Eligibility

If I have been selected to participate in the Clinical Research Training Institute, am I eligible for the Scholar Awards?
No, you cannot be a Clinical Research Training Institute participant and compete for a Scholar Award simultaneously.

What are the citizenship requirements for applicants?
Eligible applicants must be a citizen of the United States or Canada or hold a visa in the United States or Canada.

If I submitted an application for ASH membership, but it is not approved before the Scholar Award application deadline, will my Scholar Award application still be accepted?
Yes. If your membership application is pending at the time of the Scholar Award application deadline, you will still be considered for a Scholar Award.

What if I am an independent investigator (junior faculty) and do not have a mentor?
In order to be eligible to receive a Scholar Award (both fellow and junior faculty awards), you must have both a primary mentor and secondary mentor. If you do not have someone serving as your mentor, ASH recommends you chose the chair of your department to serve as your mentor. The mentor’s role is really to provide oversight. They must be available to sign-off on materials throughout the year.

What if I change institutions after I submit the letter of intent?
Please inform the Society of your transfer either prior to submitting the application or in the cover letter of your application – especially if you have a new e-mail address. Please note: an individual from your new institution must serve as either your primary mentor or secondary mentor on your application.

Are awardees permitted to have simultaneous funding?
Yes, but it depends on the circumstances. If you received a NIH R01 grant at the time of application, you are no longer eligible for the Scholar Award. If you are awarded a NIH K grant at the time of application, you are still eligible. Other grants you receive may have their own limitations, but ASH has none other than the R01.

If I have been awarded a NIH R01 grant after my letter of intent has been submitted but before the application is due, am I still eligible?
No. ASH will not accept your application if you have been awarded an R01 grant. However, if you have been awarded a NIH K grant, then you are still eligible to apply for an ASH Scholar Award.

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Application

What do I need to include in my letter of intent?
You must include a cover letter which indicates that category you intend to apply to, an abstract of your proposed research project, and an updated curriculum vitae or NIH bio sketch.

Do I need to submit a letter of intent prior to submitting the application?
Yes. It is mandatory that you submit a letter of intent (LOI). All LOIs must be e-mailed to awards@hematology.org and must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, May 1, 2010. LOIs will be reviewed for eligibility and applicants eligible to submit a full application will be notified.  

Can I change the focus of my research after I submit an LOI?
Yes. If you decide to change the focus of your research on your application from that of the letter of intent, we will still accept your application; however, the focus must still be related to hematology.

How strong are the restrictions on the page limit of the research plan (narrative)?
ASH maintains strict guidelines for the Scholar applications. If your application should be longer than what is required, it will not be eligible for review.

Are indirect costs allowed?
No. Indirect costs, which include any institutional costs, are not allowed with any ASH Scholar Award. Acceptable items to be figured into your budget include salary (PI or lab staff), fringe benefits (medical insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, retirement funds), and direct costs (supplies, equipment).

When is the application due?
All applications must be received via e-mail by 5:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, August 26, 2010. Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

If I forget to include a required element of the application, can I send it separately to be added in?
No, once we receive the application it must be complete and in the correct order, or it will not be reviewed.

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Mentor

Do both my primary mentor and secondary mentor need to be ASH members?
No. Only one of the two needs to be an ASH member.

How do I know if my primary mentor or secondary mentor is an ASH member?
One option is asking the individual. Another option would be to check ASH's online Member Directory; however, you must be an ASH member to log into this feature. A last resort would be to e-mail Elisa Shea at awards@hematology.org with your list of potential mentors.

Does my primary mentor have to be from my institution?
Ideally, yes, your primary mentor should be at your institution. However, in some cases, we understand that your mentor may be at another institution. In this case, it is strongly encouraged that if your primary mentor is not from your institution, then your secondary mentor should be.

Can my mentor use the NIH biosketch for the ASH Scholar Awards?
Yes, regardless of how long it is.

If I have two mentors, can they act as co-mentors?
No. For the purposes of the application you will need to declare one primary mentor. We recommend you choose one to be your primary mentor and have the other act as your secondary mentor.

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