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GENERAL INFORMATION

APPLICANTS
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.

Applicants are eligible to apply for a PBF Fellowship if at the time of application they are:

1. 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.

2. A citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. or Canada or or holder of a Visa that spans the entire project period of the grant.

3. 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.

4. 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 nor more than two applications annually, and a mentor may sponsor only one application annually.

5. 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 the comparable level.

6. If a PBF Fellow receives an NIH K or Research Award or any nationally competitive grant at a similar level, at any point on or after the start date of the PBF award, the amount of the award will be changed per the Allowable Cost policy. Please contact PBF@thoracic.org for more information.

7. 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.

MENTORS
Mentorship of the fellow by an established investigator is required. Any established faculty scientist at a university or a not-for-profit research institution may mentor a candidate for fellowship. Mentors at government or corporate laboratories are not eligible. The mentor should be in a position to guarantee that 75 percent of a fellow's time is available for research. The mentor should be committed to fostering the candidate's career advancement and should be the primary scientific advisor. Secondary scientific mentors at the same or a different institution are encouraged but not required. Their roles should be described in the body of the application. Many fellows spend some portion of their fellowship years working with a secondary mentor, who is at another institution.

INSTITUTIONS
There are no restrictions regarding discipline or department. Clinical or basic science departments are suitable; however, it is expected that the proposed research will focus on lung biology or lung disease. 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.

NOTES ABOUT OTHER GRANT SUPPORT
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. In fact, obtaining research grants is an appropriate goal for PFB Fellows. Click here to learn more about the Allowable Cost Policy.

Awards will not be given if either the fellow or mentor currently holds funding from the tobacco industry, even if the tobacco monies will not be used to support the PBF sponsored research.

APPROPRIATE TOPICS
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. We also encourage applications 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. Applicants must meet all the eligibility standards. Mentors and/or applicants considering whether a particular area is appropriate are encouraged to discuss potential projects with the Scientific Director of the PBF Fellowship Program, Polly E. Parsons, M.D.

BUDGET

The Parker B. Francis Fellowship provides three years of funding. The budget year begins July 1 and ends June 30. The budget guidelines are included below.

The total budget for individuals starting a PBF Fellowship in 2025 is $225,000 over three years or $75,000 per year.

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.