JDRF will work with Amazon’s cloud computing arm to leverage technology to support the T1D community

NEW YORK, NY (December 9, 2020) — JDRF today announced it has been selected as a winner of the 2020 Amazon Web Services (AWS) Imagine Grant, a public grant opportunity open to registered 501(c) nonprofit organizations in the United States who are using technology to solve the world’s most pressing challenges.

JDRF will use the grant to help advance its mission to cure and treat T1D and its complications, as well as improve the lives of those living with the disease.

Now in its third year, the AWS Imagine Grant program provides vital resources to nonprofit organizations looking to deploy cloud technology as a central tool to achieve mission goals. As part of the program, AWS seeks proposals for big ideas on how to leverage technology in new and innovative ways to accelerate impact in local and global communities.

According to a 2020 CDC report, the number of people living with T1D in the United States has grown from 1.25 to 1.6 million. Health care costs and access to and affordability of insulin—as well as advanced technologies that help manage T1D, such as continuous glucose monitors (CGM)—can present major impediments to improved health outcomes.

This project, in collaboration with AWS and JDRF’s other industry partners, will help JDRF to capitalize on the power of data and technology to help find and get cures into the hands of people with T1D faster.

The three key goals of this initiative are:

• Data Access: Make the most meaningful T1D data securely accessible to researchers, clinicians, and key stakeholders/organizations to drive adoption of proven treatments, enhance regulatory pathways and manage T1D effectively.
• Amplify and Accelerate JDRF’s Mission: by enrolling more supporters and advocates and helping to accelerate the discovery, regulatory approval and adoption of cures and disease modifying therapies.
• Enable and inspire innovations in the T1D treatments and cures field by leveraging data and technology across the community to prevent, cure, and treat T1D.

JDRF will receive up to $100,000 in unrestricted funding and up to $50,000 in AWS Promotional Credits. This will be in addition to other capacity-building resources, such as training and implementation support. Proposals were judged on several factors including the innovative and unique nature of the project, impact on mission-critical goals, and clearly defined outcomes and milestones.

“We at JDRF and our T1D community are excited to receive AWS Imagine Grant. Collaboration between technology leader AWS and JDRF will open-up tremendous opportunities to find a cure faster for T1D,” said Sri Mishra, Chief Data and Technology Officer, JDRF. “The award is a testament of the advances JDRF has made and will continue to make in leveraging modern day technology, data and digital transformation to reimagine solutions for our T1D community and accelerate our mission.”

Since the launch of the Imagine Grant program in 2018, AWS has awarded over $2.5M in funding, AWS Promotional Credits, and AWS training support to 26 nonprofit organizations. Previous winners are currently using AWS services to tackle critical challenges such as finding cures for childhood cancer, stopping illegal fuel dumping in oceans, giving unbanked populations a financial voice, and helping veterans access critical support, among other mission areas.

“We received an inspiring set of applications for this year’s AWS Imagine Grant, representing a diverse set of projects across the nonprofit sector,” said Dave Levy, Vice President of Nonprofits and U.S. Government at AWS. “We congratulate our winners, who are doing fantastic work to address important societal challenges. AWS looks forward to collaborating with these amazing organizations and to building, inventing, and reimagining solutions that drive meaningful change.”

For more information on the AWS Imagine Grant, visit https://aws.amazon.com/government-education/nonprofits/aws-imagine-grant-program/.

About JDRF

JDRF's mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.5 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our five international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter: @JDRF