GUIDELINES & ELIGIBILITY
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The application includes the following:
a) Biographical sketch and brief statement of career goals of the candidate. Fellowships are restricted to US, Canadian and Mexican citizens or permanent residents. However, foreign nationals who document their initial steps toward permanent residence in the USA, Canada or Mexico will also be considered. Documentation should include a description of steps already taken toward application for long-term residency or citizenship.
b) A statement from the mentor evaluating the applicant's qualifications and indicating his or her career goals in the field of pulmonary research. Three additional letters are required from individuals who know the candidate well and, if possible, who have direct knowledge of the applicant's research capabilities.
c) Summary of past-training record of the primary mentor, including names of former trainees and their current positions. A brief description of the research and training activity of the sponsoring unit (department) may also be provided. The relevant qualifications of secondary mentors should be summarized.
d) The sources and level of annual support (including grants pending) and the adequacy of equipment and space for research training available to the primary mentor and trainee.
e) Outline of the research project to be undertaken. Projects must relate specifically to lung disease or respiratory biology or respiratory disease.
f) On the signature page, signatures of the primary mentor, department or division head and fiscal officer responsible for administering the grant.
NOTE: Applicants may send a brief notice of updated information (i.e. published papers, grant awards, other relevant news) to dsnapp@u.washington.edu at the PBF Fellowship Program office by January 2nd. A PDF of a newly accepted manuscript may also be sent if it was not included with the application, but do not send large graphic files. If there is additional relevant good news, let us know but keep it brief.
The maximum budget for the Parker B. Francis Fellowship Program is as follows:
a) The total budget is limited to $50,000 for the first year, $52,000 for the second and $54,000 for the third. These totals include a stipend plus fringe benefits and may include travel to a maximum of $2,000 per year.
b) Direct research project costs and indirect costs are not allowed. Equipment purchases are not allowed. These expenses should be supported by research grants. Such grants are an essential part of the application as documentation of sufficient financial support to complete the fellow's project.
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 to be accepted, an explanation regarding its source and subsequent obligations must be provided in the application. Fellows are also encouraged to apply for additional grant support, such as NIH RO1s, after receiving a PBF award.
c) If there is an unexpended balance at the end of the first or second grant year, the next year's award will be reduced by that amount. In the final year, any unexpended balance in excess of $1,000 should be returned to the Francis Family Foundation in Kansas City, Missouri.
d) Awards are made for three years.
Judgment is based on consideration of: (1) the qualifications and career trajectory of the candidate; (2) the scientific merits of the research project proposal; and (3) an assessment of the mentor's credentials and the institution as resources for training in research. Equal weight is given to each of these three categories in determining the final priority rating.
All applications must be received in the PBF Program office on or before Friday, October 17, 2008.
The applications will be reviewed by the Council of Scientific Advisors in January. Notification of awards will be sent in February.
Checks for the first half-year support will be mailed in June and for the second in December.
Appropriate forms for reporting are available on the website. Please click here to update us on your progress.
A grant year normally begins July 1 and ends June 30. Financial report forms are mailed to mentors annually. A brief Financial Report consisting of a summary accounting of expenditures for the year is due the last Friday in October. The form is posted on this website. Completed Financial Report forms should be sent to the Francis Family Foundation in Kansas City, Missouri, for processing.
A list of publications, resulting from PBF Fellowship sponsored research, and a one-half page description of a research highlight are also required and due the last Friday in October. The Publication List and Research Highlights form is also available on this website. It may be completed and submitted online.
Finally, a brief Research Progress Report, outlining progress made on research aims, is due the last day of April each year. Again, the Research Progress Report form is available on this website. The completed form should be sent to the PBF Program office in Seattle, Washington.
SPECIAL GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANTS IN MEXICO
1. All the usual procedures and policies of the Parker B. Francis Fellowship Program will be followed.
2. The primary mentor may be based in the USA, Canada or Mexico. If a Mexican candidate elects to have a mentor in the USA or Canada, the candidate will also be required to have a co-mentor in Mexico.
3. The final six months of support must be taken at an institution in Mexico. Thus, a possible career path for a promising Mexican scientist might be to come to the USA or Canada for 1-2 years of training and then return to a Mexican institution for continued training. Candidates may also elect to remain in Mexico for the entire three years.
4. Stipends are at the same level as in the US and Canada; however, some of the award may be used for supplies and equipment if the award is taken in Mexico. A proposed budget must be submitted for review and approval to the Director of the PBF Fellowship Program Thomas R. Martin, M.D. (trmartin@u.washington.edu), by May 30 prior to each award year.
Institutions may have only two Parker B. Francis Fellows in the same department at a given time. Therefore, a department with a current Parker B. Francis Fellow may submit one application for an additional award this funding cycle. In addition, a department may submit no more than one application annually.
Most successful candidates have two to five years of research experience at the time of fellowship application. Candidates with fewer years of research experience are usually not competitive. Candidates with greater than seven years of research experience are discouraged from applying unless specific circumstances (such as a change of field) justify additional training at the fellowship level.
Candidates are expected to have participated as an author on a minimum of two or three research publications.
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. For more information, click here to review the guidelines (PDF format).
If a current PBF Fellow or his/her mentor enters into a relationship with the tobacco industry, the PBF Fellowship support will be immediately terminated.