SASS FOUNDATION FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
Introduction
The SASS Foundation for Medical Research, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is committed to education, research, and education in various hematological and malignant diseases. As a part of research commitment, the SASS Foundation offers Post-doctoral Fellowship Research Grants annually to bright young post-doctoral fellows to pursue innovative ideas that have the potential to develop into independent investigators with sustained extramural NIH type funding.
Goal and Scope of Program
The goal of The SASS Foundation Fellowship award of $55,000 is to provide salary stipend for novel research projects in cancer to be conducted by postdoctoral fellows under the guidance of an able mentor. The Foundation is especially interested in hypothesis driven novel research and NOT AN EXTENSION OF MENTOR’S RESEARCH. The intent is to help the postdoctoral fellows to obtain data and to submit proposals to NIH and other extramural funding agencies in order to become independent investigators.
Eligibility
The Post-doctoral fellowship award is open to any postdoctoral fellow with MD, Ph.D. or both degrees who have not completed more than 1 year of postdoctoral training at the time of the award and is associated with an academic non-profit institution. The mentor should have established record as an established independent investigator. Applicant from a mentor’ laboratory whose fellow has received award from the Foundation or a candidate who has been Sass Foundation grant recipient are ineligible.
Type of Research
Applications will be entertained in the area of basic and translational research in lymphoid leukemia and lymphoma. Preference will be given for the translational research. Foundation does not support Clinical Trials.
Conditions of Award
Awards are for the salary support only. The award may be renewed for the 2nd year; however, renewal application will be evaluated with new applications submitted for that cycle. Institutional Indirect costs will not be supported. Funded candidates MUST attend The SASS Foundation’s Annual Gala Dinner in New York City, where the candidate is expected to make a brief presentation of his/her work supported by the SASS Foundation. NO FUNDS MAY BE USED FOR EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, COMPUTER ETC.
Application Deadline and Review Process
The Letter of Intent should be sent VIA E-MAIL to Dr. Sudhir Gupta, Director of Scientific Development, of The SASS Foundation at sgupta@uci.edu by January 3, 2020 at 5:00 PM. The deadline for submission of full proposal is March 1, 2020 at 5:00 PM. Late proposals will not be accepted. Applications will be reviewed and scored (NIH style) by an ad hoc Scientific Peer Review Committee of the SASS Foundation will review applications. Awards will be approved by the Executive Board of the Foundation. Awards will be made strictly by the assigned priority score. Applicants will be notified of intention to fund or not fund by May 1, 2020. The funding will start from July 1, 2020.
General Length and Format
Proposals must not exceed five single-spaced; one-sided pages excluding abstract, program cover sheet, and references (two-page limit for references). Margin should be an inch blank space on top, bottom and side of each page, excepting applicant’s identification headers (NIH style). Text may not be smaller than 11 point, 15 characters per horizontal inch. No more than six lines per vertical inch of text are permitted. Proposals must be in English. Proposals that exceed any of these limit requirements will not be reviewed.
Research Plan
Proposal should include a cover page with title of project, providing applicant’s name, mentor’s name and title, location of research, address for correspondence, including telephone and FAX numbers and e-mail address, and name and address of the Contract and Grant Officer of the Institution. An abstract of 350 words should be provided. The research plan of the proposal outlines the proposed research project, and should include the following sections (5 page limit): [1] Specific aims, including statement of testable hypotheses; [2] Background and significance, including preliminary data (if any; all preliminary data must be within 5 page limit, since no appendices are allowed); [3] Research design and methods, including appropriate control studies, statistical methods, timeline, and justification of the number of subjects or animal to be used (if any); and [4] Expected results, potential problems, and alternative hypotheses. Note: Up to two additional pages of cited references (full citation required) may be added. Applications must be processed through Contract and Grant Office of the institutions and signed by the fellow, mentor and Contract and Grant Officer. Grant and Contract should provide details (to whom check has to made payable and address) in case an award is made.
Bio-Bibliographical sketch of the applicant and the mentor
Two-page limit for each applicant and the mentor, using NIH style.
Other Supports
List of all currently funded research projects and pending research grants for both applicant and the mentor. A copy of the abstract of funded and pending grants must be included. A letter of support from the mentor is required.
Letter of Intent
A Letter of Intent containing a one page summary of the proposal along with a title, name, and address of the applicant should be emailed to Dr. Sudhir Gupta sgupta@uci.edu by March 1, 2020 by 5:00 PM Pacific Time. This is to help the SASS Foundation to organize ad hoc Study Section reviewers.
Submission of Research Proposals
Proposals may be submitted electronically via email (sgupta@uci.edu) both as a WORD and PDF document. One original copy of the proposal with signatures of applicant, mentor, and institutional Contract and Grant Officer (not the departmental Grant and Contract Officer) to Sudhir Gupta, M.D., Ph.D, Director of Scientific Development of the SASS Foundation, Medical Sciences I, C-240, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (Phone: (949) 824-5818; e-mail: sgupta@uci.edu). All materials MUST be received by 5:00 PM on May 1, 2020. Proposals submitted after the deadline will be returned without review.
Progress Report and Financial Report
A progress report will be required by April 1, 2021 and a financial report by July 30th, 2021.
Use of Funds
Funds provided should be used in accordance to the letter of award. Any deviation may require that all funds be returned to The SASS Foundation. Any unused funds at the end of the funding year must be returned to the SASS Foundation.
Acknowledgements:
Any publication resulting from Sass Foundation support must have acknowledgement “Work was supported in part by the Sass Foundation, Inc, Roslyn, New York”.
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