Cardiovascular Grants

Young Investigator Database Research Seed Grant -- Council on Clinical Cardiology and Stroke Council

General Information

The Council on Clinical Cardiology and the Council on Stroke place a great value on the development of young clinical investigators. To further this effort, the council has a limited number of seed grants for young investigators for meritorious research projects based on the data gathered from Get With The GuidelinesSM (GWTG). A description of GWTG and the database content follows. The Executive Database Steering Committee and the Get With The Guidelines Steering and Science Sub Committee oversee the large database. Members of these committees will be available as mentors to the applicants. Young investigators may be current fellows in training or within five years of completing their cardiology, or neurology fellowship or other doctoral prepared professionals who are early in their career development and have interest in cardiovascular or stroke research.

The seed grants provide adequate funds to 1) allow initial project design, access to the GWTG data and statistical analysis; and 2) cover travel expenses of the recipient to travel to an AHA conference to present the results. Mentors provide recipients methods of clinical research using GWTG Steering or Subcomittee or EDSC databases. Our goal is to have this initial effort succeed in opening future opportunities for research, collaboration and scientific advancement for the young investigator.

What is Get With The Guidelines?

Get With The Guidelines (GWTG) is a hospital-based quality improvement program designed to close the treatment gap in cardiovascular disease and stroke. It includes modules for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure (HF) and stroke. Each program provides physicians and healthcare providers with materials, information and tools based on relevant AHA/ACC guidelines — i.e., for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, for treatment of HF, or the AHA/ASA guidelines for stroke treatment. Using standard protocols in the hospital setting will help ensure that cardiovascular disease patients are placed on appropriate medications, informed of recommended behavioral modifications, and improve the rate of intervention with cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients both in-hospital and post-discharge to reduce the incidence of CVD events. A key component of this continuous quality improvement program is to monitor progress through the Web-based Patient Management Tool (PMT).

What information is collected in the Get With The Guidelines database?

The information captured in the Get With The Guidelines database parallels the American Heart Association guidelines information.

Process for Developing and Submitting a Proposal
Study questions (hypotheses) need to be developed within the context of data acquired through the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines program. The applicant should review the data elements collected across each of the modules (CAD, Heart Failure and Stroke). To avoid developing a proposal already in progress, it will also be helpful to review prior published publications and the list provided of abstracts and manuscripts already in process. Data are also collected during hospitalization and longitudinal data post discharge is not available.

Next steps:

1) Complete the online proposal form and send to laura.shuey@heart.org. Please be sure to provide your e-mail address on the form.

2) If you have questions, please contact laura.shuey@heart.org.

Submitted proposals will be reviewed jointly by GWTG committee leadership and the leadership of Clinical Cardiology or the Stroke Council to determine funded applications.

If awarded funding, data access will be arranged through a designated GWTG mentor and statistical analysis will be arranged through the Duke Clinical Research Institute. The monetary award will cover statistical analysis up to $6,000 in addition to $2,000 to support travel to the national conference for presentation.

Deadline (twice a year): Sept. 30 and March 28

Award: Three awards approximately $8,000 each

Seed Grant Research Program

Program description
An increasing number of young physician scientists are experiencing difficulty finding the resources and support to do research. Consequently, fewer physicians are choosing careers in research which is a terrible loss to medicine.

To address this trend, the American Medical Association Foundation established the Seed Grant Research Program to encourage medical students, physician residents and fellows to enter the research field. The program provides $2,500-$5,000 grants to help them conduct small basic science, applied, or clinical research projects. These funds will round out new project budgets, rather than sustain current initiatives.

2009 program
In March 2009, one-year grants will be awarded in the following research categories:

Cardiovascular/pulmonary diseases
HIV/AIDS
Leukemia
Neoplastic diseases
Secondhand smoke*

*Secondhand smoke grants are supported by the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute (FAMRI).

The application deadline is Dec. 12, 2008.

Grant amounts
Grants in Cardiovascular/Pulmonary Diseases, HIV/AIDS, Leukemia, and Neoplastic Diseases will be $2,500. Grants in the Secondhand smoke category will be $5,000.

Eligibility and funding restrictions
Seed grant funds cannot be used for salary or stipend, indirect/administrative costs, to hire a consultant or contractor, and solely for travel expenses. Seed grants will not be awarded to any applicant who has previously received an AMA Foundation seed grant in the research category in which they are applying. Applicants must be a medical student, physician resident or fellow of an accredited US medical school or institution; they must also be either a US citizen or a permanent resident of the US. Projects must be applicant-conceived, rather than ongoing research of their mentor or Principal Investigator.

