TORCH Awards

This program has been established to recognize individuals who have made a significant contribution to an LSD community, or to a Sanofi Genzyme research and development area of focus to educate, empower, advance, or connect patients.

This scholarship program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship, tuition reimbursement assistance, and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals.

How it works

Help us recognize individuals who have taken action in contributing to the LSD community or rare disease community!

You have the opportunity to nominate multiple individuals for a TORCH Award.

Scholarship America will review the nominations and choose up to six (6) recipients of a TORCH Award. In addition to recognizing each recipient and their contributions to the community, Sanofi Genzyme will donate $5,000 to a non-profit organization connected to the community of each recipient’s choosing, subject to certain limitations required by company policy.

Eligibility

Requirements for nominators and nominees of the Sanofi Genzyme TORCH Awards are as follows:

• Nominate individuals who have made a significant contribution to an LSD community, or to a Sanofi Genzyme research and development area of focus to educate, empower, advance, or connect patients. You have the opportunity to nominate multiple individuals. Nominated individuals must be United States residents.
• Nominees of all ages are welcome, including children.
• Self-nominations are encouraged, however, all nominators must be age 13 and over.
• Nominators are required to explain their relationship to the nominee.
• Employees, former employees, or relatives of Sanofi Genzyme employees may nominate individuals for a TORCH Award; but cannot be nominated for a TORCH Award.

Nominate someone who has made a significant contribution to either an LSD* community or to a Sanofi Genzyme research & development area of focus to educate, empower, advance, or connect patients. You have an opportunity to nominate up to five individuals. Nominations will be capped at 200.

*Below is a list of diseases classified as LSDs or rare diseases. This list may not be comprehensive. Many of these disorders have alternative names that are not all listed. Some diseases may be more commonly classified in other ways but still be within the LSD or rate disease category. If you do not see the diagnosis on this list, we encourage you to contact us to clarify eligibility.

Selection criteria

The program will use modified Scholarship America recipient selection criteria based solely on the evaluation of the essay.

Three recipients, if available, should fall under Sanofi Genzyme’s disease area products or pipeline. These include: Fabry, Gaucher, Pompe, MPS1, ADPKD, ASMD, and Alport. One recipient, if available, should be for a rare kidney disease. One recipient, if available, should be making an impact on diversity.

At least one child under the age of 17 will be selected as a recipient, if available.

An organization cannot be selected two years in a row. 2020 recipients were The Ryan Foundation, Alport Syndrome Foundation, Ryker’s Foundation for Pompe Disease, National Nieman Pick Disease Foundation, and National MPS Society.

Awards

Up to six (6) TORCH Awards will be granted. Sanofi Genzyme will contribute $5,000 to a non-profit organization selected by each recipient, subject to certain limitations required by company policy.

The non-profit must work with, or benefit from, an area focused on by Sanofi Genzyme or the LSD community.

Application process

The nomination application must be completed and mailed along with an essay response for each of your nominees.

The essay must explain how the nominee made a significant contribution to the rare disease community in one or more of the following ways: educating, empowering, advancing, or connecting patients with information, resources, or each other. Additionally, what has been the impact of their contribution?

Program deadline

Your nomination(s) must be submitted as one of the first 200 nominations received, or by April 16, 2021, whichever occurs first.

Selection of recipients

Recipients will be selected based upon the evaluation of the essay. If available, at least one child under the age of 17 will be selected as a recipient.

Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America. In no instance does any officer or employee of Sanofi Genzyme play a part in the selection. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.

Payment of scholarships

Sanofi Genzyme will send a check directly to each designated non-profit organization.

Obligations

Recipients have no obligation to Sanofi Genzyme.