The PCD Foundation Margaret W. Leigh Early Career Investigator Award
The PCD Foundation Margaret W. Leigh Early Career Investigator Award supports emerging PhD and physician scientists who are actively involved in research in primary ciliary dyskinesia to allow them to develop into independent biomedical investigators. The Award is open to fellows and early-career faculty (ie, instructors and assistant professors), and is intended to facilitate transition from postdoctoral fellowship to a career in academic medicine. The proposed research must be relevant to the mission of the PCD Foundation, improving the health and well-being of patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia.
The PCD Foundation is the principal funding source and administers the Award, and members of the Genetic Disorders of Mucociliary Clearance Consortium provide scientific review and logistical support for submitted proposals.
Funding Amount
The award provides support for one year at a level of up to $40,000 in annual direct costs for one year (indirect costs are not allowable). Support is based on a full-time, 12-month appointment.
Eligibility
Early career faculty (ie, instructors and assistant professors) and fellows are eligible to apply. Salary supplementation from other sources is allowable. Candidates must be US or Canadian citizens or permanent residents and employed at an institution in the US or Canada.
Application Materials
- Scientific Abstract (250 word limit)
- Lay Abstract (250 word limit)
- NIH Biographical Sketch(es) for project key personnel (including research mentor, if applicable)
- Facilities/Equipment Statement
- Research Plan (five single-sided pages, 0.5’’ margins, Arial 12-point, single spaced, not including the literature cited)
- Applicant Career Development Plans and Professional Goals (1 page)
- Budget - please use the following template
- Budget Justification
Application materials should be combined into a single pdf in the order above and emailed to hatchjo@email.unc.edu with the subject line as “PCD Foundation Margaret W. Leigh Early Career Investigator Award Application".
Review and Selection Process
Leaders of the Genetic Disorders of Mucociliary Clearance Consortium will evaluate all applications and request reviews from at least two content experts as needed. Each proposal will be scored based on the significance, innovation, approach, investigators, and environment of the proposed work. Relevance of the proposed study to primary ciliary dyskinesia will also be considered in scoring, and non-responsive applications will be returned. Funding will be based on the priority score awarded to each proposal and recommendations of the committee.
An application will be considered incomplete if it fails to comply with the instructions, or if the submitted material is insufficient to permit adequate review.