Purpose & History
Our Purpose
The American Neuromuscular Foundation (ANF) is committed to funding research, supporting education, and building awareness to strengthen the global effort to improve patient care and ultimately cure all neuromuscular diseases.
Foundation History
The foundation was incorporated in 1995 as the AAEM Foundation for Research and Education. It was established as a supporting charitable nonprofit organization of the AANEM to carry out the charitable, educational, and scientific activities of the AANEM. The name changed in 2004 and again in 2019 to reflect the expanded mission of the association and foundation. Now known as the American Neuromuscular Foundation, it's Board of Directors is composed of the voting board members of the AANEM. From 1999-2009 the foundation provided pilot study grants to encourage research in the field. In late 2011, the foundation offered a $500,000 request for proposal to fund a large scale research project in electrodiagnostic and neuromuscular medicine. There were 17 applications received. A project was chosen but due to difficulties, the project was never funded. In 2015, the AANEM reached out to the Muscular Dystrophy Association to discuss the possibility of cofunding research project in the area of neuromuscular diseases received by the MDA. The MDA agreed to the partnership and the foundation began cofunding research with the MDA. Also in 2015, the foundation received funding for two research fellowships. The fellowship were filled in 2016 and 2017. In 2016, the foundation also announced that the AANEM would fund their own development grants. In the fall of 2016, the AANEM transferred $3 million to the foundation to fund these research activities and to help encourage further growth of the foundation’s activities. Throughout its history, the foundation has funded the President’s Research Award, the Golseth Award, the Best Abstract Award and provided grants for physicians from disadvantaged countries and residents and fellows to attend the AANEM annual meeting. In 2019, the foundation was rebranded the American Neuromuscular Foundation (ANF) to reflect the expanded mission of the association and foundation. To demonstrate its continued support of research, the AANEM transferred $1.65M to the ANF in 2021. The ANF Board discussed the concept of delivering more robust support for the neuromuscular community through strategic partnerships that drive systemic, lasting improvements that improve people’s lives in the spring of 2022. A late onset neuromuscular disease consortium meeting was held in Nashville in 2022 with patient advocacy groups and corporate patterns to discuss how to strengthen the ANF’s mission.