Call
(312) 464-4200

Fax
(312) 464-4142

Write
515 N. State St.
Chicago, Illinois 60654

E-mail
amafoundation@ama-assn.org

2009 ASE Echo Investigator Award

Up to $50,000 is available for qualified physicians or scientists with previous research experience. Applicants may be no more than ten years past their first academic faculty/non-trainee appointment.

Eligibility Requirements –
The applicant must hold a professional doctoral degree of MD, PhD or the equivalent and must be a member of ASE. Eligible applicants may be up to ten years past the date of their first academic faculty/non-trainee appointment when the funding starts.

Previous research experience is desirable. The Award recipient will have scientific responsibility for the conduct of the proposed research and must hold a valid faculty appointment at the institution where the research is conducted.

Selection Criteria –
In selecting Award recipients, proposals exploring the role of emerging ultrasound technologies such as 3D, contrast and hand-carried ultrasound and its applications to patient care are encouraged. This should not, however, be considered limiting and all meritorious applications will be reviewed.

Innovative and meritorious echocardiographic research demonstrating the key role cardiovascular ultrasound plays in the diagnosis and management of patients with heart and vascular disease will be selected for funding based upon the following criteria:

Scientific excellence of the proposal is the critical determinant. Qualifications of the primary investigator and the institution enter into the score.

Scientific Excellence of the Proposal:
- Scientific merit (originality, scientific impact, soundness of approach, ability of proposed aims to address the hypothesis, logical organization, preliminary data, experimental design, methodology, statistical analysis).
- Innovative and distinct nature of the proposal.
- Extent to which the proposal uses emerging ultrasound technologies.
- Probability of achieving meaningful results in one year.

Primary Investigator and Institution:
- Qualifications of the applicant (relevant experience, productivity, number and quality of independent publications).
- Qualifications of the institution (facilities and resources).

Submission opens Saturday, November 1, 2008 and deadlines Monday, January 19, 2009 at 11:59 PM Central Standard Time (CST). American Society of Echocardiography
Phone number 919 - 861-5574
Fax number 919 - 882-9900
Address:
2100 Gateway Centre Boulevard,
Ste. 310
Morrisville, NC 27560

2009 ASE Cardiovascular Sonographer Research Award

Up to $25,000 is available for qualified sonographers holding echocardiography certification from ARDMS or CCI.

Eligibility Requirements –
The spirit of this Award is to support the growth and development of sonographer research. The applicant must be a sonographer holding echocardiography certification from ARDMS or CCI.

Applicants are to identify a physician or scientist sponsor and provide a letter of support from that individual defining the respective roles of the applicant and sponsor in the proposed project. Both the applicant and their sponsor must be members of ASE. A letter of support is also required from the sonographer’s administrative supervisor stating that the Award recipient will be given protected time and appropriately excused from clinical and administrative duties to an extent that the research funding is proportional to their existing salary.

The Award recipient and their sponsor must hold a full-time position at the institution where the research is conducted and will have scientific responsibility for the conduct of the proposed research.

Selection Criteria –
In selecting Award recipients, proposals exploring the role of emerging ultrasound technologies such as 3D, contrast and hand-carried ultrasound and its applications to patient care are encouraged. This should not, however, be considered limiting and all meritorious applications will be reviewed.

Innovative and meritorious echocardiographic research demonstrating the key role cardiovascular ultrasound plays in the diagnosis and management of patients with heart and vascular disease will be selected for funding based upon the following criteria:

Half of the score will be based on the scientific excellence of the proposal, and half on the qualifications of the primary investigator, sponsor and institution.

Scientific Excellence of the Proposal:
- Scientific merit (originality, scientific impact, soundness of approach, ability of proposed aims to address the hypothesis, logical organization, preliminary data, experimental design, methodology, statistical analysis).
- Extent to which the proposal uses emerging ultrasound technologies.
- Probability of achieving meaningful results in one year.

Primary Investigator, Sponsor and Institution:
- Qualifications of the applicant (evidence of likelihood to develop sonographer research, familiarity with pertinent literature and work of other investigators, quality of letters of support).
- Qualifications of the sponsor (publications and funding history, mentoring history, commitment to applicant’s training).
- Qualifications of the institution (facilities and resources).

