2013 ATS Foundation Partner and Unrestricted Grants
ATS FOUNDATION RESEARCH GRANT APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
The grants and awards are explained below, along with the application process, applicant qualification requirements, instructions, timeline for the review process and submission requirements.
Please review all eligibility requirements before submitting a letter of intent or full application.
2013 Research Program Portfolio (funding to begin in October 2013)
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For this year only, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Foundation has changed its award policy to address the impact of congressional sequestration on National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding of emerging physician-scientists. The goal of the ATS Foundation, ATS Executive Committee, and Scientific Advisory Committee is to preserve our next generation of individuals with strong investigative potential, despite the growing funding constraints of the NIH and other funding bodies. Our intention is not to assume the role of the NIH, but to encourage young ATS investigators to maintain their research momentum.
We will implement two parallel programs, the first to support research proposals and the second to provide funding for recognition awards for outstanding scientists. Our partner grants will also be offered as usual.
ATS Foundation Unrestricted Research Grants
The ATS Foundation will award three (3) unrestricted research grants. For the first time, the ATS Foundation will offer one unrestricted research award in each of the following categories: pulmonary, sleep, and critical care. Though these unrestricted awards have always been available to sleep and critical care investigators, the majority of applications have focused on pulmonary research. By committing funds to sleep and critical care research, the ATS Foundation is aiming to increase the number of high quality applications received in these areas.
The ATS Foundation encourages international and domestic applications in basic, patient-oriented, and public health topics. In the area of public health, the ATS Foundation is particularly interested in funding projects that will inform health policy decisions. These include projects that explore the quality and safety of a specific treatment and compare the effectiveness of different therapies.
For this year only, funding for these unrestricted grants will be reduced to $40,000 for one year. Previously awarded research grants will not be affected.
Letters of Intent are due on May 10, 2013.
Recognition Awards for Outstanding Early Career Investigators
The ATS Foundation will also offer an additional seven (7) unrestricted awards for meritorious early career researchers. These awards provide $40,000 for one year for domestic and international ATS members, and can be put towards salary, research, or a combination of both. If the recipient elects to put the award towards one or more research projects, these projects must be relevant to the ATS’ mission of advancing science in pulmonary, sleep, or critical care medicine.
The ATS Scientific Advisory Committee will assess the strength of each applicant through a careful evaluation of an A0 unfunded proposal submitted to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or an internationally equivalent federal funding body. The NIH (or equivalent) must have reviewed these proposals on or after June 2012 and assigned the proposal a highly competitive scientific score. The NIH (or equivalent) critique pages (“pink sheets”) must be attached to the ATS Foundation application. The applicant’s biosketch and letters of recommendation will also be considered in the ATS review process.
The NIH (or equivalent) proposal must be relevant to pulmonary, critical care, or sleep medicine, and should not have other extramural support. Because these ATS Foundation awards are intended for early career investigators, the NIH (or equivalent) proposal must be for a mentored career development award (e.g., K08, K23, or equivalent) or a Pathway to Independence Award program (K99/R00). Proposals submitted for the applicant’s first major independent research project grant (R01 or equivalent) will also be considered. The ATS Scientific Advisory Committee review will focus on (i) the relevance and scientific excellence of the proposed study on pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine; and (ii) potential for future scientific independence, e.g., extramural NIH support.
The applicant must also meet all eligibility requirements described in the “Eligibility and Guidelines” section below.
The deadline to apply is July 1, 2013.
Partner Grants
ATS Foundation/Alpha-1 Foundation Research Grant (1 grant available)
- Co-funded by the ATS Foundation and the Alpha-1 Foundation. Please visit alpha-1foundation.org for more information about our partner.
The target audience for these research grants will be investigators interested in research that is relevant to alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (Alpha-1). The focus of the research grants will be programs that have a high likelihood to advance the understanding of Alpha-1. Applications are encouraged from new faculty members who have a strong link with one or more senior investigator. Applicants may request up to $40,000/year for 2 years for salaries, supplies or a combination of these two. One of the investigators must be an ATS member at the time of application, and the Principal Investigator must be an ATS member at the time that the grant is awarded. Indirect costs will not be paid to the applicant's institution.
Letters of Intent are due on May 10, 2013.
ATS Foundation/Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Career Development Award in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (1 award available)
- This activity is supported by a research grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
The Fellowship Career Development Award is designed to support the research of a fellow undergoing training in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis-directed research. Applicants should submit proposals for mentored projects addressing important areas of investigation in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Applicants may request up to $50,000 for one year.
Individuals who already have faculty positions are not eligible. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited pulmonary/critical care training program and must be in good standing in the program. The goal is to support the research efforts of fellows during the latter part of their training (typically after their second year of training) in order to enhance their educational experience, advance discovery, and promote careers in academia. In line with these goals, applicants must hold a MD, DO, MD/PhD, PhD, DVM, or equivalent degree and should plan to pursue a career in academic medicine.
