AST Basic Science Fellowship Grant

To submit an application for a Basic Science Fellowship Grant, please go to: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ast2011

 

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

  1. All applications for the AST Fellowship Grants must be completed by MIDNIGHT EASTERN TIME ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 12, 2010. The application site for the AST Grants Program will automatically shut down after the deadline. No application or supplementary documents will be accepted after the submission deadline.
  2. The applicant must be sponsored by an active member of the AST. If the sponsor is not a member, he/she must submit a completed membership application by the submission deadline (with expectation that membership will be active before the grant review occurs). Membership dues must be paid to date by January 1, 2011; otherwise, the application will not be considered for funding.
  3. To apply for membership in the AST, please complete an online membership application. Membership applications are reviewed by the AST Membership Committee on a quarterly basis. Applications must be submitted prior to the November 12th submission deadline.
  4. Letters of recommendation with original/electronic signatures on institutional letterhead must be uploaded electronically to the online application by the submission deadline. Original letters of recommendation must be mailed to the AST National Office, postmarked by the submission deadline and have an original signature on institutional letterhead.
  5. Confirmation emails will be sent out once an application is complete.
  6. Two grants from the same group or from the same institution with significant scientific overlap will not be funded regardless of score. The discretion as to which grant will be funded will be made by the AST Awards and Grants Committee at the time of the review.

DISCLAIMER: The AST will not assume responsibility for any clinical study funded by the AST Awards and Grants Program. Such proposals must be IRB-approved. Any responsibility will be assumed by the PI and the funded institution.

A. General Information

This is a two-year grant ($40,000/year) designed to provide salary support for Fellows at an early stage of their research training. (See Eligibility Requirements below)

The goals of the AST Fellowship Grants are:

  1. To foster training of new young investigators who have the potential to contribute to our understanding of transplant science/immunobiology and/or treatment of transplant recipients.
  2. To foster research that is of high merit.
  3. To encourage high quality applicants who want to develop a career in academic transplantation.

The AST Basic Science Fellowship Grants are intended to support work in transplantation biology ranging broadly from pertinent basic immunology to animal studies. All types of organ, tissue, and cell transplants will be considered. The project should provide a strong training vehicle for the applicant, in keeping with the overall mission of the AST Fellowship Grants.

B. Research Focus

The AST supports a wide range of basic and clinical research topics. Research topics that involve under-represented areas including minorities, women, and pediatrics are strongly encouraged. The AST also encourages applications from women and minority researchers. Under-represented minority investigators are defined as individuals belonging to a particular ethnic or racial group as determined by the NIH. Established AST members are encouraged to bring this funding opportunity to the attention of new faculty members performing transplantation research at their institutions and to support their applications.

C. Eligibility Criteria for the AST Basic Science Fellowship Grant

Please pay particular attention to the eligibility requirements.

  1. The applicant must be sponsored by an active member of the AST. If the sponsor is not a member, he/she must submit a completed membership application by the submission deadline (with expectation that membership will be active before the grant review occurs). Membership dues must be paid to date by January 1, 2011; otherwise, the application will not be considered for funding.
  2. The work must be performed at a North American site under the direct mentorship of an AST member.
  3. The applicant must have an MD, DO, PhD, DMV or equivalent graduate degree at the time of the application.
  4. AST Fellowship Grants are meant for individuals who have spent two years or less (at the time of the application) performing research in the area of transplantation since obtaining their last post-doctoral degree (PhD, MD or equivalent degree). Applicants who have worked in other fields or taken leaves of absence are eligible beyond this two-year period, but this must be directly addressed in the sponsor's letter.
  5. The applicant must be either: a) a US, Canadian or Mexican citizen; b) a lawfully admitted permanent resident foreign national of the US, Canada, or Mexico with a valid visa during the training period; or c) a foreign national admitted lawfully for residence in the US, Canada, or Mexico during the training period. Funding will not be released until visa status is confirmed.
  6. Throughout the period of the grant, the applicant must be at a "fellowship training" level, may not hold an independent faculty level position or a salaried senior staff position (or equivalent). The AST defines an independent faculty level position as: a) Assistant Professor or equivalent; or b) Regardless of title, institutional support that includes independent lab space and/or start-up funds to allow independent research. The applicant does not need to have actually started their fellowship at the time of application.
  7. The Fellowship Grant is intended to support or supplement salary during the period of research training. Residual funds can be used for supplies. Funds cannot be used for indirect costs or institutional overhead. Fellows who have other individual fellowships or grants awarded in their name that support their salary, are not eligible.
  8. The sponsor must guarantee 75% protected time adequate for project completion.

