Clinical Research Awards

The 2008 American Society of Transplantation/CHEST Foundation
Clinical Research Award in Lung Transplantation

Applications for awards are now closed. DEADLINE: APRIL 30, 2008

Background
The American Society of Transplantation (AST) was founded in 1982 and is an organization of over 2,600 transplant specialists dedicated to advancing the field of transplantation through research, education, advocacy and organ donation. Their goal is to offer a forum for the exchange of knowledge, scientific information and expertise to improve patient care.

The CHEST Foundation was founded in 1996 and focuses its programs and initiatives on four key areas: critical care, tobacco prevention, humanitarian service, and clinical research. Its mission is to provide resources to advance the prevention and treatment of diseases of the chest. One of the valuable benefits of membership is that members are offered a wide range of research awards in a number of areas relating to the detection/treatment/cure of chest-related diseases.

Award Granted
A clinical research award of $80,000 will be granted to a single awardee for clinical research in lung transplantation over a period of 2 years, from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2010. The first award check, in the amount of $40,000, will be issued after July 1, 2008 to the candidate who submits an outstanding research project in the area of lung transplantation. The second-year award check will be issued upon receipt of the required Progress Report that is due before July 15, 2009. This report should show significant progress in the research project to warrant the additional $40,000 award for the second award year: July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

Applicant Qualifications
TTo be considered a candidate for The American Society of Transplantation/CHEST Foundation Clinical Research Award in Lung Transplantation, an individual must:

Be a member of either the American Society of Transplantation or the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). Membership in both organizations is encouraged. For membership in AST, go to www.a-s-t.org. For membership in ACCP, you can apply online.
Hold a degree of MD, DO, MBBCh, PharmD, PhD or its equivalent.
Be in the third year or higher of fellowship OR within 5 years of completing a fellowship program; or if a non-physician, be in an advanced post-doctoral program
May have spent ≤ 2 years (at the time of application) in post-doctoral transplantation-related research. (Applicants who have worked in other fields or taken leaves of absence are eligible beyond this two-year period; however, these activities must be clearly described in letter of support).
Be a citizen of North America (Canada, United States, or Mexico), or have a J-1 or H-1 visa (if in the United States) and be working in a certified medical institution/university at a North American site.

Requirements

Applicants may NOT apply for other types of clinical research awards from The CHEST Foundation (ie, asthma, COPD, critical care, geriatric development research, lung cancer, or women’s health).
Award is to support clinical research and NOT basic or bench level research.
The Research Summary should include goals and objectives to be completed within 2 years of the starting date of the research project.
Research funding received will be used to fund the clinical research project (eg, funds may be used to support salary and supplies directly related to the research project).

Terms of the Clinical Research Award

The AST/CHEST Foundation Clinical Research Award in Lung Transplantation will be given for a 2-year term for research projects conducted between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2010. Special approval may be requested for projects that exceed this time period, but no additional funding will be provided. A letter of request is required for an extension of time to complete the research, subject to approval from AST and The CHEST Foundation.
Awardees must submit at least a 3-page Progress Report due before July 15, 2009 and a final research summary, minimum of 7 pages, due before July 16, 2010.
Indirect costs or tuition payments may not be deducted from this award by the research institution/university.
The award recipient may receive supplemental income in accordance with institutional policy.

Publications
All publications and/or presentations based on research performed during the period of this award must acknowledge the award in the following manner, "with grant support from the American Society of Transplantation and The CHEST Foundation of the American College of Chest Physicians."

Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be reviewed and graded by physicians who are members of ACCP or AST and have expertise in lung transplantation. Each application will be evaluated and given a final score by totaling the points given to the application by each reviewer. The following areas will be given points ranging from one to five, with five being the highest (best) score: 1) scientific merit, 2) innovation, 3) feasibility of the research plan, 4) relevancy to the medical and/or surgical treatment of lung transplants, 5) investigator and environment. There is also an area on the form for each evaluator to add comments.

Additional Information Required for Application
The following information must be submitted along with the completed application form if you are applying for this award, using a WORD document or the PDF print-out of the application:

A cover page listing your name, the title of your research project, the name of the award you are applying for, and your institution. If you are applying online, the "Applicant Information" page on the online submission process will serve as the cover page.
A typed document (maximum of five pages) responding to the following questions/areas:
- How does your research background and experiences in lung transplantation research relate to the project area you wish to investigate?
- How do you plan to investigate the proposed research project? Describe the research design, focus of your project, the resources you will need, and the tools you will use.
- Expected outcomes of your research project and its impact in the area of lung transplantation
Research citations may exceed the five-page limit and may be added as an attachment (optional)
A current curriculum vitae
A budget showing how the funds of $40,000 will be spent in year 1 and $40,000 in year 2
A lay abstract (limit to one-page, single-spaced, summary of your research project in non-scientific language)
A letter of support from an appropriate individual at your institution stating that you have the ability (time, necessary resources, candidate qualifications, etc.) to carry out your proposed research project for 2 years.

IMPORTANT:
Applications missing any of the requirements listed above will not be accepted.