National research agenda: ICA public policy staff advocate for a strong IC research agenda carried forth by the National Institutes of Health.

Pilot research:The ICA administers the Fishbein Family IC Research Foundation, a private grantmaking entity dedicated to finding the cause, more effective treatments and ultimately a cure for IC. In past years, more than half of Fishbein grant recipients subsequently received NIH grants that were related to their pilot research. The ICA Pilot Research Program also funds preliminary research, encouraging researchers to gather the data required to obtain larger government grants for further exploration.

Online surveys: The ICA conducts weekly online surveys of site visitors -- the findings offer a snapshot into the lives of people living with IC.

Revised August 29, 2008