Since its founding in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes, JDRF has awarded more than $1.16 billion to diabetes research, including more than $137 million in FY 2007. More than 85 percent of JDRF's expenditures directly support research and research-related education. In FY 2007, the Foundation funded 700 centers, grants and fellowships in 20 countries. JDRF's Research Goals: JDRF plays a unique role in setting the global direction of diabetes research resources, to ensure that funds are used as effectively as possible as a "cure enterprise" to bring about a world without diabetes and its complications. To that end, the organization has identified a set of cure therapeutic goal areas on which to focus its research funding efforts. JDRF believes some combination of these areas of research holds the best potential to lead to breakthrough cures and treatments for type 1 diabetes and its complications. JDRF will continue to actively pursue research within the framework of the following goals while remaining flexible enough to quickly respond to new opportunities as they arise: Stopping the immune system response that causes type 1 diabetes and restoring autoimmunity in new-onset patients Perfecting islet replacement strategies without chronic immunosuppression, including the creation of a renewable islet cell source Creating novel therapeutics for predicting, preventing, and reversing complications Regenerating the body's own beta cells without transplantation Achieving metabolic control through mechanical intervention, including the development of a closed-loop artificial pancreas. Locally, JDRF is funding multi-million dollar research grants at the Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, University of Washington, Washington State University, Institute for Systems Biology and Pacific Northwest Research Institute. For more information, visit JDRF International's web site.