Bedford Research Foundation

Millions of women have undergone In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and hundreds of thousands of babies have been born. More than 85,000 women undergo IVF in the U.S. each year, with more than 25,000 IVF babies born annually. Nonetheless, the 1996 and 1998 U.S. Congresses decided that research on fertilized human eggs "...is meritorious and should be done for society..., but will not be funded by taxpayer dollars."

Thus, scientists seeking to study fertilized human eggs in an effort to improve success and reduce risks to mothers and babies cannot apply for U.S. federal funds
to support their work.

Consequently, the burden of funding this research has fallen to private infertility clinics and pharmaceutical companies. Although fertility treatment is a multi-billion dollar a year business in the U.S., infertility clinics and pharmaceutical companies have not sponsored the urgently needed research. The mothers who undergo assisted reproduction, and the babies born, do not, therefore, have the benefit of basic research by U.S. scientists. It is for this reason that the Bedford Research Foundation has launched the Small Grants Program to provide funds for scientists who wish to conduct basic research on human fertilized eggs. The goal is to award four small grants, approximately $60,000 per year for two years, to fund qualified research proposals from basic scientists with a collaboration with an infertility clinic. $60,000 per year will fund the salary and supplies of one research fellow. $400,000 per year is needed to fund this program. It is a beginning -- with the goal of improved outcomes for infertile women and their babies.

Connecticut Law Review "What is an Embryo?"

In Vitro Fertilization and Cleavage of Human Ovarian Eggs--The original report from 1944 about In Vitro Fertilized Eggs.

Links to sites with news and information about reproductive research.
Duncan Holly Biomedical-- A laboratory of the Bedford Research Foundation that provides semen testing services for male infertility, including infectious disease infertility.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)--More information on In Vitro Fertilization.