Submission opens Saturday, November 1, 2008 and deadlines Monday, January 19, 2009 at 11:59 PM Central Standard Time (CST). American Society of Echocardiography
Phone number 919 - 861-5574
Fax number 919 - 882-9900
Address:
2100 Gateway Centre Boulevard,
Ste. 310
Morrisville, NC 27560

The William J. von Liebig Summer Research Fellowship at Harvard Medical School

Available June 1st, 2009

Four medical student research fellowships are available for 10-12 weeks of summer research training in molecular and cell biology, biomechanics, coagulation and thrombosis, and angiogenesis, with a focus on clinically relevant problems such as atherogenesis, intimal hyperplasia, prosthetic/host interactions and thrombosis. Trainees will pursue a program of intense research activity. This training program is designed to provide medical students with an initial exposure to vascular surgery research.

Students will carry out their research projects under the guidance of a faculty advisor, selected form renowned vascular researchers based at four Harvard Medical School hospitals: the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital (Boston), and the Joslin Diabetes Institute, as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Selection of trainees is based on candidates’ demonstrated ability. Applicants should be medical students who have completed at least one year of study at an LCME accredited school. Students have to be US citizens or Permanent Resident (green card holder).

Interested applicants are encouraged to submit a personal statement, together with a curriculum vitae, dean/advisor or program director's letter and two letters of recommendation. Selection is based on merit only, without bias to gender, race, color, or ethnic origin.

SUPPORT
A $5000 stipend for the summer; appointment at Harvard Medical School as a Research Fellow in Surgery.
STUDENT PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Frank W. LoGerfo, M.D.
Chief, Division of Vascular Surgery,
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
William V. McDermott Professor of Surgery,
Harvard Medical School

CONTACT
Leena Pradhan, PhD
William J. von Liebig Summer Research Fellowship

Harvard Institutes of Medicine
4 Blackfan Circle, Room 130
Boston, MA 02115

Tel: 617-667-0096
Fax: 617-975-5300
Email: lpradhan@bidmc.harvard.edu

Application deadline for summer 2009:
January 10, 2009

Paul M. Vanhoutte Distinguished Lectureship in Vascular Pharmacology

Deadline for submission of nominations for the 2010 Paul M. Vanhoutte Distinguished Lectureship in Vascular Pharmacology is September 15, 2009

The Paul M. Vanhoutte Award in Vascular Pharmacology was established to honor Dr. Vanhoutte’s lifelong scientific contributions to our better understanding and appreciation of the importance of endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle function in health and disease and for his mentoring of countless prominent endothelial and vascular biologists and pharmacologists.

The Paul M. Vanhoutte Award is a biennial award, consisting an honorarium of $1,000, a custom-designed crystal bowl depicting the named Lectureship, and up to $2,000 travel expenses including registration to the annual spring ASPET meeting. A recipient will be selected and invited to deliver a state-of-the-art lecture on recent advances in vascular biology and pharmacology at the spring ASPET meeting (Division’s programming session). The presentation of his/her research should be of broad interest and contribute to the growth of the Cardiovascular Pharmacology Division.

There are no restrictions on institutional affiliation, nationality, or age of the candidate, but the recipient must be a member of the ASPET. Nominations must be made by a member of the ASPET, and no member may nominate more than one candidate per year. Final selection of the recipient will be made by the Award Committee of the Division for Cardiovascular Pharmacology.

Nominations should consist of not more than five letters from nominators describing the contributions to vascular biology and pharmacology of the candidate that make him/her eligible for this Award and listing of his/her major contributions, together with a complete curriculum vitae. To ensure consideration, all information must be submitted electronically to: Margie Arkin (markin@aspet.org), American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3995 no later than September 15, 2009.

2009 National Fellow-to-Faculty Transition Award Program Description

Application Deadline: Jan. 22, 2009 (11:59 p.m. Central Time)
Award Activation: July 1, 2009

Contact Information
(214) 360-6104, -6106, -6107, -6113
E-mail: ncrp@heart.org
Fax: (214) 360-6124

Science Focus
The American Heart Association funds research broadly related to cardiovascular disease and stroke. We support research in clinical and basic sciences, bioengineering, biotechnology and public health.

Applications related to obesity, women and heart disease, and resuscitation are particularly encouraged.