During the period of this award, applicants may not accept other training awards or other external funds that provide stipend or salary support for the same work outlined in their proposal. Applicants must also be a U.S. citizen or resident alien with a Permanent Resident Card ("Green Card") at the time the application is submitted.
*For Applicants of the ATS Foundation/Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Career Development Award in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Only: No salary or fringe benefit payments may be made from ATS Foundation funds. The granted funds support necessary incremental personnel and other direct costs/fees that are associated with conducting the research. The level of effort required for the research project must be allowed by the employing agency as part of the individuals' official duties.
Letters of Intent are due on May 10, 2013.
ATS Foundation/chILD Foundation Research Grant- (1 grant available)
- Co-funded by the ATS Foundation and the chILD Foundation. Please visit child-foundation.com for more information about our partner.
Increasingly genomic approaches such as whole exome sequencing are identifying novel genes associated with lung disease. The purpose of this grant is to accelerate research in childhood lung diseases by supporting functional studies of novel genetic variants that have been linked to rare, progressive, familial pulmonary conditions. The goal is to characterize the biological mechanisms by which a genetic variant results in childhood diffuse or interstitial lung disease, and to leverage functional/mechanistic insight to develop new treatments. Applicants are encouraged to integrate studies of individual genes with pathways and regulatory networks. Applicants will not be limited to particular experimental methods but are encouraged to employ innovative investigative approaches, ranging from exploration in model systems to proof of concept studies with human biospecimens. Investigators may focus on one lung disease or may investigate a single genetic variant across lung diseases. This initiative strongly encourages the forging of new collaborations among investigators in different scientific disciplines to explore how the genetic variation results in functional changes and how the genes are involved in lung disease pathogenesis. Proposals with translational relevance will receive highest priority for funding. Applicants may request up to $40,000/year for 2 years for salaries, supplies or a combination of these two. This grant is intended for early-career investigators, but consideration will also be given to more experienced researchers. Partnerships between junior and senior investigators are strongly encouraged, and international collaborations are welcome. Indirect costs will not be paid to the sponsoring institution.
Letters of Intent are due on May 10, 2013.
ATS Foundation/Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network Research Grant (1 grant available)
- Co-funded by the ATS Foundation and the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network. Please visithpsnetwork.org for more information about our partner.
The target audience for these research grants will be investigators interested in research that is directly relevant to lung disease that results from Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome. The focus of the research grants will be programs that have a high likelihood to advance the understanding of Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome-associated lung disease. Applications are encouraged from new faculty members who have a strong link with one or more senior investigator. Applicants may request up to $40,000/year for 2 years for salaries, supplies or a combination of these two. One of the investigators must be an ATS member at the time of application, and the Principal Investigator must be an ATS member at the time that the grant is awarded. Indirect costs will not be paid to the sponsoring institution.
Letters of Intent are due on May 10, 2013.
ATS Foundation/Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis/Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Research Grant (1 grant available)
- Co-funded by the ATS Foundation, the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Please visit coalitionforpf.org and pulmonaryfibrosis.org for more information about our partners.
The target audience for these research grants will be domestic and international investigators interested in research that is relevant to pulmonary fibrosis. The focus of the research grant will be programs that have a high likelihood to advance the understanding of pulmonary fibrosis. Applications are encouraged from new faculty members who have a strong link with one or more senior investigator. Applicants may request up to $50,000/year for 2 years for salaries, supplies or a combination of these two. One of the investigators must be an ATS member at the time of application, and the Principal Investigator must be an ATS member at the time that the grant is awarded. Indirect costs will not be paid to the applicant's institution.
Letters of Intent are due on May 10, 2013.
ATS Foundation/Pulmonary Hypertension Association Research Fellowship (1 grant available)
- Co-funded by the ATS Foundation and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA). Please visit phassociation.org for more information about our partner.
The target audience for this research fellowship will be investigators interested in research in pulmonary arterial hypertension. The fellowship will be directed to supporting research into the pathophysiology of PAH, toward elucidating mechanistic pathways and identifying novel therapeutic targets or biomarkers in adult or pediatric pulmonary hypertension. The project should have potential applicability to human pulmonary vascular diseases. Applicants may request up to $40,000/year for 2 years for salaries, supplies or a combination of these two. A primary goal of the ATS Foundation and PHA Research Programs is to enable new faculty-level investigators to make the transition to careers as established investigators. Partnerships between junior and senior investigators are strongly encouraged, particularly for new investigators who are within 1 to 5 years of the completion of their training. One of the investigators must be an ATS member at the time of application, and the Principal Investigator must be an ATS member at the time that the grant is awarded. Indirect costs will not be paid to the sponsoring institution. Investigators are also encouraged to connect through PHA's professional network, PH Clinicians and Researchers, during the course of their research. Indirect costs will not be paid to the sponsoring institution.
Letters of Intent are due on May 10, 2013.
ATS Foundation/Scleroderma Foundation Research Grant (1 grant available)
- Co-funded by the ATS Foundation and the Scleroderma Foundation. Please visit scleroderma.org for more information about our partner.
