The Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo™

Encouraging innovation within the vitiligo community

The 2024 lncyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo™ recipients have been selected and the 2025 application period is now open until October 31, 2025.

Vitiligo Innovators Program™

The 2024 Vitiligo Innovators ProgramTM (VIP) recipients have been selected and the 2025 nomination period is now open until October 31, 2025.

Introducing the Recipients of the 2024 Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo!

We are pleased to announce that VITFriends and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine are the recipients of the 2024 Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo! Both proposals offer innovative ways to address the unique challenges faced by people living with vitiligo.

VITFriends logo

VITFriends Vitiligo Support Group, Inc. was awarded up to $100,000 for its project, Legislative and Advocacy Training Weekend. This initiative will unite individuals with vitiligo and their supporters for a weekend of advocacy training focused on both healthcare and public awareness. Participants will learn how to influence vitiligo-related legislation, advocate for better access to treatment, and address barriers within the healthcare system. They will also gain skills to educate their communities, raise awareness, and foster understanding of vitiligo. Together we can do more!

University of Miami logo

The Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, was selected to receive an award of up to $35,000 to implement its project, Barriers and Facilitators to Psychosocial Support as an Integral Aspect of Vitiligo Patient Comprehensive Care. This proposal aims to explore the accessibility and impact of psychosocial support in vitiligo treatment through standardized surveys identifying barriers and facilitators affecting access to mental health services for patients in Florida. The findings aim to provide actionable solutions for integrating psychosocial support into comprehensive vitiligo care, enhancing patients' overall well-being alongside their physical health.

Learn more about the
award-winning projects.

See the Recipients

Offering Two Awards for Outstanding Initiatives

One up to $35,000 and another up to $100,000

The Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo aim to support the vitiligo community by funding two innovative initiatives that address challenges faced by patients, caregivers and healthcare providers.

Approximately 1.5 million people in the US are diagnosed with vitiligo, which is more than a cosmetic issue. While significant strides have been made to spread awareness, more still needs to be done, as vitiligo can have a substantial impact on a person’s everyday life.

This is where Incyte steps in. Incyte, a global pharmaceutical company, is deeply dedicated to positively impacting the lives of patients with serious medical needs. As a part of this commitment, the company is excited to reopen the Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo application period to continue to foster collaboration among key stakeholders to address the specific needs of the vitiligo community.

Submit your application by October 31, 2025 for the chance to be awarded up to $100,000 to help people living with vitiligo.

Eligibility

Eligibility Information

The following groups and individuals are eligible to apply for the Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo:

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Non-profit 501(c)(3), patient, policy and caregiver organizations

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Healthcare providers and junior faculty of healthcare organizations*

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Individuals or other companies collaborating with these organizations and institutions**

Proposed programs or projects must be distinct from any established ones within the community. Additionally, programs cannot include indirect costs with the proposed budget. To be eligible, you and your organization must be US based (including Washington DC and Puerto Rico).

*Applications must be submitted in the name of an institution, not on behalf of an individual.

**Individuals or other companies interested in applying must partner with either a non-profit organization or a healthcare facility (i.e., hospitals, academic research centers, etc.) to be eligible.

Applications will be disqualified if:

  • Focus is on a particular therapeutic agent, translational research, or clinical research that is interventional in nature
  • Proposed program is based on an existing project or initiative, with no evidence of ingenuity. Additionally, any portion of a project already completed or underway will not be considered
  • Organization is improperly identified as a 501(c)(3) organization
  • Application is submitted by a healthcare professional as an individual (individuals will need to partner with a not-for-profit or other organization to be considered. All payments will be made directly to the organization)
  • Defined scope does not serve or plan to address a specific need of the vitiligo community
  • A primary objective of a project is revenue generation
  • Project proposes to provide access or other benefits to Incyte. For clarity, Incyte will not ‘partner’ with any organization, provide input into a project, nor collaborate with a requesting organization on any project
  • Request in funding exceeds 25 percent of an organization’s overall annual budget and/or includes indirect costs
  • Application is submitted by an employee of Incyte, Real Chemistry and/or other vendors, or members of the immediate family of any such persons
  • Program is duplicated, with multiple copies of an application submitted by the same organization
  • Program exceeds the maximum application limit per organization (more than five)
  • Program includes financial support, gifts, incentives, or other items of monetary value to patients or HCPs, either directly or indirectly. For clarity, a stipend or similar financial support may not be provided to patients or HCPs to cover personal costs (e.g., travel, housing, etc.). If the program proposes to provide a stipend to patients or HCPs for services in connection with the project, the stipend amount and other relevant details must be detailed in the proposal
  • Program reimburses or defrays the costs of travel, lodging, attendance, or other personal expenses of any participating patients, healthcare professionals or government employees
  • Applicant and/or organization are not based in the United States

Incyte reserves the right to modify the eligibility requirements at any time.

Have additional questions?
Check out our FAQ page

Meet the Judges

Meet the Judges

Meet our Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo judging panel!

