SRSF/JAZZ Pharmaceuticals Early Career Development Research Awards


Overview

The SRS Foundation recognizes the challenges of transitioning from post-doctoral training to independent research funding. The goal of these mentored awards is to invest in promising early career researchers and assist with their transition into independence as junior investigators. These grants will be funded in the range of $50,000 to $75,000 through a generous donation from Jazz Pharmaceuticals. The awards will provide support for 2-4 individuals and may be renewed for a second year, based on accomplishment of milestones specified in the application and funding availability. Recipients are expected to apply for a mentored or independent research award during the period of funding.

Scope of Research Supported

The awards are intended to further our understanding of sleep and wake disorders in particular, the mechanisms or treatment of narcolepsy and other hypersomnias. Research can range from molecular neuroscience to clinical outcomes research.

Requirements for Applicants

  • Doctoral level degree in any field related to sleep or sleep disorders
  • Post-doctoral fellow or within 3 years of the end of post-doctoral training
  • Documented history of commitment to sleep research – publications, other grants (not to exceed $75K/year), service to the field, etc
  • Current or prior national level career development award recipients are not eligible to apply for this award. If a Career Development Award (CDA) or other grant is awarded during the funding period, the recipient can submit a revised budget and request continued support through the end of the original funding period. The revised budget must demonstrate no overlap with the funded grant budget.

Application

Applications must be submitted in English. Applying for the award involves submitting the following items via e-mail as an attached WORD file or PDF. Applications that do not adhere to the following guidelines will be judged non-responsive and not reviewed.

  • Research plan (5 pages): The plan should include an explicit description of how the research planned here will inform and benefit CDA or independent grant application to be submitted during the funding period.
  • Training plan (3 pages): To include how this award will advance the investigator's career trajectory and directly lead to an application for a larger project.
  • Mentor's letter of support (2 pages): If the applicant intends to apply for a CDA during the funding period, this letter should come from the intended CDA mentor. Regardless, this letter should include:
      a.    The potential of the applicant for an independent career in sleep research
      b.    The planned mentoring activities during the award period
      c.    Support provided to the applicant by the mentor (e.g., salary, office space, project support, etc)
  • Budget with Justification – Annual budget of $50,000 to $75,000 a year.  The higher award amounts are appropriate for clinical research projects.  No indirect costs may be requested. Funds can be used to cover salary, research costs, and/or training costs. Travel costs for the annual SLEEP meeting should be included in the budget. The budget must also include other funding sources that will be used to support the applicant or project during the proposed funding period (if applicable).
  • Timeline (1 page): Including research milestones, training activities, and the planned submission of a mentored or independent research award. Milestones for each 6-month period should be specified.
  • The application should specifically state how this funding is needed to support the development of the planned CDA or independent research award application.

Review Criteria

The overarching question assessed by the reviewers will be: Will this support enable the candidate to develop the skills, knowledge and/or preliminary data needed to apply for the mentored or independent research award outlined in the application?

  1. Potential of applicant for a career as an independent investigator in sleep research
  2. Quality and innovation of the planned research, including how this research will facilitate applying for a CDA or independent research award
  3. Appropriateness of the training plan given the proposed project and the applicants prior training and planned career pathway
  4. A well-justified budget (including other sources of support for the applicant and the proposed project).
  5. The mentor's commitment to providing the necessary support and resources to ensure the applicant's success in this project and in their overall career development

The deadline for the receipt of the proposal is May 15, 2013.  All proposals must be submitted electronically.

Please contact Brittany Manning at bmanning@srsnet.org or (630) 737-9763 with any questions.

Send applications to:

Brittany Manning
SRS Foundation Coordinator
bmanning@srsnet.org