Objective
This program provides funding for trainees with outstanding potential for careers as physician-scientists in cardiovascular or stroke research during the crucial period of career development that spans the completion of research training through the early years of the first faculty/staff position. The award provides a supportive mentored experience during this period of transition. The award will (1) greatly enhance the awardee's chances of obtaining a high-quality faculty/staff appointment; (2) improve the awardee's success and retention in an investigative career in cardiovascular science; and (3) develop the mentoring skills of the awardee as a potential future mentor.

The award will provide support for beginning physician-scientists for a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years of research training and the first years of the first faculty/staff (or equivalent) appointment, for a maximum of five years of support. It is strongly encouraged that the five years of the award run consecutively, but the applicant and mentor may propose and justify an alternative plan for peer review consideration.

Individual awardees may take the award from the institution providing the research training component to another institution for the career development component (first faculty/staff appointment). The intent is to make the awardee a "free agent" who is empowered to stay at or move from the training institution while retaining the award. The mentor during the faculty stage of the award may or may not be the same person who was the mentor during the training phase.

Disciplines
All basic disciplines as well as epidemiological, community and clinical investigations that bear on cardiovascular and stroke problems.

Target Market, Eligibility

* Physicians who hold an M.D., M.D./PhD., D.O. or equivalent doctoral degree at the time of application submission and who seek additional research training under the supervision of a sponsor/mentor prior to embarking on a career of independent research.
* Applicants must be enrolled in or have completed an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-approved residency or a clinical fellowship program associated with an ACGME-approved residency.
* Applicants must have completed the clinical portion of their training program by the time of award activation. The applicant is responsible for identifying and working with a sponsor/mentor to develop the application.
* Candidates may have had no more than five years of postdoctoral research training (beyond clinical training) at time of application.
* The award is not intended for individuals of faculty/staff rank.
* At the time of award activation, applicant may not hold a faculty/staff appointment. The exceptions are M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. with clinical responsibilities who hold a title of instructor or similar due to their patient care responsibilities but who devote at least 80 percent full-time effort to research training.
* The mentor may hold an M.D., PhD., D.O. or other equivalent degree. Because of the strong mentoring component of this award and the importance of developing a meaningful relationship between awardee and mentor, an individual mentor may sponsor only one applicant to the program per year.

Citizenship
At time of application, must have one of the following designations:

* U.S. citizen
* Permanent resident
* Pending permanent resident. Applicants must have applied for permanent residency and have filed form I-485 with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and have received authorization to legally remain in the United States (having filed an Application for Employment Form I-765).
* E-3 -- specialty occupation worker
* H1-B Visa -- temporary worker in a specialty occupation
* O-1 Visa -- temporary worker with extraordinary abilities in the sciences
* TN Visa -- NAFTA Professional

Individuals with J1 visas are not eligible.

Awardee must meet American Heart Association citizenship criteria throughout the award.

Exception: Postdoctoral applicants who are outside the United States at time of application, and who meet all other eligibility requirements for the Fellow-to-Faculty Transition Award, must provide visa documentation prior to award activation.

Location
The training component of the award may be completed at any accredited institution in the UnitedStates, although U.S. citizens or permanent residents may complete this training portion at a non-U.S. institution. All awardees must complete the faculty component at an institution in the United States. Applicants are not required to reside in the United States for any period of time before applying for the award.

Budget/Annual Award Amount

Training Stage of Award:

* PI Salary/Fringe: Yes, up to $50,000 (institution may supplement)
* Project Support: Yes, up to $10,000/yr; travel limited to $2,000/yr, salaries of technical personnel essential to the conduct of the project, supplies, equipment, volunteer subject costs, publication costs; $5,000/yr is available to support mentor salary, projects costs, mentor travel to accompany awardee to professional meetings
* Fringe Benefits: Yes, included in $50,000
* Indirect Costs: No
* Dependent Allowance: No
* Tuition: No
* Maximum Annual Amount: $65,000

Faculty Stage of Award:

* PI Salary/Fringe: Yes, $90,000 (institution may supplement salary)
* Project Support: Yes, $25,000/yr; travel limited to $2,000/yr, salaries of technical personnel essential to the conduct of the project, supplies, equipment, volunteer subject costs, publication costs; $5,000/yr is available to support mentor salary, projects costs, mentor travel to accompany awardee to professional meetings
* Fringe Benefits: Yes (included in $90,000)
* Indirect Costs: Yes, $12,000 maximum (10 percent of total award amount)
* Maximum Annual Amount: $132,000
Award Duration
Five years, subject to annual review and satisfactory progress.

