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Recently, the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) has adopted the business name “NARSAD, The World's Leading Charity Dedicated to Mental Health Research” to reflect the broader funding interests of the organization. In addition to funding research about schizophrenia and depression, NARSAD funds psychiatric brain research in many areas, such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders.
NARSAD meets the extensive Standards for Charity Accountability developed by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, America’s most experienced charity evaluator. The Alliance is a national charity monitoring organization affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system which, in its evaluation process, completes a comprehensive assessment of the charity’s governance, fund raising practices, solicitations and informational materials, as well as how it spends its money.
Scientists who have received NARSAD grants have shaped psychiatric research throughout the world. Here is a sample of their findings:
- An elucidation of the pathways of memory.
- An understanding of the relationship between stress and anxiety.
- The revelation of links between environmental insults during pregnancy and schizophrenia and between father’s age and schizophrenia.
- The development of new screening methods and interventions for children at risk for mental illness.
- The unveiling of the genetic link between schizophrenia and bipolar disease.
- Click here to view current NARSAD research projects.
In fact, the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology in 2001 was awarded to three NARSAD-affiliated scientists:
- Arvid Emil Carlsson, M.D., of Gothenburg University in Sweden, received NARSAD's Lieber Prize in 1994, for research that provided a basis for understanding schizophrenia, antidepressant action, brain malfunction and potential therapeutic strategies in mental illness.
- Paul Greengard, Ph.D., of Rockefeller University, is a member of NARSAD's Scientific Council. He was a NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Grantee in 1992 and winner of NARSAD's Lieber Prize in 1996 for his role in elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which brain neurons communicate.
- Eric R. Kandel, M.D., of Columbia University, is a member of NARSAD's Scientific Council. He was a Distinguished Investigator Grantee in 1995 and 2000 for his research on a genetic approach to affective disorders and studies on the molecular mechanisms in the amygdala that govern the learned acquisition of anxiety, respectively.
NARSAD also has received acknowledgement for its unique philanthropic work. Here is a listing of some of that recognition:
- Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of philanthropic organizations, in 2005 awarded NARSAD four stars, its highest honor, because NARSAD excels financially in its mission of providing funding for psychiatric research.
- The American Psychiatric Association gave NARSAD its Distinguished Service Award in 2002, in recognition of its leadership on behalf of scientific research into causes, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders. NARSAD also received this award in 1990.
- The Brooke Astor Award from Rockefeller University was given to Constance E. Lieber, NARSAD president, in 2001.
- The American Institute of Philanthropy consistently gives NARSAD an A+: The organization is a charity watchdog group that grades not-for-profit organizations based on the amount they spend on programs as opposed to fund-raising and administrative costs.
- NARSAD is 1 of America’s 100 Best Charities according to Worth magazine in 2001.
- The Lieber Prize for Outstanding Research in Schizophrenia, one of NARSAD's highest prizes, is listed in the Official Roster of Distinguished Awards.
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