FSR Now Accepting Applications for $150K Early Career Fellowships
The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) is now accepting applications for fellowships supporting early career clinicians and researchers focused on sarcoidosis.
The deadline is March 15, the foundation announced.
The two-year grants will provide a total of $150,000 to selected fellows, with each recipient awarded $75,000 per year to cover salary and lab supplies. Applications can be submitted here.
“The FSR Fellowship Grant is an excellent opportunity for any early-career clinician or investigator with an interest [in] sarcoidosis,” Mary McGowan, FSR CEO, said in a press release announcing a previous application cycle.
Interested candidates are invited to apply with an innovative sarcoidosis-related research proposal and a career development plan, including a description of their long-term commitment to research into the immune system disorder.
Additional application materials include a detailed project budget, a description of the institution at which the research will be conducted, a letter of recommendation and a letter of support from a mentor, and institutional approval for clinical experiments, if applicable.
U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and international applicants are all welcome to apply, but funding will only be provided for research being conducted at institutions in the United States.
According to the FSR, applications will be reviewed by April 30, and candidates will be notified of the decision in May. Grant awardees will receive funding between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2024.
The fellowship program was initiated in 2018 with the intent of fostering researchers in early career stages, enabling them to develop skills and contribute meaningfully to the sarcoidosis field. Since its inception, the program has supported six research fellows.
Paula Berreras, MD, from Johns Hopkins University Hospital, in Baltimore, was awarded the fellowship in 2021. Her research is focused on the discovery of pathogens that cause sarcoidosis in the brain (neurosarcoidosis).
“This award is an amazing opportunity for me to be able to gain training and experience in both the clinical and research aspects of neurological complications of sarcoidosis and contribute to this growing field,” Berreras said in the announcement for the new application cycle.
“Thanks to this fellowship I will be able to start a career focused on the care of patients with neurosarcoidosis,” she added.
Other awardees and their research projects include:
- Shu-Yi Liao, MD, of National Jewish Health, in Florida, with a project focused on exploring sarcoidosis susceptibility and clinical characteristics.
- Ozioma Chioma, PhD, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Tennessee, analyzed lung biopsies of sarcoidosis patients to find predictors of disease outcomes.
- Lori Garman, PhD, of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, in Oklahoma City, studied how genetics and the environment contribute to sarcoidosis risk.
- Changwan Ryu, MD, of Yale University, in Connecticut, with a project aimed at understanding racial disparities in sarcoidosis.
- Bryan Young, MD, PhD, of Yale University, evaluated novel biomarkers for sarcoidosis of the heart and chest.
Individuals interested in the fellowship program also can watch the recording of the FSR’s 2022 or 2021 grant writing webinars, which provide tips on how to write a successful application from previous awardees.
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