Bridge to Success Grant for Early Career Investigators

Applicants must be at a critical juncture where research funding is needed to stay in the sleep field. The Bridge to Success Grant for Early Career Investigators will give scientists the time and funding needed to revise and resubmit their mentored, federal career development grant application.

Focus Areas

• The Bridge to Success Grant for Early Career Investigators is open to mentored projects that address one or more important unanswered scientific questions related to sleep and circadian science, sleep disorders, and/or sleep health.

Funding Information

• The Bridge to Success Grant for Early Career Investigators provides funds for one year and can be for up to $100,000 per grant. There are no restrictions on the distribution of expenses, however, indirect costs are capped at 8%. The grant is a contract between the AASM Foundation and the grantee’s institution.

Eligibility Criteria

• The following individuals are eligible to apply:
  • Individuals with a MD, DO, DDS, DMD, DNP, DNSc, PharmD, PhD, or equivalent professional degree.
  • Individuals who have applied for a multi-year career development grant from the NIH, VA or another granting body in the field of sleep or circadian science that was scored in the peer-review process but fell below (or is likely to fall below) the funding agency’s pay line and plan to resubmit a revised career development grant application.
  • International applicants, who meet all the eligibility criteria and whose sponsoring organization can accept the payment of grant funds in U.S. dollars, are eligible to apply.

Ineligibility Criteria

• The following individuals are not eligible to apply:
  • Individuals who have received independent research funding of more than $250,000 are not eligible to apply. This does not apply to post-doctoral/ fellowship level training grants primarily covering the applicant’s salary (e.g., NRSAs). Additionally, current and former Principal Investigators on an AASM Foundation Bridge to Success Grant for Mid Career/Senior Investigators are not eligible to apply.
  • Individuals who have a financial conflict of interest or have the potential to incur significant financial benefit from the proposed work and beyond the work itself are not eligible to apply.
  • Current AASM and AASM Foundation Board of Directors members are not eligible to apply and cannot be listed as a PI, co-PI, key personnel, mentor (paid or unpaid) or paid consultant for one year after their term ends.
  • Individuals and organizations located in, or operating from, countries subject to U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions are not eligible to receive AASM Foundation funding.

Review Criteria

• A review committee appointed by the AASM Foundation Executive Committee will evaluate and score all submitted applications. Factors that will be taken into consideration include:
  • Significance: Strong scientific premise of planned research in addressing important problems or critical barriers needed to progress the sleep medicine field.
  • Mentorship and Career Development: The planned mentorship and career development activities will facilitate the applicant’s success by filling gaps in their knowledge, skills, and abilities. The mentors and key personnel are well-suited to support the project and the applicant’s growth.
  • Approach: Planned research (overall strategy, methodology, and analyses) is scientifically sound, plan addresses protection of human subjects from research risks and inclusion/exclusion of individuals justified (if applicable).
  • Environment: Institutional support and availability of equipment and other physical resources for the planned research.

For more information, visit AASM Foundation.