Advancing the Future of Organ Donation:
The Mission of the AOPO Foundation

The AOPO Foundation stands at the forefront of organ and tissue donation, dedicated to driving progress in this critical field through research and innovation. As a 501(c)3 organization, the AOPO Foundation is committed to funding groundbreaking research that improves all aspects of donation for transplantation. By supporting new knowledge and advancing practices within the community, the AOPO Foundation plays a vital role in saving more lives.

AOPO Foundation Research Grants

The AOPO Foundation provides up to $100,000 annually to fund up to five research projects. The AOPO Foundation has officially launched its first grant application, open to Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) in collaboration with non-profit, academic, and governmental organizations. Eligible research projects should align with our mission, be achievable and sustainable, and demonstrate measurable outcomes. These grants are awarded twice a year, on June 15th and December 15th, with the application deadline for the December cycle being November 1st.

AOPO 50K: Drive Innovation & Research

Innovation and Research are central to AOPO’s goal of reaching 50,000 annual organs transplanted in 2026. To achieve this milestone, AOPO’s dedicated to promoting, supporting, and engaging in research that explores innovative strategies to advance organ donation and transplantation. The AOPO Foundation has identified several critical areas where research is needed to improve donation and transplantation outcomes:

• • • Non-Utilization of Organs: Investigating why some organs are not transplanted, even after recovery, and how the OPO community can increase organ utilization.
    • Donor Management Strategies: Developing strategies to increase the yield of viable organs for transplant.
    • Organ Donation Authorization: Exploring effective strategies for obtaining authorization, including first-person authorization.
    • Late Primary Acceptance Organ Declines: Addressing the challenges associated with late primary acceptance organ declines.

Other areas of interest include evaluating clinical interventions to maximize organ utilization, advancing the quality and safety of transplantable organs, examining emerging donation and transplant job specialties, and developing initiatives to promote cost-effectiveness in the donation and transplantation field. The AOPO Foundation is also keen on supporting pilot projects that use innovative messaging to increase donor designation rates and social interventions to boost public commitment to organ donation, especially in underserved communities.

NASEM Research Recommendations

The 2022 report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), titled “Realizing the Promise of Equity in the Organ Transplantation System,” emphasized the need for ongoing innovation within the organ transplantation system. It identified several key areas where advancements could improve organ availability and accessibility, which are also priorities AOPO is actively working to address. These recommendations include:

• • • Developing novel organ sources, such as organoids, printed organs, artificial organs, and xenotransplantation.
    • Rehabilitating organs not currently being transplanted, such as defatting livers.
    • Creating new methods of organ distribution and transport, like using drones or transporting kidneys while on a pump.
    • Maximizing both deceased and living donation through improving understanding and outreach within diverse communities.
    • Conducting patient-centered research to better understand patient priorities within the transplantation system.
    • Improving education initiatives for providers, potential donors, and potential transplant recipients.
    • Applying healthcare delivery and implementation science in the field, specifically to advance health equity.

Conclusion

The AOPO Foundation is excited to award its first research grants, aiming to drive significant advancements in organ and tissue donation. By funding research and advocating for new technologies and strategies, the AOPO Foundation is helping to save more lives and achieve the goal of 50,000 organs transplanted annually in 2026. For those interested in contributing to this mission, grant applications are open, and more information can be found on the AOPO Foundation’s website.

Thank you,
Joe Nespral, MD, CPTC
AOPO Foundation President
Chief Executive Officer
Texas Organ Sharing Alliance