D. Application Process

All applications will be stored in a secure, password-protected environment. At any time in the application process, the applicant will be able to save the application and return to the site to complete it at a later date, prior to the deadline. Applicants must complete the application process online. The various components of the application listed under application requirements below, should be generated as individual document files that will be uploaded and compiled into a single pdf during the application process. When the application is complete, the applicant will receive a confirmation notice via email with an application number. Applicants are advised to print and keep the confirmation notice as proof of the application submission.

E. Specific Application Requirements

Use font Arial/Helvetica, size 11 pt., no less than 0.5 inch margins. Applications which do not conform to these guidelines will be returned without review.

  1. Title: must be entered into the appropriate space on the contact information page.
  2. Abstract of the proposed research plan: This document should concisely summarize the project in 400 words or less. The abstract should introduce the project and note its relevance to transplantation. It should describe the long-term objectives and specific aims, research design and methods for achieving these goals.
  3. NIH-type Biosketch: Required for both the applicant and his/her sponsor (two documents). Each Biosketch may not exceed four (4) pages and must include:
    • Applicant's/sponsor's name
    • Position Title
    • Education/Training (beginning with baccalaureate or other initial profession education, such as nursing, and include post-doctoral training), including institution and location, degree, year(s) of completion, field(s) of study
    • Positions and Honors (list in chronological order previous positions, concluding with your present position; list any honors; include present membership on any Federal Government public advisory committee)
    • Selected peer-reviewed publications (in chronological order). Do not include publications submitted or in preparation.
    • Research Support: list all research projects ongoing or completed during the last three years, supported by federal and non-federal funds. Briefly indicate the overall goals of the projects and your role, e.g., PI, Co-Investigator, Consultant, in the research project, total amount of grant and amount of funding for the year the AST grant may be awarded. The fellow applicant should explain any specific or budgetary overlap with the AST application and in the case of pending applications, how overlaps will be resolved in the event the funding is received from more than one agency. (The final resolution of any funding conflicts will be decided by the AST.)
  4. Statement of career goals (no more than one page): explaining the applicant's short- and long-term career goals and how the grant will enhance these plans. The career statement should also include alternative means of support and activities that may be available should the applicant be unsuccessful in receiving the grant.
  5. Complete proposed research plan: This document cannot exceed six pages; references are not included in the page limit. It should summarize the proposed research project as well as any simultaneous training that will be obtained during the period of grant support. The Aims should include the key questions posed or hypotheses to be tested, followed by a brief Introduction providing the rationale for the research, Preliminary Results supporting the research plan, and a Research Plan explaining how the questions or hypothesis will be studied with emphasis on experimental design over the details of the specific methods to be used. Anticipated results, caveats and alternative approaches should be briefly discussed.  Specific research (and, if applicable, training) goals to be reached at the end of the grant should also be provided. The applicant and the sponsor may jointly write this portion of the application. However, the application should clearly indicate the sponsor's role in its preparation.
  6. Narrative from the sponsor: should not exceed three (3) pages and should include: a) An explanation of any mitigating or additional factors that need to be considered in terms of eligibility (e.g., account of extra years in education or a change in research field). b) A description of the training program in addition to lab research (e.g., courses, conferences, outside interactions, etc.). c) Training record of sponsor. d) Role of the applicant in the project. e) A statement of the role of the applicant vs. sponsor in writing the application. A significant role for the applicant in writing the application is highly encouraged, although input from the sponsor is expected. For international applicants not yet in the lab, it is understood that the PI will play a large role in writing the application. f) A description of the sponsor's background in supervising the research and training of students and postdoctoral fellows. g) An evaluation by the sponsor of the applicant's past experience and performance, future potential, and the degree of previous interaction with the sponsor. h) A concise description, written by the sponsor, of the overall research plan, including both the proposed research plan and other formal and informal training planned for the applicant. i) The sponsor must specifically address whether he/she is a PI or sponsor on any other AST Grants. Only one AST Grant (including Faculty Development Grant, Branch Out Grant, or as a sponsor of a Fellowship Grant) will be awarded per mentor/sponsor, or PI, per year. If more than one grant from a given faculty member (as PI or mentor) is submitted and deemed competitive for funding, the AST will determine which grant to fund. j) Finally, the sponsor must guarantee that 75% of the fellow's time will be protected to conduct his/her research.
  7. Two (2) letters of recommendation: from two individuals, other than sponsor, who are familiar with the applicant's potential as a research investigator. Electronic copies with original signatures on institutional letterhead must be uploaded to the website as part of the application. In addition, originals must be mailed to the AST National Office and postmarked by the submission deadline.

