Announcing the 2004
Canavan Disease Clinical Research Training Fellowship
Request for Applications
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| The Canavan Foundation and the American
Academy of Neurology Foundation are pleased to announce a two-year
Clinical Research Training Fellowship to support research into the
cause, treatment, or cure of Canavan disease, a rare and fatal form
of familial leukodystrophy. The fellowship is designed to support
the development and training of new independent investigators in the
field of Canavan disease and related leukodystrophies.
The award will consist of a commitment of $50,000
per year for two years to support salary and/or research costs,
plus a stipend of up to $7,000 per year in reimbursements for formal
academic training, as needed, in research methodology.
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| Eligibility |
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The fellowship is open to investigators interested in
academic careers in research who can demonstrate their intent to conduct
novel clinical research in Canavan disease while working in a mentored
environment. Preference will be given to neurologists/clinicians (MD,
DO, MD/PhDs) who have completed residency training within 5 years
of the award start date and can demonstrate the support of a seasoned
mentor and research institution. PhD candidates conducting clinically-oriented
research and who have completed postdoctoral training within the last
5 years will also be considered. While clinical research* questions
are preferred, all proposals of extraordinary significance to the
field of Canavan research are sought and will be considered. Supplementation
of this grant with other awards or by the sponsor institution is permissible,
however investigators currently holding K or R series grants from
the NIH are not eligible to apply. Applicants need not be US citizens
to apply.
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| Materials for Application |
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Please submit one copy of all of the following materials
required for application for the Canavan Disease Clinical Research
Training Fellowship: |
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- A letter of intent from the applicant
to pursue a two-year program indicating the specific research
focus, the proposed mentor and sponsor institution, and the applicants
future goals.
- A five-page research proposal, including a brief
statement of specific aims (1 page), background and significance
(1 page), and research design and methodology (3 pages). The research
plan should be written by the applicant and should represent his/her
original work. However, the applicant is expected and encouraged
to develop this plan based on extensive discussion and the support
of the proposed mentor. It is entirely appropriate for the proposed
work to be highly related to the mentor's ongoing research.
- Copy of current curriculum vitae. The applicant
must have completed residency and/or postdoctoral training within
five years of the award start date.
- A letter of nomination from the Chair of the sponsoring
Department that includes assurance that the fellow will have up
to 75% of professional time protected for the research and career
development.
- Three letters of reference supporting the applicant's
potential for a clinical, academic research career and qualifications
for the fellowship.
- The proposed mentor must provide a letter detailing
his/her support of and commitment to the applicant and to the
proposed research and training program. The program should be
tailored to the unique qualifications of the applicant. It should
specifically indicate the role to be played by the mentor in the
development and preparation of the research plan and how this
plan fits into his/her own research program. The mentor should
describe his/her expertise and experience in the area of research
proposed and the nature of his/her proposed commitment of time
to the supervision and training of the applicant. The mentor should
outline his/her prior experience in the supervision, training,
and successful mentoring of clinician scientists.
- The mentor or applicant must document arrangements
for any formal coursework needed to support the applicant's development
as a clinical researcher and should reflect the patient-oriented
or laboratory-oriented clinical research career goals of the applicant.
This documentation must describe the hours and content of the
proposed formal instruction, the availability of tutorial assistance
for the research project, and approaches to statistical analysis
at the sponsor institution. The applicant should be able to demonstrate
academic training in the areas of biostatistics, study design,
data analysis, GCP/GLP, HIPAA compliance, and ethics upon the
conclusion of this fellowship.
- A listing of the applicant's and mentor's current
and pending support, using NIH biographical sketch (PHS 398 revised
5/01) format.
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| Evaluation and Selection |
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Applications are evaluated by the Canavan Disease Task
Force composed of medical/scientific advisors from the Canavan Foundation
and the AAN Clinical Research Subcommittee. Evaluations will be based
upon the following criteria: |
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- " the originality and quality of the research
plan;
- " the applicant's ability and promise as a
clinician scientist as revealed by his/her previous training and
career plan, letters of reference and curriculum vitae;
- " the quality and nature of the training to
be provided, and the institutional, departmental and mentor-specific
environment in which these will occur.
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Evaluations will be forwarded to the AAN Foundation
Research Council for final determination of the award. |
| Annual and Final Progress Reports |
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The annual progress report is due in May of the first
year of the award. Additionally, the final research report and the
final expenditure report from the sponsor institution are due within
60 days following the close of the grant term. |
| Deadline and Address |
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All applications and supporting materials must be received
by October 1, 2003. Results of the evaluation and selection process
will be shared with applicants in December 2003. |
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Applications should be sent to:
Canavan Disease Fellowship
American Academy of Neurology Foundation
Attn: Scott Palmer
1080 Montreal Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55116
Phone: 651-695-2759
Fax: 651-695-2791
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| Notice Regarding the NIH Loan Repayment
Programs |
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The NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Program (LRP) has
been broadened to include investigators conducting "qualifying
research supported by a nonprofit foundation…." Applicants
to the Canavan Disease Clinical Research Training Fellowship may be
eligible for this program and are encouraged to apply. For more information,
visit the
LRP website at www.lrp.nih.gov
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| *Clinical research is defined as "patient-oriented
clinical research conducted with human subjects, or research
on the causes and consequences of disease in human populations involving
material of human origin for which an investigator or colleague directly
interacts with human subjects in an outpatient or inpatient setting
to clarify a problem in human physiology, pathophysiology, or disease.
This area of research includes epidemiologic or behavioral studies,
clinical trials, studies of the mechanisms of human disease, the development
of new technologies, and health services and outcomes research. |
