The Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo™

Encouraging innovation within the vitiligo community

The 2025 Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo™ recipients have been selected and the 2026 application period is now open until October 29, 2026.

Since 2022, the Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo have supported innovative ideas and meaningful progress across the vitiligo community.

The 2026 application cycle will be the final year of the program, as Incyte continues to focus its efforts on initiatives that can drive the greatest impact for people living with vitiligo.

We are grateful to the many organizations and individuals who have contributed their ideas and passion over the years. It has been a privilege to support work that is making a difference for the vitiligo community.

Vitiligo Innovators Program™

The 2025 Vitiligo Innovators Program™ (VIP) recipients have been selected and the 2026 nomination period is now open until October 29, 2026.

Introducing the Recipients of the 2025 Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo!

We are pleased to announce that the University of Virginia School of Medicine and Grassroots Comedy are the recipients of the 2025 Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo! Both proposals offer innovative ways to address the unique challenges faced by people living with vitiligo.

University of Virginia School of Medicine logo

The University of Virginia School of Medicine was awarded up to $100,000 for its project, VitiliGo Forward. This initiative is a national project designed to enhance clinician education, reduce adolescent stigma and improve access to care for individuals with vitiligo. This initiative unites dermatology residents, faculty mentors and patient partners to create an integrated, patient-centered framework for learning and advocacy. ​

Grassroots Comedy logo

Grassroots Comedy was selected to receive an award up to $35,000 for its project, How Politics Made Me White. This proposal sets out to create awareness, representation, education and ​advocacy of vitiligo through a blend of comedy, political commentary and intimate storytelling.​​

Learn more about the
award-winning projects.

See the Recipients

Offering Awards for Outstanding Initiatives

Two award categories: 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 innovative initiatives that address the specific needs of people impacted by vitiligo, including patients, caregivers and their healthcare providers, through thoughtful, creative and original approaches.

Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune condition characterized by white patches of depigmented skin on affected areas of the face and body. Often misperceived as cosmetic or contagious, vitiligo can have a profound impact on people’s lives.

Incyte, a global pharmaceutical company, is deeply dedicated to positively impacting the lives of patients with serious medical needs and supporting them every step of the way. As a part of this commitment, the company will support novel initiatives that fall within two categories: one up to $35,000 and another up to $100,000.

2026 marks the final year of this program. Organizations are encouraged to submit applications by October 29, 2026, for the opportunity to make a meaningful difference for 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
  • Program is based on an existing 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 or includes indirect costs
  • Application is submitted by an employee of Incyte, Real Chemistry 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 healthcare providers, either directly or indirectly. For clarity, a stipend or similar financial support may not be provided to patients or healthcare providers to cover personal costs (e.g., travel, housing). If the program proposes to provide a stipend 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 or organization are not based in the United States

While multiple applications may be submitted by an eligible applicant, only one application can be selected for the award per applicant.

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
  • Any resources or capabilities being utilized to facilitate project execution and ensure success
  • Specific questions, unique to each application, based on information the judging panel members would like the applicant to clarify or expand upon

Have additional questions?
Check out our FAQ page