Restrictions

* Not intended for individuals of faculty/staff rank.
* Since the fellowship is considered a training award, a staff or faculty appointment cannot be held. (The exceptions are M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. with clinical responsibilities who hold a title of instructor or similar due to their patient care responsibilities but who devote at least 80 percent full-time effort to research training.)
* During the training period, awardees are expected to devote more than 80 percent full-time equivalent effort to research or activities directly related to their development into independent researchers, as opposed to administrative, patient care, or teaching responsibilities. A 75 percent full-time equivalent effort to research is required during the faculty component of the award.
* Current AHA predoctoral and postdoctoral awardees may apply for this award.
* The fellow cannot hold a comparable fellowship award.
* With one exception, this award may not be held concurrently with another AHA award (national or affiliate). Exception: A Fellow-to-Faculty Transition Award recipient may apply for and receive an affiliate Beginning Grant-in-Aid or Grant-in-Aid during the faculty phase. The awardee may request only project support for these AHA grants, since the Fellow-to-Faculty Transition Award provides significant salary support.
* Current or prior recipients of an AHA Scientist Development Grant, Established Investigator Grant or Established Investigator Award (national or affiliate) are not eligible.
* Prior or current recipients of any NIH K-series awards are not eligible.
* The Fellow-to-Faculty Award is not renewable (an individual may hold this award only once).
* A minimum of one year of research training after award activation is required prior to the transition to a faculty/staff appointment.
* An applicant may submit only one national application per deadline.
* The same or similar application submitted for the fourth time will be administratively withdrawn and returned to the applicant.

Applicants should never contact reviewers regarding their applications. Discussing scientific content of an application or attempting to influence review outcome will constitute a conflict of interest in the review. Reviewers are directed to notify the AHA if an applicant contacts them.

Applying to National and an Affiliate
If eligible, an applicant may simultaneously submit applications for affiliate and national awards. If both are funded, the applicant must choose one award. A person cannot hold more than one association award concurrently, unless there is a stated exception. The proposed research plan may need to be adjusted based upon different length of award and dollars available. The deadline dates may be different for each submission.

Interim Reporting and Progress Assessment
Research Committee assessment of annual progress reports to include research findings, abstracts, and publications. Audit of annual expenditure reports. Non-competing review of information submitted by the awardee at the time of completion of the training portion of the award.

Carryover of funds will be allowed as specified in current AHA policies/procedures. Any publications resulting from this award should acknowledge the American Heart Association's support.

Evaluation
Response to program promotion (application volume).
Publications and citations by others resulting from the AHA-funded projects. Subsequent funding obtained by the awardee. Career progress of award recipients. Assessment of impact of research funded.

Success Rate (January 2007 deadline)
# Applications Reviewed: 52
# Applications Awarded: 9
Success Rate: 17.31 percent

2009 National Scientist Development Grant Program Description

Application Deadline: Jan. 22, 2009 (11:59 p.m. Central Time)
Award Activation: July 1, 2009

Contact Information
(214) 360-6104, -6106, -6113
E-mail: ncrp@heart.org
Fax: (214) 360-6124

Science Focus
The American Heart Association funds research broadly related to cardiovascular disease and stroke. We support research in clinical and basic sciences, bioengineering, biotechnology and public health.

Applications related to obesity, women and heart disease, and resuscitation are particularly encouraged.

Objective
To support highly promising beginning scientists in their progress toward independence by encouraging and adequately funding research projects that can bridge the gap between completion of research training and readiness for successful competition as an independent investigator.

Disciplines
All basic disciplines as well as epidemiological, community and clinical investigations that bear on cardiovascular and stroke problems.

Target Audience

* M.D., Ph.D., D.O., D.V.M. or equivalent doctoral degree at time of application
* Applicants should be faculty/staff member initiating independent research careers, usually at the rank of instructor or assistant professor (or their equivalents).
* Must have faculty/staff appointment at activation.
* At the time of award activation, no more than four years will have elapsed since an applicant's first faculty/staff appointment (after receipt of doctoral degree) at the assistant professor level or its equivalent (including, but not limited to, research assistant professor, research scientist, staff scientist, etc.).
* Applications may be submitted for review in the final year of a postdoctoral research fellowship or in the initial years of the first faculty/staff appointment.
* Must meet institutional requirements for grant submission at time of application.
* Individuals are ineligible for the Scientist Development Grant if they have been or are currently funded (extramurally) for more than one year at a level greater than $95,000 per year in direct costs.
* SDG and an NIH mentored K-series award cannot be held concurrently.

