CFAs: Focused Projects Grant for Junior Investigators

Focus Areas

• The Focused Projects Grant for Junior Investigators is open to mentored, general and specific topical projects that that address one or more important unanswered scientific questions related to sleep and circadian science, sleep disorders, and/or sleep health. The applicant must select one of the following topics:
  • General: Open to mentored projects that address one or more important unanswered scientific questions related to sleep, sleep disorders and/or sleep health.
  • Madeleine Grigg-Damberger Grant for Pediatric Sleep: Open to mentored projects that address one or more important unanswered scientific questions related to pediatric sleep, sleep disorders and/or sleep health.
  • Management and Treatment of Sleep Apnea: Open to mentored projects that focus on the management and treatment of patients with sleep apnea.
  • National Sleep Research Resource: Open to mentored projects that use the National Sleep Research Resource and address one or more important unanswered scientific questions related to sleep and/or sleep disorders.

Funding Information

• The Focused Projects Grant for Junior Investigators provides funds for one year and can be for up to $40,000 – $50,000 per grant, depending on the research focus. There are no restrictions on the distribution of expenses, however, indirect costs are capped at 8%. The grant is issued as a contract between the AASM Foundation and the grantee’s institution:
  • General and National Sleep Research Resource: up to $40,000 for 1 year, with indirect costs capped at 8%.
  • Management and Treatment of Sleep Apnea: up to $50,000 for 1 year, with indirect costs capped at 25%.
  • Madeleine Grigg-Damberger Grant for Pediatric Sleep: up to $50,000 for 1 year, with indirect costs capped at 8%.

Eligibility Criteria

• The following individuals are eligible to apply:
  • Individuals with an MD, DO, DDS, DMD, DNP, DNSc, PharmD, PhD, or equivalent professional degree.
  • Individuals within 10 years of their terminal degree, post-doctoral training, or clinical training.
  • 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).
  • 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 grant 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.