Jean Freiser is Associate Director of Contracts and Grants at the Veterans Medical Research Foundation in San Diego. 

As a member of the VMRF Leadership Team, Jean provides management and direction for all pre-award contracts and grants, including clinical trial development, and interacts with the Contracts and Grants Department. She is responsible for developing strategies to obtain federal funding for VMRF programs and works closely with Principal Investigators to identify new funding opportunities.

Jean has many years of experience managing major grant and philanthropic awards at academic and non-profit research institutions, including the Alliant International University and Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in San Diego, New York Medical College, and Cornell University Medical College in New York. Her long list of successes includes large million-dollar institutional awards as well as individual project-defined grants. She has access to and familiarity with extensive resource files and libraries that include public granting agencies and private philanthropic foundations. An important aspect of Jean’s professional talent is her strong and unique skill in communicating with key donor contacts to stimulate interest, advocate the project, and promote the award. Jean now wishes to extend her skills toward obtaining funding support for humanitarian projects. She will be a key player as Quench and Connect grows and seeks large funding support for our clean water and education projects.