Letters of recommendation with original signatures must be included in the electronic file as part of the uploaded application. Original letters of recommendation must also be mailed to the AST National Office, postmarked by the submission deadline and have an original signature on institutional letterhead.

Mail original letters of recommendation to:

Dr. Robert Gaston
Chair, AST Awards and Grants Committee
AST National Office
15000 Commerce Parkway, Suite C
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054, USA

F. Review Process

The review criteria include the quality of the applicant, scientific project, sponsor and institution, with an emphasis towards preparing the applicant for a career as an independent investigator.

All complete applications received by the submission deadline will be reviewed and scored by the AST Awards and Grant Committee comprised of a broad panel of researchers from a number of institutions who have widespread expertise in clinical and basic science in all specialties of solid organ transplantation. The Committee will place primary emphasis in evaluating applications based on scientific strength of the applicant and preparation of the applicant for the proposed research.

The AST aims to award at least one Basic Science Fellowship application. The remaining available grants will be awarded to Basic and/or Clinical Science applications, according to their score.

All applicants will be notified of the application status in March 2011. Grant recipients will be recognized at the AST Grants Ceremony during the 2011 American Transplant Congress, April 30 – May 4, 2011 in Philadelphia, PA.

G. Funding Guidelines

  1. The AST Fellowship Grants are $40,000/year, two-year grants, paid in quarterly installments to the institution of the successful applicant.
  2. The funding for any grant is contingent upon having qualified applicants apply.
  3. The funding for any grant and the total number of AST Fellowship or Faculty grants awarded by the AST is dependent on budgetary constraints in a given year.
  4. In order to support as many excellent laboratories as possible, only one AST Grant (including Faculty Development Grants or as a sponsor of a Fellowship Grant) will be awarded per mentor/sponsor, or PI, per year. If more than one grant from a given faculty member is submitted and deemed competitive, the AST will determine which grant to fund.
  5. Two grants from the same group or from the same institution with significant scientific overlap will not be funded regardless of score. The discretion as to which grant will be funded will be made by the AST Awards and Grants Committee at the time of review.
  6. AST Fellowship Grants are intended to support or supplement salary, but residual funds can be used for supplies. Funds cannot be used for indirect costs or institutional overhead.
  7. Funding will not be released until visa status is confirmed.
  8. Grant funding is not transferable from one recipient to another. If the grantee relocates, the AST will determine if the grant can be transferred.
  9. Research must begin on July 1, 2011. Individuals accepting an AST Fellowship Grant are expected not to accept other fellowship grants to support their salary. Sources of additional salary must be disclosed.
  10. The AST must be acknowledged as a funding source in all manuscripts and presentations derived from the funded research by using the following statement: "This work was supported by a research grant from the American Society of Transplantation." Copies of these publications must be submitted to the AST National Office.
  11. Funding of the second year of the grant will be contingent upon submission of a brief progress report by the applicant, and a letter from the sponsor indicating continued support of the recipient's activities. All of these materials will be requested from the applicant approximately three months prior to the beginning of the second year of funding, and second year funds will not be released until this information has been received and reviewed.
  12. If the grantee accepts a faculty position during the term of the grant, he/she must notify the AST and relinquish funds.
  13. A final report of the results of the funded research must be submitted to the AST National Office.