Schizophrenia Research

In 1934, the Scottish Rite Supreme Council appropriated funds for research into the causes and potential cures for schizophrenia. At the time, the disease was known as demential praecox. The funds were directed through the National Committee for Mental Hygiene and later through the National Association for Mental Health.

In 1970, administrative duties for the Scottish Rite Schizophrenia Research Program were handled by a Supreme Council committee. A professional advisory committee reviewed annually a substantial number of proposals and recommended the recipients of the research grants. By 1998, the emphasis shifted to fellowships presented to postgraduate students preparing dissertations in fields pertinent to discovering a cure for schizophrenia. A select group of universities throughout the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction selects the recipients.

Each year, we award as many as 15 fellowships of up to $15,000 to exceptional medical students who are working in schizophrenia or related fields to pursue their research.

Program-sponsored research has resulted in major discoveries, including the role of genetic factors in the disorder, and the chemical action of antipsychotic drugs.