Monday, July 26, 2010
NSF International Research Fellowship Program
This program provides educational opportunities for Postdoctoral Fellows . Individuals interested in applying for funding should see the program guidelines here.
Full Proposal Target Date: September 14, 2010.
Abe Fellowship: International Multidisciplinary Research on Topics of Pressing Global Concern
The Social Science Research Council (SSRC), the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP), and the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) announce the annual Abe Fellowship Program competition. Funding for the Abe Fellowship Program is provided by CGP.
The Purpose of the Fellowship
The Abe Fellowship is designed to encourage international multidisciplinary research on topics of pressing global concern. The program seeks to foster the development of a new generation of researchers who are interested in policy-relevant topics of long-range importance and who are willing to become key members of a bilateral and global research network built around such topics. It strives especially to promote a new level of intellectual cooperation between the Japanese and American academic and professional communities committed to and trained for advancing global understanding and problem solving.
Research support to individuals is at the core of the Abe Fellowship Program. Applications are welcome from scholars and non-academic research professionals.The objectives of the program are to foster high quality research in the social sciences and related disciplines, to build new collaborative networks of researchers around the three thematic foci of the program, to bring new data and new data resources to the attention of those researchers, and to obtain from them a commitment to a comparative or transnational line of inquiry.
Successful applicants will be those individuals whose work and interests match these program goals. Abe Fellows are expected to demonstrate a long-term commitment to these goals by participating in program activities over the course of their careers.
The Abe Fellowship Research Agenda
Applicants are invited to submit proposals for research in the social sciences and related disciplines relevant to any one or any combination of the three themes below. Research proposals bearing on these themes may address issues related to human security, multilateralism, bilateralism, U.S.-Japan relations, transnational economic relations, the empowerment of peoples and communities, and sustainable development, among others. The themes are:
- Traditional and non-traditional approaches to security and diplomacy: Appropriate research topics include transnational terrorism, internal ethnic and religious strife, infectious diseases, food safety, climate change, and non-proliferation, as well as the role of cultural initiatives in peace building.
- Global and regional economic issues: Suitable topics include regional and bilateral trade arrangements, globalization and the mitigation of its adverse consequences, sustainable urbanization, and environmental degradation.
- The role of civil society: Appropriate issues include demographic change, immigration, the role of NPOs and NGOs as champions of the public interest, social enterprise, and corporate social responsibility.
Across the Program's three dominant themes, priority is given to projects that demonstrate important contributions to intellectual and/or policy debates and break new theoretical or empirical ground. Applicants are expected to show how the proposed project goes beyond previous work on the topic and builds on prior skills to move into new intellectual terrain.
Please note that the purpose of this Fellowship is to support research activities. Therefore, projects whose sole aim is travel, cultural exchange, and/or language training will not be considered. However, funds for language tutoring or refresher courses in the service of research goals will be included in the award if the proposal includes explicit justification for such activities.
Policy-Relevant, Contemporary, and Comparative or Transnational Research
Rather than seeking to promote greater understanding of a single country - Japan or the United States - the Abe Fellowship Program encourages research a comparative or global perspective. The program promotes deeply contextualized cross-cultural research.
The Abe Fellowship Program Committee seeks applications for research explicitly focused on policy-relevant and contemporary issues with a comparative or transnational perspective that draw the study of the United States and Japan into wider disciplinary or theoretical debates.
Policy Relevance
The Program defines policy-relevant research as the study of existing public policies for the purpose of: a) deepening understanding of those policies and their consequences; and b) formulating more effective policies. Policy-relevance can also be found in research questions that are pertinent to understanding public dialogue on contemporary issues of concern to various sectors of society. All proposals are expected to directly address policy-relevance in theme, project description and project structure.
Contemporary Focus
The Program is concerned with present day issues and debates. Thus, proposals in history or with a historical component must demonstrate how the research is specifically intended to inform contemporary concerns.
Comparative or Transnational Perspectives
The Abe Fellowship Program does not support research on a single country. Priority is accorded to comparisons of processes, problems and issues across time and space. Successful proposals will explicitly address how the project will be comparative or transnational in construction and goals.
Typically projects involve data collection in more than one country or across several time periods. Data from a single country may be collected under the auspices of the fellowship only if the purpose of collecting that data is explicitly comparative or transnational. Single country proposals that merely imply that the data have broader comparative relevance will be eliminated from the fellowship competition. Further, it is not sufficient for a proposal to implicitly suggest a comparative perspective because of the pervasive or global distribution of the phenomenon being studied.
Eligibility
- This competition is open to citizens of the United States and Japan as well as to nationals of other countries who can demonstrate strong and serious long-term affiliations with research communities in Japan or the United States.
- Applicants must hold a Ph.D. or the terminal degree in their field, or have attained an equivalent level of professional experience.
- Previous language training is not a prerequisite for this Fellowship. However, if the research project requires language ability, the applicant should provide evidence of adequate proficiency to complete the project.
- Applications from researchers in professions other than academia are encouraged with the expectation that the product of the fellowship will contribute to the wider body of knowledge on the topic specified.