The target audience for these research grants will be investigators interested in research that is directly relevant to lung disease that results from scleroderma. The focus of the research grants will be programs that have a high likelihood to advance the understanding of scleroderma-associated lung disease. Applications are encouraged from new faculty members who have a strong link with one or more senior investigator. Applicants may request up to $40,000/year for 2 years for salaries, supplies or a combination of these two. One of the investigators must be an ATS member at the time of application, and the Principal Investigator must be an ATS member at the time that the grant is awarded. Indirect costs will not be paid to the sponsoring institution.
Letters of Intent are due on May 10, 2013.
ATS Foundation Tobacco-Dependence Research Fund Grant: For Research on Basic Mechanisms Involved in Tobacco Dependence (1 grant available)
- Made possible by a generous grant from the ATS Foundation Tobacco-Dependence Research Fund
The grant will be targeted for research on basic mechanisms involved in tobacco dependence, including such areas as neurogenetics, pharmacology, neuropharmacology, cell receptors, airway sensory responses, and other basic science areas that enhance understanding of the basic mechanisms causing tobacco dependence.This grant is NOT intended to support studies that examine the adverse consequences of cigarette smoking. The Principal Investigator must be a member of a division of pulmonary and critical care medicine. Trans-disciplinary, cross-department collaboration is encouraged. Preference will be given to projects that, because of their novelty, require bridge funding before becoming competitive for other funding mechanisms. Applicants may request up to $50,000/year for 2 years for salaries, supplies or a combination of these two. Applicants must meet the criteria listed below. A primary goal of the ATS Foundation Research Program is to enable new faculty-level investigators to make the transition to careers as established investigators. Partnerships between junior and senior investigators are strongly encouraged, particularly for new investigators who are within 1 to 5 years of the completion of their training. At least one of the senior investigators must also be a member of the applicant's pulmonary and critical care medicine division. Both US and non-US based investigators are encouraged to apply. At least one of the investigators must be an ATS member at the time of application, and the principal investigator must be an ATS member at the time that the grant is awarded. Indirect costs will not be paid to the sponsoring institution.
Letters of Intent are due on May 10, 2013.
Please read the eligibility information below before you start your application. If you have any questions, please contact Alyssa Chase, Senior Manager of the ATS Foundation Research Program at achase@thoracic.org.
Please note that the ATS Foundation/Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Career Development Award in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis award has different eligibility criteria than the other ATS Foundation partner and unrestricted grants. These criteria are listed in the description for this award posted above. Applicants for this career development award should disregard the guidelines that follow.
A primary goal of the ATS Foundation Research Program is to enable new investigators the chance to make the transition to careers as established investigators. Applicants must have completed their primary research training (PhD or sub-specialty fellowship training) by July 1, 2013 and have a firm commitment from their home institution for a faculty position. Partnerships between junior and senior investigators are strongly encouraged, particularly for new investigators who are within 1 to 5 years of the completion of their research training. At least one of the key personnel must be an ATS member at the time of application, and the principal investigator must be an ATS member at the time that the grant is awarded. Individuals may submit multiple letter of intent (LOI) applications, but ATS will extend at most one invitation to submit a full grant application to each applicant. Consistent with our intention to support early career investigators, applicants shall not be over 12 years beyond their doctoral degree or equivalent (i.e., MD, PhD, DVM).
International applicants are welcome to apply.
Applicants shall not be the recipients of relatively large national awards defined as an NIH R01, Veterans Affairs Grant, Department of Defense Grant or equivalent awards with funding of ≥ $100,000 per year for at least 2 years from a single independent (nonmentored) grant at any time.
Investigators who hold active career development grants (such as K award from the NIH) are eligible to receive ATS research funding, but the ATS project should differ scientifically from the already funded award.
At the present time, investigators in the following categories are not eligible to apply for ATS grants:
- US-based trainees who do not hold a Visa that spans the project period of the grant
- Current awardees of the ATS Foundation Research Program
- Individuals who have received 2 ATS grants
REVIEW PROCESS
The ATS Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) will review the applications. The membership of the SAC is listed on the ATS Website. Additional ad hoc reviewers, especially in the areas of sleep and critical care, will be invited to participate as needed. Funding decisions will be made on the basis of scientific merit, novelty, and responsiveness to the purpose of the specific grant program.
ATS POLICY ON ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDING
Simultaneous submission of grants with scientific overlap is allowed, but if multiple applications are funded, then the applicant must notify the ATS within one month of formal notification of award. A subcommittee of SAC will assess degree of overlap. In case of significant scientific overlap the applicant will have to choose between the ATS research grant and the other grant. Budgetary overlap is not allowed.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLYING
Application forms are available on the Foundant Technologies website.
Please note that after you submit your application it will be reviewed by ATS staff. If there are any problems or if these guidelines have not been followed, your proposal will be un-submitted. Please make sure that you check your email after you submit your application so that any outstanding issues may be addressed as quickly as possible.
Please contact Alyssa Chase, Senior Manager, ATS Foundation Research Program, at 212-315-8696 or achase@thoracic.org with any questions related to requirements and eligibility.
