The ICA Pilot Research Program was begun in 1985, and remains the first and only interstitial cystitis research program funded by a non-profit, patient association. To date, this ICA Program has funded over 70 projects totally more than $1 million.

Many times, researchers with new IC concepts are unable to receive funding from the NIH because they lack the preliminary data needed for NIH grant approval. The ICA Pilot Research Program provides researchers with the initial funding to get their projects literally "off the ground."  The ICA Pilot Research Program, funded largely by ICA patient contributions, has "opened the doors" for many researchers, and enabled them to obtain large government grants to further pursue their explorations into the causes and treatments of IC.

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