- Projects proposing to address key policy issues or seeking to develop a concrete policy proposal must reflect non-partisan positions.
Please Note: You may hold only one fellowship sponsored by the Japan Foundation, which includes the Abe Fellowship, during any one Japanese fiscal year, which runs from April 1 through March 31. Current recipients of a Japan Foundation Fellowship and those who will commence that fellowship by March 31, 2011 are ineligible to apply for an Abe fellowship in 2010. Fellowship awards are contingent upon receipt of funding from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.
Fellowship Terms
Terms of the Fellowship are flexible and are designed to meet the needs of researchers at different stages in their careers. The program provides Abe Fellows with a minimum of 3 and maximum of 12 months of full-time support over a 24 month period. Fellowship tenure must begin between April 1 and December 31 of a given year. Fellowship tenure need not be continuous, but must be concluded within 24 months of initial activation of the Fellowship.
- The Fellowship is intended to support an individual researcher, regardless of whether that individual is working alone or in collaboration with others.
- Candidates should propose to spend at least one third of the Fellowship tenure in residence abroad in Japan or the United States. In addition, the Abe Fellowship Committee reserves the right to recommend additional networking opportunities overseas.
- Abe Fellows will be expected to affiliate with an American of Japanese institution appropriate to their research. Fellowship funds may also be spent on additional residence and field work in third countries as appropriate to individual projects.
- Fellows will be required to attend specific Abe Fellowship Program events.
Applications
The application deadline is September 1 annually. Applications must be submitted on-line at http://soap.ssrc.org. For further information, please contact the program directly at abe@ssrc.org.
In the US
Abe Fellowship Program
Social Science Research Council
One Pierrepont Plaza, 15th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201 USA
Email: abe@ssrc.org
Tel: 212-377-2700 / Fax: 212 377-2727
In Japan
Abe Fellowship Program
SSRC Tokyo Office
c/o Japan Foundation
Center for Global Partnership
4-4-1 Yotsuya
Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 160-0004, Japan
Email: ssrcABE@gol.com
Tel: 3-5369-6072 / Fax: 3-5369-6042
Monday, July 19, 2010
Multiple Sclerosis Society Postdoctoral Fellowships
The National MS Society seeks to attract and train promising young investigators and doctors into the field of MS by supporting the training of postdoctoral fellows in studies related to MS. The Society supports fundamental as well as applied studies, non-clinical or clinical in nature, including projects in patient management, care and rehabilitation.
The Society offers postdoctoral fellowship grants to unusually promising recipients of M.D., Ph.D. or equivalent degrees when it appears that the program of training to be supported by the grant will enhance the likelihood that the trainee will perform meaningful and independent research relevant to MS in the future, and obtain a suitable position which will enable them to do so.
Before submitting a proposal for fellowship support, the investigator must consult the Research & Clinical Programs Department by phone or email to determine whether the research plan is appropriate and relevant to the mission of the Society.
Deadline: August 13
- Download complete information on applying for postdoctoral fellowships (.pdf)
- See a full listing of National MS Society training grants and fellowships.
For more information, please contact:
Jennifer Stark, PhD
Director of Research Training Programs
(212) 476-0462
jennifer.stark@nmss.org
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Keystone Symposia Fellows Program
All candidates must hold a Ph.D. or M.D. in a life science discipline and be actively engaged in laboratory research. Applications from scientists in industry at the postdoctoral or early research scientist level will be considered. Applicants must also be able to document a commitment to inclusiveness within the life sciences field, as well as experience in one-to-one mentoring, teaching or experiential learning with students from one of the traditional U.S. URM groups named above. Fellows are required to complete and submit regular curricular assignments throughout the program period. While these may vary from year to year, candidates should plan on 6-8 written submissions, each ranging in length from 2-4 typed written pages. Travel to two required Scientific Advisory Board meetings in January and June will be funded by Keystone Symposia.
Candidates will be selected by the Keystone Symposia Fellowship Admissions Committee. Applications must be submitted by September 1, 2010 and notification will be made by October, with a start date of November 1, 2010. For additional information, please contact Laina King, Ph.D., Director, Diversity in Life Science Programs, at 970-262-1630 ext. 119 or mckennzier@keystonesymposia.org.
Application Process
The application process for the 2010-2011 Keystone Symposia Fellows Program year will open June 1, 2010.
Applications must be submitted by September 1 of each calendar year, and notification will be made by October, with a start date of November 1. Application forms may be downloaded from this website. Download the complete application packet which includes the following:
- Keystone Symposia Fellows Program Statement of Mission and Vision
- Keystone Symposia Fellows Program Application List of Requirements
- Application for Keystone Symposia Fellows Program
NIH CSR Videos: Peer Review Revealed
CSR has produced a series of videos to give you an inside look at how scientists from across the country review NIH grant applications for scientific and technical merit. New and established applicants will find insights and understanding that can empower them to improve the applications and increase their chances for receiving a more positive review.
