenterology and functional GI and motility disorders. View the 2024 award recipients
- IFFGD Hosted the 2024 Virtual Digestive Health Wellness & Walk Event
2023
- IFFGD awarded Dr. Will Takakura with IFFGD’s 2023 Research Grant
- IFFGD awarded 8 Travel Awards to support young investigators in neurogastroenterology and functional GI and motility disorders. View the 2023 award recipients
- IFFGD hosted the 2023 Virtual Digestive Health Wellness & Walk Event
2022
- IFFGD awarded Dr. Judy Nee with IFFGD’s 2022 Research Grant
- IFFGD hosted the 2022 Virtual Digestive Health Wellness & Walk Event
2021
- IFFGD Hosted a 2021 Virtual Fundraising Walk raising over $30,000 towards GI research
- IFFGD created the “Where Are They Now?” Research Award Winners Series
2020
- IFFGD awarded 3 Research Awards to support young investigators in clinical and translational sciences. View the 2020 award recipients
2019
- IFFGD awarded 4 Research Awards to support young investigators in clinical and translational sciences. View the 2019 award recipients
- IFFGD surveyed gastroparesis patients on quality of life, disease severity, and medication risks. Distributed via email and social media, it received 200 responses in 5 weeks, offering key patient insights. View the survey report
2018
- IFFGD awarded 4 Research Awards to support young investigators in clinical and translational sciences. View the 2018 award recipients
2017
- Results of the IFFGD online research survey of people diagnosed with gastroparesis, titled “The Burdens, Concerns, and Quality of Life of Adults with Gastroparesis,” are published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences. View the survey report
2016
- Preliminary results of the IFFGD online research survey of people diagnosed with gastroparesis are presented at Digestive Disease Week 2016
2015
- In collaboration with researchers from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, IFFGD developed a research survey of people diagnosed with gastroparesis to gain a better understanding of the various issues confronting patients with gastroparesis and their treatment needs.
2014
- IFFGD awarded 3 Research Awards to support investigators for innovative research related to idiopathic gastroparesis. View the 2014 award recipients
2013
- IFFGD awarded 8 Research Awards to investigators in clinical and basic sciences. View the 2013 award recipients
2012
- IFFGD provides oral testimony regarding Fiscal Year 2013 appropriations for the Department of Defense (DOD) Gulf War Illness Research Program to the U.S Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee On Defense.
2011
- IFFGD presented 6 Research Awards to investigators in clinical and basic sciences. View the 2011 award recipients
2009
- IFFGD presented 5 Research Awards to investigators in clinical and basic sciences. View the 2009 award recipients
2008
- IFFGD awarded 5 Research Grants to investigators in clinical and translational sciences. View the 2008 grant recipients
- IFFGD awarded a Research Grant to establish the Pediatric Consortium for Research in Functional GI Disorders, creating an infrastructure for secure data collection and short-term research projects to support larger longitudinal studies.
2007
- In collaboration with the UNC Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders, IFFGD sponsored a survey that showed that much more needs to be done to develop and deliver satisfactory treatment to IBS sufferers.
- IFFGD presented Research Awards to 6 junior and senior investigators in both clinical and basic sciences. View the 2007 award recipients
2005
- IFFGD presented Research Awards to 6 junior and senior investigators in both clinical and basic sciences. View the 2005 award recipients
2004
- IFFGD conducted a study among 1,000 U.S. adults in a random telephone survey looking at prevalence and awareness of IBS. Thirteen percent of those surveyed had symptoms suggestive of IBS, yet less than 1 in 5 had been diagnosed. Among other findings, the IFFGD National IBS Survey shows that, while symptoms are negatively impacting quality of life, a lack of awareness about IBS may be getting in the way of diagnosis and treatment.
2003
- IFFGD presented our first Research Awards to junior and senior investigators in both clinical and basic sciences. View the 2003 award recipients
2002
- Presented by Nancy J. Norton of IFFGD at the November 3-5, 2002 symposium, Advancing the Treatment of Fecal and Urinary Incontinence Through Research: Trial Design, Outcome Measures, and Research Priorities. View Nancy’s presentation, The Patient’s Perspective
- IFFGD conducted a quantitative study of 350 adults with IBS, revealing chronic symptoms that significantly impair quality of life and productivity, with limited effective treatments. The IBS in the Real World Survey highlights the substantial impact of IBS on daily life. Results were published by IFFGD in IBS in the Real World Survey: Summary Findings
2001
- IFFGD originated and helped coordinate the first Consensus Conference on Treatment Options for Fecal Incontinence. This first meeting, held by IFFGD in Milwaukee, led to the publication of a consensus report, which was published in Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, in 2001.
1999
- A total of 500 IFFGD members selected at random (their confidentiality was protected) participated in an IBS study designed to measure demographics, types and severity of symptoms, various dimensions of quality of life, impact of the disorder on work or daily activities, interaction with the medical care system, use of medications, and use of alternative types of therapy. The results of the study by Hahn, Yan, and Strassels were published in the journal Digestion, 1999 Jan-Feb;60(1):77-81.
- IFFGD sponsored a 3-day workshop “Pathophysiological Models of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.” The primary goal of the workshop was to provide basic and clinical investigators (with different backgrounds and interests but with a shared interest in functional medical disorders) with an impetus to develop conceptual models that are applicable to functional GI disorders.
1998
- IFFGD helped organize a 3-day meeting, The Science and Practice of Mind Body Interactions. Participants included outstanding and internationally recognized scientific leaders in neurophysiology and anatomy, and a group of prominent and unique practitioners of mind-body medicine. A summary of the meeting proceedings were published by IFFGD as The Neurobiology Basis of Mind Body Medicine.
1995
- Beginning in 1995, IFFGD has been active in encouraging Congressional allocation of funding to the National Institutes of Health for research of gastrointestinal disorders, both through membership in the Digestive Disease National Coalition, and through direct testimony and recommendations.
- IFFGD organizes and hosts the first professional symposium on functional GI disorders: the International Symposium on Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.
1993
- In 1993, IFFGD initiated an incontinence prevalence study to determine the prevalence and characteristics associated with anal incontinence in the general community. The results of this community-based study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on August 16, 1995, Volume 274.
