When Franklin D. Roosevelt founded the March of Dimes in 1938 he chose research to be one of the cornerstones of the effort to defeat polio. Seventeen years and $25.5 million dollars in March of Dimes funded research later, the polio vaccine was declared safe and highly effective.

As the new century proceeds, our research investments continue to be one of the cornerstones of the March of Dimes mission. March of Dimes programs fund several different types of research, all aimed at preventing birth defects and infant mortality. These programs include basic research into life processes, such as genetics and development; clinical research applied to prevention and treatment of specific birth defects and prematurity; the study of environmental hazards; and research in social and behavioral sciences relevant to our mission.