The Foundation was established to stimulate and support research in the area of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, later expanding its interests to include diseases of connective tissue and, ultimately, all basic biomedical sciences. Under the Foundation?s program, young men and women planning careers in biological and medical research receive financial support of sufficient duration to help further their professional careers. The Foundation is unique in its Purpose - to select and support the best future scientists in their choices of biological and medical research that will provide them career opportunities to flourish in academic biomedical science and industrial science. The Foundation has persevered in the belief that the best science will be done when scientists have their choice in selecting the field of research. The Foundation also supports the need to provide opportunities to those who will remain in laboratory science and academic medicine.