History of the Grant Awards

The Schweppe Foundation has a long history of supporting medical research. The Foundation was established in 1947 by John S. Schweppe, M.D., as a memorial to his parents, Charles H. and Laura Shedd Schweppe. In the early years, 1947 through the mid 1950's, the Foundation made one-year non-competitive grants to individuals of outstanding caliber in the field of medicine.

Beginning in the mid 1950's until the late 1960's grants were given to post doctoral individuals with degrees in the basic sciences and to physicians performing research in the basic sciences. Applicants were limited to university or university-affiliated hospitals in the Cook County area of Chicago. The amount of each award was $10,000 annually for a period of three years.

Beginning in the late 1960's award emphasis shifted to identifying talented young individual investigators and to providing support for their further development. The Foundation's current version of Career Development Awards began at that time. These awards provided ‘protected time' for the individual to develop knowledge, teaching and research skills. It was hoped that upon completion of a Career Development Award, promising young researchers would be in a position to further their research careers. The annual stipend for Career Development Awards increased in 1981-1982 from $10,000 to $15,000; a total of $45,000 for a three-year award period.

John S. Schweppe, M.D. died in 1996. His wife, Lydia E. Schweppe died in 1997. Upon his death, Dr. Schweppe bequeathed funds to the Schweppe Foundation. Since 1997, the Foundation has been guided by a board of directors as well as the children of John and Lydia Schweppe, Leigh S. Buettner, Charles Schweppe and David Schweppe. Their vision for the Foundation continues in their parents' footsteps. They strongly believe in the importance of providing financial support to promising individuals in the early stages of their careers in academic medicine.

In 2000 the annual stipend for Career Development Awards was increased from $15,000 to $50,000 for a three-year award period. Beginning April 2003, the award remained at $50,000 annually but the term changed from a three-year to a two-year award period.