ASH Research Training Award for Fellows

The ASH Committee on Training Programs and the Trainee Council announced the creation of the ASH Research Training Award for Fellows in 2007. The first awards were activated in July 2008. Designed to encourage junior researchers to choose careers in academic hematology, this award provides funding to fellows in hematology, hematology/oncology, or hematology-related training programs who need protected time to perform research during fellowship training.

A report on the state of U.S. hematology training programs published in Blood in 2004 indicated that many programs find it difficult to provide meaningful protected time for fellows to do research. Research training accounts for less than 50 percent of the total training experience in the majority of adult training programs. As federal funding has become increasingly difficult to secure, programs are finding it more difficult to generate institutional support for research training.

Goals of this program are:

• To encourage and enable fellowship programs to provide time for research (clinical, basic science, or translational).
• To promote mentorship of hematology trainees by outstanding faculty members.
• To produce, on a yearly basis, clinician scientist candidates for academic track positions.
• To provide bridging funds for trainees who need more time to generate sufficient expertise to be competitive when applying for K award funding.

Support

The ASH Research Training Award for Fellows will, on a three-year pilot basis, grant $50,000 for a one-year period to third- and fourth-year trainees (at time of the award) in training who are not yet eligible for the ASH Scholar Awards (fellow category).

Eligibility Requirements

The ASH Research Training Award for Fellows is intended for upper-level fellows who meet the following criteria:

Requirements at the time of application (Jaunary 5, 2009):

1. The applicant must either be an ASH Associate member or submit a membership application.
   
   
2. The applicant must not have any other career-development funding.
   
   
3. The applicant must have completed at least six months, but less then 18 months of post-doctoral research training.
   
   
4. Research proposed must be in a hematology, hematology/oncology, or hematology-related area.
   
   
5. The applicant should be planning to pursue an investigative career in hematology research.
   
   
6. The applicant must have clear and documented support of a funded mentor (funding may be NIH, federal, non-federal, foundation, private) and documented support from the program director for dedicated research.
   
   
7. A mentor who is an ASH member.  If the mentor is not an active ASH member, a supporting letter from an ASH member must be included.
   
   
8. At least 75 percent of the applicant's full-time professional efforts must be devoted to research during the funded period.
   
   
9. No more then one awardee per fellowship program per year, and no more than one award per medical school.

Requirements at the time of the award (July 1, 2009). The applicant must:

1. Be an MD, DO, DO/PhD, or MD/PhD.
   
   
2. Have completed one year of clinical training within a hematology, hematology/oncology, or hematology-related training program in the United States or Canada.
   
   
3. Be a third- or fourth-year trainee in a hematology, hematology/oncology, or hematology-related training program in the United States or Canada.

Awards will be activated on July 1 and conclude on June 30 of the year following activation.  Monies cannot be used toward salary/benefits for the mentor or toward an institution's overhead or indirect costs.  Payments will be made to the appropriate financial officer of the institution.

The ASH Research Training Award for Fellows supports the same categories of research as the ASH Scholar Awards – basic research and clinical/translational research.

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit a letter of intent by November 3, 2008, that includes the following:

1. Completed letter-of-intent form in its entirety.
   
   
2. Applicant's curriculum vitae to confirm eligibility.
   
   
3. A 350-word abstract of proposed study that describes the research to be conducted during the award period.
   
   
4. A description of the proposed study's relevance of the study to hematology.

Approved applicants will be required to submit an application package by January 5 that includes the following:

1. Completed application form (applicants are invited to apply based on their letter of intent.  Forms will be sent to those accepted.)
   
   
2. A letter of support from applicant's mentor on the proposed plan for mentor-applicant interaction and career development. The letter should include statements on what the mentor will do to support the applicant and the project and why the proposed project should be funded.
   
   
3. A detailed description of the proposed research study including information on the significance, originality, hypothesis, feasibility, and methodology.
   
   
4. Confirmation of the availability of institutional resources to support the proposed project.
   
   
5. A letter of support from an ASH member (if the mentor is not an ASH member).
   
   
6. A letter of support from the program director indicating that 75 percent (minimum) of the recipient's time will be for dedicated research including a statement of anticipated clinical responsibilities during the award period.
   
   
7. A personal statement from the applicant that addresses the following:
   
   
   • Description of ideal job after fellowship
   • Where the proposed project is anticipated to lead
   • Statement describing career path to date
   • Future career path/goals
   • A project timeline that contains specific details stating how the project can be completed within the award period
     
     
8. Commitment to respond to post award inquiries by ASH to evaluate this grant.


9. Budget

Selection

The selection of award winners will be made by a study section appointed by the ASH Committee on Training Programs. Criteria for selection are:

• The qualifications and experiences of the applicant. Factors to be considered include, among others, the potential for future independent investigation and commitment to a career in hematology research.
• Quality of the mentor and the plan for mentor/applicant interaction and career development.
• The significance, feasibility, and originality of the proposed hypothesis, research, and methodology.
• A focus on hematology research.
• Availability of institutional resources to support the proposed project.

In fairness to programmatic balance, no more than one award will be granted per medical school. For this purpose, ASH defines medical school so that it encompasses all sub-institutions.

Ten finalists will be selected to be interviewed by the ASH Study Section. All finalists for the award must be available for face-to-face interviews with the Study Section in March. The interviews will focus on determining the applicants' commitment to hematology and potential for success.

Timeline