Citizenship
At time of application, must have one of the following designations:

* U.S. citizen
* Permanent resident
* Pending permanent resident. Applicants must have applied for permanent residency and have filed form I-485 with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and have received authorization to legally remain in the United States (having filed an Application for Employment Form I-765).
* E-3 -- specialty occupation worker
* H1-B Visa -- temporary worker in a specialty occupation
* J-1 Visa. Note: You must have an H-1B or equivalent by the award activation date. If the H-1B or equivalent is not received by the award activation date, the award must be relinquished.
* O-1 Visa -- temporary worker with extraordinary abilities in the sciences
* TN Visa -- NAFTA professional

Awardee must meet American Heart Association citizenship criteria throughout the award.

Budget/Annual Award Amount

* PI Salary/Fringe: Yes, up to $35,000/yr
* Project Support: Yes, at least $35,000 per year (all of award may be budgeted for project support and 10 percent indirect costs if PI salary/fringe are not requested)
* Indirect Costs: Yes, not to exceed 10 percent ($7,000/yr)
* Maximum Annual Amount: $77,000 ($70,000 direct + 10 percent indirect costs)

Award Duration
Four years

Peer Review Criteria

1. Future Independence of Investigator: Is there demonstrated evidence that the award will promote independent status for the applicant by the end of the three- or four-year award? The award is not intended to provide enhanced funding for professional personnel working on the research program of an established scientist.
2. Significance: Does this study address an important problem broadly related to cardiovascular disease or stroke? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge or clinical practice be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts, methods and technologies that drive this field?
3. Approach: Are the conceptual framework, design, methods and analyses adequately developed, well integrated, well reasoned and feasible (as determined by preliminary data) and appropriate to the aims of the project? The assessment of preliminary data should be put into perspective so that bold new ideas and risk-taking by the beginning investigators are encouraged rather than stymied. Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics?
4. Innovation: Is the project original and innovative? For example: Does the project challenge existing paradigms and address an innovative hypothesis or critical barrier to progress in the field? Does the project develop or employ novel concepts, approaches, methodologies, tools or technologies for this area?
5. Investigator: Is the investigator appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and other researchers? Does the investigative team bring complementary and integrated expertise to the project (if applicable)?
6. Environment: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed studies benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, or subject populations, or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support as demonstrated in the department head letter?

Restrictions

* Awardee may not hold another association award concurrently.*
* Awardees may apply for a Beginning Grant-in-Aid, Established Investigator Award or Grant-in-Aid in the final year of this award.
* An awardee may hold the Scientist Development Grant only once (national or affiliate).
* These awards are non-renewable.
* The project submitted can have no scientific overlap with other funded work.
* No sponsor required or accepted for this award.
* An applicant may submit one National Innovative Research Grant application and one other National application per deadline if desired.
* Individuals are ineligible for the Scientist Development Grant if they have been or are currently funded (extramurally) for more than one year at a level greater than $95,000 per year in direct costs.
* An SDG and an NIH mentored K-series award cannot be held concurrently.
* The same or similar application submitted for the fourth time will be withdrawn and returned to the applicant.**

Successful applicants who hold any postdoctoral fellowship or training award must resign that award when activating the SDG award. The SDG is an independent award; therefore, training or fellowship awards (such as the NRSA) cannot be held simultaneously.

Applicants should never contact reviewers regarding their applications. Discussing scientific content of an application or attempting to influence review outcome will constitute a conflict of interest in the review. Reviewers should notify the AHA if an applicant contacts them.

Location of Work
Awards are limited to nonprofit institutions such as medical, osteopathic and dental schools, veterinary schools, schools of public health, pharmacy schools, nursing schools, universities and colleges, public and voluntary hospitals and other nonprofit institutions that can demonstrate the ability to conduct the proposed research. Applications will not be accepted for work with funding to be administered through any federal institution or work to be performed by a federal employee with the exception of Veterans Administrations employees. Funding is prohibited for awards at non-U.S. institutions.

Exception: An investigator may be allowed to request approval to conduct work outside the United Statestemporarily.

Applying to National and an Affiliate
If eligible, an applicant may simultaneously submit applications for affiliate and national awards. If both are funded, the applicant must choose one award. A person cannot hold more than one association award concurrently, unless there is a stated exception. The proposed research plan may need to be adjusted based upon different length of award and dollars available. The deadline dates may be different for each submission.

