Translational Research

Clinical Scientist Awards in Translational Research

Program Information

Program Background
Program
Guidelines
Selection
Terms

Program Background

Basic research into the mechanisms of disease has accelerated in recent years, but the knowledge gained has been slow to reach the clinic and patient care. Both the translation of basic research knowledge into improved patient care and the translation of clinical insights into hypotheses that can be validated in the laboratory are threatened by changes in medical research and health care financing. The rapid growth of managed care, for example, has limited the financial resources available to many academic medical centers, which historically have been at the forefront of both basic and clinical research. Consequently, many physician-scientists, who play a critical role in identifying clinical questions and implementing advances in the basic sciences, have fewer financial resources, less time, and smaller patient populations available for clinical studies.

Program

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’ testing of 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.

Guidelines

Candidate Eligibility Guidelines

● Candidates must have an M.D. or M.D.-Ph.D. degree and hold an appointment or joint appointment in a subspecialty 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 be nominated by accredited degree-granting institutions in the U.S. or Canada.

● 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.

Institutional Nomination Guidelines

● 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:

● To encourage applications from women, institutions that nominate a female candidate will be allowed three nominations.

● 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.

● Candidate nominations may come from a wide range of departments, such as pharmacology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, medicine, neurology, pathology, or psychiatry. BWF particularly encourages applications in the area of reproductive science.

● The institution must submit a statement of nomination for each candidate. In this statement, the institution must demonstrate that it can provide the environment necessary for successful two-way movement of research between the bench and the bedside. BWF expects that the institution will provide a tangible demonstration of its commitment to support each candidate it nominates, including the protection of 75 percent of the awardee’s time for research.

Selection

The advisory committee will review all applications, interview candidates, and make recommendations for awards to BWF’s Board of Directors. BWF does not provide critiques of unfunded proposals.

Selection will be based on:

● Qualifications of the candidate and potential to conduct innovative translational research.

● Career stage of the candidate: the ideal candidate is an assistant professor with R01 funding and an independent publication record.

● Demonstration of track record and commitment to mentoring physician-scientist trainees.

● Quality and originality of the proposed research and its potential to advance clinical care. Proposals that contain novel ideas and new approaches for probing difficult problems will be considered more competitive.

● Clear and concise plans for translating results into the clinical setting. Research that is likely to require institutional review board approval during the five-year award period will be considered more competitive.

● Quality of proposed collaborations: Candidates are encouraged to name a coinvestigator.

● Detailed evidence from the nominating institution that its laboratory and patient facilities are adequate for the proposed research, and that the institution has made a tangible commitment to translational research and to fostering the career development of physician-scientists.

Terms

Awards are made to institutions on behalf of the award recipients. The institutions are responsible for disbursing the funds and for maintaining adequate supporting records and receipts of expenditures. Indirect costs may not be charged against the awards.

Award recipients must devote at least 75 percent of their time to research-related activities. Institutions must make a commitment in writing to honor this requirement.

Award recipients must provide BWF with an annual progress report detailing scientific progress and mentoring activities. Institutions must provide an annual financial report. Both reports must be submitted (on forms that will be provided) within 60 days of the end of each award year. Continued funding will depend on the favorable review of these reports by BWF and its program advisory committee.

Award recipients may obtain funds from other sources for research in the same or similar areas as that conducted under these awards, so long as there is no conflict with meeting the terms of BWF’s award.

No more than $100,000 of the award may be used annually for the award recipient’s salary support. An institution may supplement the award recipient’s salary to a level consistent with its salary scale. There is no limit on use of the award for salary support for other laboratory or clinical personnel working with the award recipient.

At least $50,000 of the award must be allocated annually to research expenses. Research support, which is under the control of the award recipient, may be used flexibly for items such as consumable supplies, equipment, travel to scientific meetings, and laboratory personnel working with the award recipient. Prior approval by BWF is required when, within an award year, purchases of equipment will exceed $20,000 or travel costs exceed $6,000.

During the award period, unused research funds may be carried over to the succeeding year. Any unused funds held by institutions when awards expire or are terminated must be returned to BWF, unless BWF has granted prior permission to retain the funds. Award recipients may receive a no-cost extension of up to 24 months; requests explaining why an extension is needed must be submitted in writing at least four months prior to the end of the award.

Awards may be transferred to another institution only with the written approval of BWF. Requests explaining why a transfer is needed must be submitted by the award recipient in writing.

Award recipients who want to take a sabbatical year in order to acquire new research skills must submit to BWF a written request that includes appropriate justification.

Scientific publications or presentations that result from these awards must acknowledge the award recipient’s receipt of a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Clinical Scientist Award in Translational Research. Copies of journal articles and other publications should be sent to BWF along with the annual progress report.

Award recipients should follow their institutions’ patent, copyright, intellectual property, and conflict of interest policies regarding discoveries that result from research conducted under these awards. Award recipients are expected to adhere to all federal, state, and local regulations regarding the participation of human subjects, and the use of animals, radioactive or hazardous materials, and recombinant DNA in their research projects. BWF expects the appropriate federal, state, and local guidelines with regard to scientific misconduct are in place and enforced at all institutions with which BWF award recipients are affiliated.