CSR has produced a series of videos to give you an inside look at how scientists from across the country review NIH grant applications for scientific and technical merit.
New and established applicants will find insights and understanding that can empower them to improve the applications and increase their chances for receiving a more positive review.
View the Video in Higher Definition
Get Answers to Your Questions About the Video
View our Video FAQs document (PDF).
Monday, July 12, 2010
Stem Cells Reverse Blindness Caused by Burns
LOS ANGELES — Dozens of people who were blinded or otherwise suffered severe eye damage when they were splashed with caustic chemicals had their sight restored with transplants of their own stem cells — a stunning success for the burgeoning cell-therapy field, Italian researchers reported Wednesday.
The treatment worked completely in 82 of 107 eyes and partially in 14 others, with benefits lasting up to a decade so far. One man whose eyes were severely damaged more than 60 years ago now has near-normal vision.
"This is a roaring success," said ophthalmologist Dr. Ivan Schwab of the University of California, Davis, who had no role in the study — the longest and largest of its kind.
Stem cell transplants offer hope to the thousands of people worldwide every year who suffer chemical burns on their corneas from heavy-duty cleansers or other substances at work or at home.
The approach would not help people with damage to the optic nerve or macular degeneration, which involves the retina. Nor would it work in people who are completely blind in both eyes, because doctors need at least some healthy tissue that they can transplant.
In the study, published online by the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers took a small number of stem cells from a patient's healthy eye, multiplied them in the lab and placed them into the burned eye, where they were able to grow new corneal tissue to replace what had been damaged. Since the stem cells are from their own bodies, the patients do not need to take anti-rejection drugs.
Adult stem cells have been used for decades to cure blood cancers such as leukemia and diseases like sickle cell anemia. But fixing a problem like damaged eyes is a relatively new use. Researchers have been studying cell therapy for a host of other diseases, including diabetes and heart failure, with limited success.
ByBurroughs Wellcome Fund Postdoctoral Fellowship in Tropical Infectious Diseases
These postdoctoral fellowships provide support for individuals to conduct research in tropical infectious diseases (and, on occasion, other clinical conditions unique to tropical medicine). Funding is available for two twelve-month periods. The first award will be made during fellowship (generally the final year) ; during Year One of BWF/ASTMH support, the fellow should commit at least 80% of his/her effort to research and spend at least three months working in a tropical or developing area. The second half of the award will be made once the grantee has entered a stable, entry-level faculty position; Year Two of the BWF/ASTMH fellowship carries the same expectations as Year One, i.e. 80% research effort and at least three months’ work in a tropical or developing area.
These fellowships are not intended to provide funding for overseas clinical electives or experiences. The purpose of the BWF/ASTMH fellowships is to stimulate or sustain interest in research in tropical infectious diseases by individuals who are planning academic or other career paths ultimately focused on clinical research relevant to tropical or developing areas of the world.
Support: $65,000 per year for two years to cover travel, stipend, fringe benefits and health insurance. In Year Two of the BWF/ASTMH fellowship, an additional $5,000 is available for capacity development at the overseas site. These fellowships do not allow indirect costs.
Application Deadline: September 1, 2010
Submit your application online here beginning the week of August 2.
GE & Science Prize for Young Life Scientists
The GE & Science Prize for Young Life Scientists exists to recognize and reward outstanding Ph.D. graduate students from around the world for their work in molecular biology.
It is truly a launching pad for scientists at the beginning of their careers, as many prior winners have gone on to important careers leading labs around the world, including those at the University of Tokyo, the University of Liege, Stanford, Harvard, the University of California, Walter Reed Army Institute and many others.
Please research this site for further details, including entry information. Submit your application by August 1st by email to gescienceprize@aaas.org. Good luck!
Materials may be submitted in English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, or Chinese (Mandarin). The entrant must submit the following items:
- An essay, written by the entrant, which describes their thesis work and places it in perspective with respect to current research in molecular biology. The essay must not exceed 1000 words in length.
- The abstract of the thesis (not to exceed four double-spaced typed pages).
- A one-page letter from any thesis committee member or your adviser, commenting on the applicant and the significance of the work.
- Typed listings of the following information:
i. All published/in-press papers based on the thesis work. List full citation, including title and authors, in order.
ii. Academic and professional awards and honors the entrant received as a student.
iii. Relevant professional experience (work, presentations, etc.). - A completed entry form.
Submissions should be sent by email as PDF or Word attachments to the following address: gescienceprize@aaas.org.
Please attach all documentation requested to be considered as entered into the prize competition. It is not enough to send an e-mail with your information and incomplete submissions will be disqualified.
You should send the e-mail no later than 1 August 2010 with all attachments as Adobe PDF documents (preferred) or Word documents. Please choose one format for all of the attachments. Please do not send multiple submissions or mail any materials. Upon receipt, your e-mail submission will be reviewed and you will be contacted if there are any questions with your submission or missing documents.
Thank you for your interest in the GE & Science Prize for Young Life Scientists.
Submissions must be received by 1 August 2010. Please do not send multiple submissions.
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