Interim Reporting
Assessment of annual progress reports to include research findings, abstracts, publications and names of trainees supported, if any.

Evaluation
Publications, citations by others, appointment to a faculty/staff position and/or other evidence of career progression, contribution of association support to career advancement.

The 2009 AFAR Research Grants

The Program
The major goal of this program is to assist in the development of the careers of junior investigators committed to pursuing careers in the field of aging research. AFAR supports research projects concerned with understanding the basic mechanisms of aging. Projects investigating age-related diseases are also supported, especially if approached from the point of view of how basic aging processes may lead to these outcomes. Projects concerning mechanisms underlying common geriatric functional disorders are also encouraged, as long as these include connections to fundamental problems in the biology of aging. Projects that deal strictly with clinical problems such as the diagnosis and treatment of disease, health outcomes, or the social context of aging are not eligible.

Examples of promising areas of research include:
Aging and immune function
Genetic Control of longevity
Neurobiology and neuropathology of aging*
Invertebrate or vertebrate animal models
Cardiovascular aging
Aging and cellular stress resistance
Metabolic and endocrine changes
Age-related changes in cell proliferation
Caloric restriction and aging
DNA repair and control of gene expression
Biology of the menopause
Aging and apoptosis
Biodemographic analysis of aging
Comparative gerontology
Evolutionary biological aspects of the biology of aging
*Applicants proposing a project in Alzheimer's Disease research, should apply for the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation/AFAR New Investigator Awards in Alzheimer's Disease. (This program is currently under review for renewal in 2009.)

It is anticipated that approximately 15 grants of up to $75,000 each will be awarded in 2009. Applicants may propose to use the award over the course of one or two years as justified by the proposed research. Funds may not be requested for overhead or indirect costs. Funding will begin July 1, 2009.

Recipients of this award are expected to attend the AFAR Grantee Conference. The purpose of the meeting is to promote scientific and personal exchanges among recent AFAR grantees and experts in aging research.

Eligibility

The applicant must be an independent investigator with assigned independent space and must be within the first four years of a junior faculty appointment (instructor, assistant professor or equivalent) by July 1, 2009.

The AFAR Research Grant Program does not provide support for:
Postdoctoral fellows in the laboratory of a senior investigator
Investigators who have already received major extramural funding for research on aging (such as an R01 grant)
Senior faculty, i.e. at the rank of Associate Professor level or higher
Former AFAR Research Grant recipients
NIH Intramural program employees
Applicants for the 2009 Glenn/AFAR Breakthrough in Gerontology (BIG) award
Application Guidelines

Four criteria are used to determine the merit of an application:

Qualifications of the applicant;
Quality of the proposed research;
Excellence of the research environment;
Likelihood that the project will advance the applicant's career in aging research.
If you are using animals in your research, please review Principles of Animal Use for Gerontological Research.

Application Procedures

All candidates must submit applications endorsed by their institution (only not-for-profit settings in the United States.) The deadline for receipt of all applications and supporting materials is December 16, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Please refer to the AFAR instruction sheet and application for complete application procedures. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.

Applications are reviewed in two stages: The initial screening takes place in mid-April, after which candidates are advised of the status of their applications via email. A final decision about grant awards is made in early June. The award start date is July 1, 2009.

AFAR can provide critiques only for those applications that are reviewed, at the second stage, by their Review Committee.

Reporting Requirements

Investigators will be required to submit a brief narrative report on the progress of their research five months after the start date of the award. Final narrative and financial reports are required within three months following the end date of the award. 

American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) | 55 West 39th Street, 16th Floor | New York, NY 10018
Phone: (212) 703-9977 | Toll-free: (888) 582-2327 | Fax: (212) 997-0330
E-mail: grants@afar.org or info@afar.org

CHASA is proud to offer a yearly scholarship for those affected by childhood hemiplegia. Scholarship deadline is March 1st of each year.

CHASA is now accepting scholarship applications for scholarships to be awarded in 2009. Deadline for application is March 1, 2009.
Eligibility requirements
• Age 25 years or less
• Affected by childhood hemiplegia due to stroke or other causes
• Attending a post-secondary school leading to a degree or certification
• No more than one prior CHASA scholarship
• Currently diagnosed as having hemiplegia

Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association (CHASA)
Suite 305, #149
4101 W. Green Oaks
Arlington, TX 76016