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Erika Page

Erika Page is a patient advocate and the Founder and Editor of Living Dappled, a media brand and digital community for women with vitiligo. After getting vitiligo at the age of seven, she lost 100% of her skin’s pigment over 25 years; she founded the platform to help educate, support and inspire the 1% of the population with this condition. Erika has spoken at the U.S. World Vitiligo Day conference and has been featured in PEOPLE, WebMD and Love What Matters.

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Melissa Hughley

Melissa Hughley is a wife and mother of three, an entrepreneur turned influencer and vitiligo advocate. With a mission to encourage people living with any skin condition to live an authentic and unapologetic life, Melissa has used her platform to empower her audience to do the same. Melissa believes that visibility will help normalize vitiligo, and in connection with others in the community, can help close those gaps of uncertainty, lack of knowledge, self esteem issues or fears associated with having a skin condition such as vitiligo. This has fueled her commitment to continue to help people living with not only vitiligo but any visible skin condition.

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Richard Huggins, MD, FAAD

Dr. Richard Huggins is dedicated to serving the vitiligo community through a variety of different roles. He is a dermatologist in the Vitiligo Research and Treatment Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan; medical director of V-Strong, a vitiligo support community in southeast Michigan; and the lead for the vitiligo support group section of the Global Vitiligo Foundation. Vitiligo is Dr. Huggins’ primary clinical focus. He runs a vitiligo clinic, participates in clinical trials and contributes to ongoing research in the field. He has also authored peer-reviewed research articles and textbook chapters on the condition, as well as presented at national and international medical conferences. Dr. Huggins is especially passionate about support organizations for people with vitiligo. He works to foster collaboration among support groups and strengthen connections between individuals with vitiligo and the medical community. He also mentors medical students interested in vitiligo, connecting them with support organizations that can benefit from their involvement.

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Heli Patel, MD

Dr. Heli Patel is a medical resident and graduate of Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. Her clinical and research interests include chronic debilitating conditions such as vitiligo and alopecia areata. She has completed a clinical trials research fellowship at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC, where she investigated barriers to medication adherence. She has published numerous peer-reviewed papers in top journals and serves as a peer reviewer for academic journals. She has worked extensively in the global health setting, including traveling to expand access to medical services in rural areas and giving invited talks at national conferences. She is also a children's book writer and illustrator. She is the founder of a non-profit organization and holds a patent for a medical device. Most importantly, she is incredibly passionate about vitiligo, a condition that affects a disproportionate number of South Asians.

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Heather Woolery-Lloyd, MD, FAAD

Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd is an internationally recognized expert in skin of color. She lectures nationally and internationally on skin of color. Dr. Woolery-Lloyd participates extensively in clinical research, serving as an investigator for clinical trials with an emphasis on increasing inclusion of skin of color patients. She has authored over 70 peer-reviewed papers and has also been featured as an expert dermatologist in various publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Forbes. Dr. Woolery-Lloyd is an active member of the Skin of Color Society and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) where she was recently honored with the AAD's Presidential Citation for her commitment to education and research in dermatology.

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Incyte will not provide any advice or input during the judging process and all decisions made by the judging panel are made independently and are final. These judges will receive compensation for their services from Incyte, based on fair market value.

Judging Criteria

Judging Criteria – What Makes an
Award-Winning Project?

Our judging panel will consider the following criteria when evaluating each award application:

Checkmark iconDoes the applicant meet the eligibility requirements?

Handshake iconDid the applicant collaborate with any other organizations to optimize the success of the initiative?

Documents iconDoes the application contain all of the necessary details and supporting documents?

Puzzle piece iconDoes the proposal exhibit a thoughtful, creative and innovative approach to address a specific need within the vitiligo community? Does it add a new resource or method of support to the community (without providing financial support, gifts, or other items of monetary value to patients either directly or indirectly)?

Stopwatch iconCan the proposal be completed within the one-year time frame?

Target iconDoes the proposal demonstrate a clear purpose and rationale?

Dollar sign iconDoes the proposal include a realistic and appropriate budget?

Upward pointing arrow iconDoes the proposal have clear and measurable outcomes? Does it follow the SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timely) methodology for setting goals?

Incyte reserves the right to change the judging criteria at any time.

Program Rules

Program Rules

The application process will occur in two rounds:

Icon of the number 1Round one

Complete a letter of intent that introduces your proposal that includes the following:

  • Confirmation of eligibility criteria
  • Contact and organization information
  • Indicate which award the project is applying for
  • Project proposal, including project name, objectives and summary of how it addresses a specific need for the vitiligo community
  • Identification of any collaboration and connection to the vitiligo community

Icon of the number 2Round two

Applicants who progress to round two will be asked to complete an additional form, further detailing their proposal, as well as specific questions from the judging panel via email that address:

  • Realistic budget breakdown and timeline of milestones to execute initiative within one year of selection
  • Measurable elements and anticipated outcomes that will define success and demonstrate impact
  • Identification of any organizational challenges in execution
  • Specific questions, unique to each application, based on information the judging panel members would like the applicant to clarify and/or expand upon

Have additional questions?
Check out our FAQ page