Stroke Grants

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.

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

Michael S. Pessin Stroke Leadership Prize

Sponsored by the AAN and endowed by Dr. Pessin's family, friends, and colleagues.

This award recognizes emerging neurologists who have a strong interest in and have demonstrated a passion for learning and expanding the field of stroke research. Applicants should have an active involvement in providing patients with the highest quality of compassionate care. This award is intended to stimulate and reward individuals in the developmental stages of their careers, who demonstrate a passion for stroke.

Presentation

Recipient is expected to give a 10-minute presentation on a topic of their choice during a scientific session at the AAN 61st Annual Meeting.

Recipient will receive:

* Certificate of recognition and $1,500 prize
* Complimentary registration for 61st Annual Meeting
* Recognition at 2009 Awards Luncheon at 61st Annual Meeting

Eligibility

* Must be a medical student, resident, fellow, or junior faculty member involved in or considering a career in neurology, emphasizing the care of stroke patients
* Must be no more than five years from completion of most recent training program and no higher academic rank than assistant professor
* Additional consideration will be given to those involved in clinical research aimed at enhancing the understanding of stroke or improving acute treatment protocols

Application Procedure

Applicants should submit one complete set of the following materials:

1. Completed application form
2. Current curriculum vitae

Deadline

The deadline to apply for 2009 AAN Awards and Fellowships is November 3, 2008. Applications will be available in August 2008.

For more information, please contact Amanda Tourville at atourville@aan.com or (651) 695-2785.

Sarnoff Fellowship Program — Research Training for Medical Students

Eligibility
The Sarnoff Fellowship Program offers medical students enrolled in accredited U.S. medical schools the opportunity to spend a year conducting intensive work in a biomedical research laboratory in the United States, other than the medical school in which they are enrolled.

Fellows are selected on the basis of a national competition. Sarnoff seeks individuals with demonstrated intellectual and academic achievement, as well as leadership ability. The Sarnoff Foundation funds up to 20 Fellows per year.

Fellows generally have completed their second or third year of medical school. Although applicants may have prior research experience, applications are also encouraged from students without extensive prior research experience. Applicants enrolled in an MD/PhD program will not be eligible for a Sarnoff Fellowship.

There are no citizenship requirements for application, but those who are not U.S. citizens must have and maintain an appropriate visa. The Foundation will not handle visa matters for applicants.

Stipend and Benefits
Fellowship awardees receive these benefits:

* $27,500 stipend for the 2008-09 Fellowship year
* Allowance up to $7,000 for travel to select a Preceptor and Fellowship laboratory, moving expenses, health insurance and computer equipment
* Financial support to attend the Sarnoff Annual Scientific meetings, American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, and NIH Clinical Investigator Student Trainee Forum
* Funds for travel to present a paper, based on Fellowship research, at two national conferences

Application Schedule and Information
Competitions are held annually. The application deadline for the 2009-10 Sarnoff Fellowship Program is January 7, 2009. Applications for the 2009-10 Sarnoff Fellowship Program will be available online in September 2008.

Each applicant must submit the following:

* One-page personal statement describing scholarly interests and career plans
* Three-page essay on the applicant's cardiovascular topic of interest
* Completed application form and signed statement of confidentiality
* Official medical school transcript
* Curriculum vitae
* Recommendation from the applicant's Sponsor
* Two additional recommendations
* Any other material that the applicant determines is appropriate to support the application

For more information contact:

Dana Boyd, Executive Director
Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Foundation
731 Walker Road, Suite G-2
Great Falls, VA 22066

Phone: 703-759-7600
E-mail: dboyd@SarnoffFoundation.org

Fellowship Location
We strongly encourage students to spend the Fellowship year at an institution in the United States other than their medical school, but recognize that, for some, leaving their home institution could present a significant hardship. Requests for exceptions to this policy will be considered based on personal reasons and availability of suitable laboratories.

Selection of Preceptor
The Preceptor provides an appropriate research project and oversees the Fellow's research training. It is not necessary for the applicant to have developed a research project or to have identified potential Preceptors at the time of application.

The Fellow is assigned an Advisor from the Sarnoff Scientific Committee. The Advisor assists the Fellow in selecting a Preceptor who can direct a project in the area of the Fellow's interest, which must be broadly within the cardiovascular or cerebrovascular sciences.

Fellows are encouraged to visit several laboratories and to meet with several prospective Preceptors prior to selecting the Preceptor. The Scientific Committee Advisor approves the Fellow's choice of laboratory and takes an active role in monitoring the Fellow's progress during the research year. This includes a site visit to meet with the Fellow and the Preceptor once the research is underway.

Fellow Evaluation and Selection
The Sarnoff Foundation seeks individuals with demonstrated intellectual and academic achievement, as well as leadership potential. The Scientific Committee places major emphasis on:

* The applicant's interest in a career in research, as documented by a personal statement;
* The quality of the applicant's essay and the ability to discuss the research topic; and
* Likelihood of providing the applicant with an intensive, rewarding research experience.

Key Elements of Sarnoff Fellowship
The cornerstone of the Sarnoff Fellowship is the special interaction between the medical student and the laboratory Preceptor with scientific and mentoring expertise. This close relationship, developed during the course of the Fellowship, and continuing throughout the Fellow's career, is enhanced by additional interactions with the Sarnoff Scientific Committee and Sarnoff Alumni. These experiences cultivate a life-long appreciation and enthusiasm for cardiovascular investigation, leading many to choose a career in cardiovascular research. The Foundation's investment in the Sarnoff Fellow is life-long.

Expectations of Awardees
During the year in the laboratory, the Sarnoff Fellow will undertake his/her own research project and assume responsibility for it from inception to completion. The Fellow is expected, with guidance, to develop the hypothesis and specific aims of the project, to participate in the experimental design, to carry out appropriate experiments, to interpret the data with the help of his/her Preceptor, and to prepare an original manuscript for submission to an appropriate peer-reviewed journal. Each Fellow presents his/her results at the Sarnoff Foundation's Annual Scientific Meeting, as well as at appropriate national meetings.

Examples of Cardiovascular Research
The Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Foundation, like the American Heart Association, takes a broad view of cardiovascular research. Examples include:

* Molecular and cellular investigations related to cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology, neural control of cardiovascular function, cell transport and metabolism, cellular electrophysiology and ion channels, and excitationcontraction coupling
* Molecular and cellular biology of cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscle
* Regulation of cell growth, growth factors, cell cycle genes, programmed cell death, cell surface and nuclear receptors, gene transcription, and molecular signaling Vascular biology, lipoproteins and lipid metabolism, endothelial and smooth muscle cell biology, inflammation, cytokines, cell adhesion, regulation of extracellular matrix, and regulation of thrombosis and platelet function
* Angiogenesis
* Clinical investigations related to atherosclerosis and arterial injury, arrhythmias and conduction abnormalities, cardiac failure and myocardial preservation, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, stroke, and thrombosis
* Animal models of cardiovascular disease
* Cardiovascular imaging
* Molecular and human genetics
* Transplant biology
* Cardiovascular surgery
* Biomedical engineering