Clinical Scientist Awards in Translational Research

Clinical Scientist Awards in Translational Research provide $750,000 over five years to foster the development and productivity of established independent physician-scientists whose work bridges the gap between basic research and patient care.  Candidate eligibility and institutional nomination requirements are set out below.

• Candidates must have an M.D. or M.D.-Ph.D. degree and hold an appointment or joint appointment in a sub-specialty of clinical medicine.
• Candidates must be academic investigators at the assistant professor or early associate professor level (preferably no more than two years after promotion), holding a tenure-track or equivalent position, at the time of application. Individuals holding the rank of professor are ineligible.
• Candidates must present evidence of having established an independent research career, as this is not a “new investigator” award. Successful candidates in the past have had NIH RO1 funding and a track record of independent publications.
• Candidates must present evidence of having established a track record and commitment to mentoring  physician-scientist trainees.
• Candidates must be nominated by accredited degree-granting institutions in the U.S. or Canada.
• Candidates must hold a current license to practice medicine in the U.S. or Canada.
• Candidates must be citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. or Canada at the time of application.  Persons who have applied for permanent resident status but have not received their government documentation by the time of application are not eligible. Certification of residency status by the nominating institution is required.

The program’s goal is to foster the development and productivity of established independent physician-scientists who will strengthen translational research through their own studies as well as by mentoring physician-scientist trainees. The awards are intended to give recipients the freedom and flexibility to explore fundamental scientific questions, to apply the resulting knowledge at the bedside, and to bring insights from the clinical setting back to the laboratory for further exploration. BWF hopes these efforts will lead to a better understanding of disease mechanisms and to new methods of diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease.

BWF is interested particularly in supporting investigators who will bring novel ideas and new approaches to translational research. Proposed activities may draw on recent advances in the basic biomedical sciences—including such fields as biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, molecular biology, and pharmacology—that provide a wealth of opportunities for studying and alleviating human disease. For the purposes of BWF’s award, translational research may involve studies in these broad areas:

• Etiology, pathogenesis, and mechanisms of disease (particularly studies with direct application to disease prevention and treatment).

• Clinical knowledge, improved diagnosis (including development of new biomarkers, diagnostic methods, or devices), natural history of disease, and biomedical informatics. This includes the use of large clinical and genomic datasets for the purpose of generating and testing hypotheses.

• Disease management (including therapeutics aimed at molecular targets), molecular epidemiology, and limited small-scale clinical studies involving "first-in-humans" novel approaches.

Large-scale clinical trials, epidemiological or outcome studies, and health services research are not eligible for support.

With appropriate justification, award recipients may use the award to support a sabbatical of up to one year at another institution or in a different department at their home institution in order to acquire new research skills (e.g., in molecular biology, genetics, biomedical informatics, or clinical experimental design) that are directly related to their research.

The institution—including its medical school, graduate schools, and all affiliated hospitals or research institutes—may nominate up to two candidates.  Exceptions to this number follow:

1. To encourage applications from women, institutions that nominate a female candidate will be allowed three nominations.
   
2. To encourage applications from members of underrepresented minority groups, institutions may have a single additional nomination if they nominate an African-American, Hispanic, or Native American candidate.

Questions regarding candidate or institutional eligibility should be directed in advance to BWF by calling (919) 991-5116.  Consult this website for a list of frequently asked questions.