Frequently Asked Questions

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. Of note, the Vitiligo Innovators Program (VIP) will reopen in 2027.

The Incyte Ingenuity Awards aim to provide funding to support innovative initiatives annually that address specific needs for people impacted by serious diseases, such as HS, GVHD and vitiligo, including patients and their providers.

The Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo have been supporting the vitiligo community since 2022 to fund thoughtful, creative and original programs and resources that address specific needs of people living with this condition. The program consists of awards that will fund novel innovative initiatives: one providing up to $35,000 and another offering up to $100,000 to support projects of different scales.

The Incyte Ingenuity Awards in GVHD™ launched in 2020. Click here to learn more.

The Incyte Ingenuity Awards in HS™ launched in 2025. Click here to learn more.

Applications will be welcomed from:

• Non-profit 501(c)(3), patient, policy or caregiver organizations
• Healthcare providers and junior faculty of healthcare organizations (individuals submitting an application must submit in the name of their institution, not as individuals)
• Individuals or other companies interested may apply by partnering 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 and/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 monetary support, gifts or other items of monetary value to patients, 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 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.

The judging panel will only consider an application made in the name of a healthcare institution or organization. Individual healthcare professionals are not permitted to apply independently.

The application process will occur in two rounds:

• Round one: Interested applicants can apply by completing an online letter of intent or by filling out the PDF and submitting it via email to incyteingenuityawards@realchemistry.com.
• Round two: Selected applicants will be asked to fill out a round two application form and respond to any specific questions asked from the judging panel via email. This will provide the judges with further information about budget breakdown, timeline of milestones, measurable elements, anticipated outcomes, challenges and specific information and unique questions related to each individual application.

Applications are due October 29, 2026.

A judging panel consisting of up to five experts in the community (i.e. patient advocates and physicians) selected by Incyte will review all applications and select one recipient based on specific pre-established criteria. Incyte will not provide any advice or input during the judging process and all decisions made by the judging panel are final.

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

• Does the applicant meet the eligibility requirements?
• Did the applicant collaborate with any other organizations to optimize the success of the initiative?
• Does the application contain all of the necessary details and supporting documents? Will the program be impactful for the vitiligo community?
• Does 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)?
• Can the proposal be completed within the one-year time frame?
• Does the proposal demonstrate a clear purpose and rationale?
• Does the proposal include a realistic and appropriate budget?
• Does 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.

The following components must be addressed for an application to be considered complete:

• Confirmation of eligibility criteria
• Contact and organization information
• Identification of any collaboration and connection to the vitiligo community
• Indication of 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
• Project’s intended outputs and impact (quantifiable description encouraged)
  • Dissemination/distribution plan
  • Measurable outcomes (short-term and long-term)

Selected applicants will be asked to fill out a round two application form and respond to any specific questions asked from the judging panel via email to provide the judges with further information, including:

• 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
• Specific examples or links to supporting resources related to your proposal (i.e. share a video or material that is similar to your proposal, if it exists)

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

Applicants will be notified of round one outcomes via email in February 2027.

Applicants will be informed of the judges' final selection via email by March 2027.

Incyte will announce the recipients of the Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo in June 2027.

Yes. The Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo do not require applications to be written in English.

Incyte is offering two Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo with differing amounts of annual funding based on the proposed projects’ needs and scope.

The program will fund innovative initiatives that fall within two categories: one up to $35,000 and another for up to $100,000 to support projects of different scales.

Total amount requested in funding cannot exceed 25 percent of an applying organization’s overall annual budget and/or includes indirect costs. The specific amount of funding provided by Incyte will be case-dependent for each proposed initiative and evaluated on the investment deemed necessary to implement and execute said proposal.

Indirect costs are defined as the cost of day-to-day, general operating and/or administrative expenses not directly associated with a specific project. Examples of indirect costs include facilities expenses (rent, utilities, building maintenance, etc), administrative support fees (HR, general finance, IT, etc) or non-project related travel expenses. These are not costs associated with the delivery of your proposed program/project services, but the costs of maintaining and managing the organization through which your proposed program/project services are delivered. Indirect costs should not be included in your proposal's budget.

Incyte reserves the right to amend its indirect cost policy at any time.

Incyte will not be involved in executing the awarded initiatives outside of providing the awarded amounts in funding. However, Incyte will collect and evaluate an interim and final review of the projects.

After the award recipients are selected, contracting with Incyte will begin. Each award is on its own timeline with no implication on the contracting process of the other. Once all paperwork is finalized, the awarded amounts of funding will be shared with the recipient for execution of the agreed upon proposal.

Once the award recipients are notified, they will officially accept recognition by signing an agreement with Incyte. The recipient must:

• Officially accept recognition, execution of a signed agreement, by Incyte and the recipient
• Confirm that the total amount requested in funding does not exceed 25 percent of an organization’s overall annual budget and/or includes indirect costs
• Commence planning for initiative within an agreed upon timeframe and milestones for reporting; Incyte will “gate” funds to meeting agreed-upon milestones depending on program outline
• Comply with Incyte policies and government regulations
• Report results to the community (e.g. at the following year’s World Vitiligo Day-USA Conference)
• When relevant, serve as a resource to subsequent recipients to pass along learnings as well as participate in media Interviews and/or promotional activities to raise awareness on behalf of the Incyte Ingenuity Awards
• If deadlines are unlikely to be met, recipient must inform Incyte within a pre-determined timeframe, provide an explanation of roadblock and mutually agree on a solution and an updated project timeline
• All award recipients may be asked to:
  • Sign a release form in order to allow the use of their organization's name and affiliation to be used in promotional materials, including updates on the IIA website and Incyte websites, press releases and other materials that promote the program
  • Attend the recognition ceremony, if available