The Clinical Immunology Society (CIS) and Grifols are pleased to announce the Fellowship Award, which offers an award to an individual in the third or fourth year of their fellowship program with a concentration or focus on primary immunodeficiency. The 2012 Fellowship Award will provide one individual a one-year grant in the amount of $30,000.

The objective of the grant is to support the development of academic clinical immunology research careers of advanced fellows-in-training who have demonstrated commitment to the study of primary immunodeficiency as a career path in the United States. Funding is to support the education and research endeavors of this individual. This award is made possible by a generous unrestricted grant from Grifols.

Below are the instructions for submitting an application for the 2012 Fellowship Award.

Please read the instructions very carefully.
Please note that the deadline cannot be extended for any reason.

AWARD APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

ELIGIBILITY AND GUIDELINES:

• Applicants must hold an MD, DO or MD/PhD degree and plan to pursue a career in primary immunodeficiency;
• Applicants must be a third or fourth year fellow-in-training at the start of funding, with a concentration or focus on primary immunodeficiency and be in good standing within the program;
• Applicants must be enrolled in one of the recognized specialty boards in the US (i.e. allergy, immunology, hematology, infectious diseases, etc.)

CONDITIONS OF THE AWARD:

• The award is $30,000 for one year.
• Award begins July 2012.
• Funds may be used for any combination of salary and/or lab support.
• Award may only be used for salary support and direct costs. Institutional indirect or general overhead costs cannot be covered.
• During the period of this award, the recipient may not accept other grants or other external funds of more than $15,000 that provide stipend or salary support for the same work outlined in the application.
• Recipient must make proper acknowledgements in presentations and publications resulting from the research sponsored by the award. Awardee will also notify the Grant Committee of any publications resulting from the work supported by the Fellowship Award.
• The institution is responsible for documenting its role in terms of supporting the education and research efforts as well as providing adequate research capacity, including space and equipment, for the award recipient.
• The recipient must submit a final written progress report to the CIS at the conclusion of the award period. It is also expected the recipient will present the final results of their research at a future CIS Meeting.
• Awardee’s institution is required to submit a financial progress report at the conclusion of the award period.
• The CIS may discontinue an award if it is documented that the purpose or the terms of the award are not being fulfilled. In this event, the recipient will be notified in writing of this determination, the reason, and the effective date.

REVIEW PROCESS:

• Applications will be reviewed by an appointed Grant Committee designated by the CIS.
• The Grant Committee will score the applications (recusing themselves from any applications which would represent a conflict of interest). The scores will be compiled and the applications discussed on a conference call.
• Application review decisions are final.

REVIEW CRITERIA:

• Scientific merit of project
• Commitment to the field of primary immunodeficiency
• Environment and mentor
• Career plan (potential impact on the care of patients with primary immunodeficiency)

ONLINE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

Award applications must be submitted online. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
The online application will include :

1. Applicant's Personal Statement (not to exceed one page)
   1. Summarize your training to date.
   2. Comment on your specific clinical and research interests.
   3. Describe the percentage of time allocated for your responsibilities (including research, teaching, clinical and administrative duties).
2. Career Development Plans (not to exceed one page)
   1. Describe current and future plans for overall career development including training and research goals. Include specifics of how this award will contribute to your career development.
3. Current Training and Research Environment Description (not to exceed one page)
   1. This section should be prepared jointly by the lab director and the training program director.
   2. Describe the training environment that will support the clinical and research development of the applicant. Include details of current or upcoming projects.
4. An Outline of the Current Research Project (Font size 12 points or larger, single space, and at least ½" margins; not to exceed five pages)
   1. Thorough statement of the applicant's proposed research plan in clinical or basic immunology including:
      1. Specific Goals
      2. Methods and Procedures
      3. Preliminary Data (if available)
      4. Long-range Objectives
      5. Brief Rationale (why is this important?)
   2. Documentation, if applicable, upon receipt of the funds that the proposed research was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or human subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the grantee institution.
   3. Description of Budget Item and Amount Allocated to it
5. Applicant Biographical Sketch (NIH Format)
   1. Must include a full disclosure of all grants or awards currently received or pending.
6. Primary Mentor Biographical Sketch (NIH Format)
7. Financial Conflict of Interest Statement(s)
   1. For each investigator, list real or potential financial conflicts of interest with the proposed studies. Financial conflicts of interest would include direct payments from corporate entities related to the proposed studies and/or investments that would benefit the applicant or the applicant's family as a result of the proposed studies.
8. Three Letters of Recommendation (not to exceed four pages each)
   1. Two letters must include a letter of standing and a letter of recommendation from the Training Program Director and/or mentor.
   2. The third letter of recommendation may come from a professional colleague of applicant's choice.
   3. Letters from the Training Program Director and/or Mentor should include the following:
      1. Details on the Institutions' commitment to the applicant;
      2. Applicant's qualifications for an academic career and availability of funding for applicant's academic training expenses;
      3. Applicant's training/career development plan (specify skills to be acquired)

For questions regarding your application, please contact Anne Krolikowski at the CIS Office:
414.224.8095 or akrolikowski@clinimmsoc.org