Parker B. Francis Fellowship Program in USA and Canada, 2015

Applications are invited for Parker B. Francis Fellowship available for clinical and basic scientists to carry out research at a U.S. or Canadian university or research institution. Fellowship is awarded to scientists embarking on careers in clinical, laboratory or translational science related to Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. The ideal candidate is one with evidence of strong aptitude in research and who is in transition from post-doctoral trainee to independent investigator. Applicants must be a citizen or permanent residents of the U.S. or Canada or have a permanent residency application on file at the time of application with the U.S. or Canadian Immigration Services. The application deadline is Wednesday, October 15, 2014.
Study Subject(s): Fellowships will be awarded to clinical and basic scientists embarking on careers in clinical, laboratory or translational science related to Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. A broad array of approaches to pulmonary and critical care medicine, ranging from cell and molecular studies, to those involving epidemiologic and clinical aspects of human subjects are appropriate. Applications are also encouraged from pulmonary medicine specialists interested in pursuing research in bioethical aspects of pulmonary medicine or critical care. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the ethics of clinical trials in critical care, end-of-life decisions and resource allocation. The context of all these topics should be pulmonary biology and lung disease.
Course Level: Fellowships are available to carry out research at a U.S. or Canadian university or research institution.
Scholarship Provider: Francis Families Foundation
Scholarship can be taken at: USA and Canada
Eligibility: Applicants are eligible to apply for a PBF Fellowship if at the time of application they are:
-Scientists holding a relevant doctoral degree (e.g., M.D., Ph.D., Sc.D, D.V.M,, Dr. P.H.) who are embarking on a career in clinical, laboratory or translational science related to Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at a U.S. or Canadian university or research institution;
-A citizen or permanent residents of the U.S. or Canada or have a permanent residency application on file at the time of application with the U.S. or Canadian Immigration Services;
-A Ph.D. or other non-M.D. scientist no more than seven years beyond completion of their doctoral degree or an M.D. scientist no more than seven years beyond clinical training (i.e., residency, internship, clinical fellowship) at the time of application.   Candidates with greater than seven years since the doctoral degree require approval for continued training from the Scientific Director of the PBF Fellowship Program.
-Applicants must be approved by their department to apply for the PBF Fellowship.  Institutions may have no more than three Parker B. Francis Fellows in a single department at a given time, a department may submit no more than two applications annually, and a mentor may only sponsor one application annually.
-Individuals are not eligible for a PBF Fellowship if, at the time of application, they are or have been principal investigator on an NIH  K or R series research award or other nationally competitive research award at a comparable level.  PBF Fellows in the second or third year of their Fellowship, who receive an NIH K or R series award or similar grant, may request approval to retain the Fellowship and to reallocate a portion of the Fellowship salary support to supplies or other research costs.
-PBF Fellows are required to have at least 75 percent of their time available for research.
-Most successful candidates have two-to-five years of research experience and a minimum of two or three research publications at the time of fellowship application.
-Candidates from under-represented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.
-Applications for Fellowships will not be considered for funding if either the mentor or the Fellow has a relationship with the tobacco industry as described in the American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines. If a current PBF Fellow or Mentor enters into a relationship with the tobacco industry, the PBF Fellowship support will be immediately terminated.
Scholarship Open for International Students: Parker B. Francis Fellowship is open for the citizen or permanent residents of the U.S. or Canada or have a permanent residency.
Scholarship Description: The Parker B. Francis Fellowship provides research support to clinical and basic scientists embarking on careers in clinical, laboratory or translational science related to Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at a U.S. or Canadian university or research institution. The ideal candidate is one with evidence of strong aptitude in research and who is in transition from post-doctoral trainee to independent investigator. It is essential that there be evidence of accomplishment and proficiency in research. Few applicants who are just beginning research training and have only one or two research publications are funded. Ph.D. and other non-M.D. applicants should be no more than seven years beyond completion of the doctoral degree and M.D. applicants no more than seven years beyond clinical training (i.e., residency, internship, clinical fellowship, etc.). Candidates with greater than seven years since the doctoral degree require approval for continued training from the Scientific Director of the PBF Fellowship Program. Candidates may hold any relevant doctoral degree (e.g., M.D., Ph.D., Sc.D., D.V.M., Dr. P.H.).Individuals are not eligible for a PBF Fellowship if, at the time of application, they are or have been principal investigator on an NIH K or R series research award or other nationally competitive research award at a comparable level. Fellowships are restricted to citizens and permanent residents of the U.S. and Canada and individuals with U.S. or Canadian permanent residency applications on file with the U.S. or Canadian Immigration Services.
Number of award(s): Awards are limited to institutions located in the US and Canada, including medical schools, universities, major hospitals or other institutions affiliated with major universities. Each department may submit only two applications annually and is limited to a maximum of three active fellowships at any one time.
Duration of award(s): The Parker B. Francis Fellowship provides three years of funding. The budget year begins July 1 and ends June 30.
What does it cover?
-The total budget for individuals starting a PBF Fellowship in 2015 is limited to $50,000 for the first year, $52,000 for the second and $54,000 for the third.
-Allowable costs are restricted to the PBF Fellow’s salary plus fringe benefits and may include travel to a maximum of $2,000 per year. Any costs other than the Fellow’s salary support and travel allocation must be approved by the Scientific Director of the PBF Fellowship Program.
-Direct research project costs should be supported by the mentor’s research grants. Such grants are an essential part of the application as documentation of sufficient financial support to complete the fellow’s project.
-Indirect costs and equipment purchases are not allowed.
-It is permissible to supplement a Parker B. Francis stipend with funds from research grants, departmental funds or clinical income (if clinical duties are minimal). If a supplement is accepted, an explanation regarding its source and subsequent obligations must be provided to the PBF Fellowship Program Office. Fellows are also encouraged to apply for additional grant support after receiving a PBF award.
-If there is an unexpended balance at the end of the second fellowship year, the next year’s award will be reduced by that amount. In the final year, any unexpended balance in excess of $1,000 must be returned to the Francis Family Foundation in Kansas City, Missouri.
Selection Criteria: The appraisal of a PBF Fellowship application is based on consideration of: (1) the qualifications and career trajectory of the candidate; (2) an assessment of the mentor’s credentials and the institution as resources for training in research; and (3) the scientific merits of the research project proposal. Equal weight is given to each of these three aspects in determining the final priority rating.
Notification: Notification of awards will be sent in February. Fellowships will begin July 1, 2015. Checks for the first half-year support will be mailed in June and for the second in December.
How to Apply: Applications should be submitted via online.
Scholarship Application Deadline: The application deadline is Wednesday, October 15, 2014.
Further Official Scholarship Information and Application