To Apply

ERF Funded SNMMI Grants, Awards And Scholarship Program

Grants, awards and scholarships, proudly funded by ERF, allow the SNMMI to keep its commitment to supporting the next generation of researchers and advancing molecular imaging and therapy. This support of early career pilot grants fills a funding void for young innovators who need funding to demonstrate the feasibility of their novel ideas before they can apply for larger government grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation or other sources.

For a complete listing of all SNMMI awards, visit their website www.snmmi.org.

The Nuclear Medicine Pilot Research Grant In Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs)

The $100,000 Nuclear Medicine Pilot Research Grant in Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs)

Proposals Due May 1, 2023

The Nuclear Medicine Pilot Research Grant in Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs) is designed to help a basic or clinical scientist in the early stages of his/her career conduct novel and innovative research that may be leveraged to lead to further funding from other foundations, corporations or government agencies.

The grant will provide $100,000 for a two-year award. Second-year funding will be contingent on satisfactory first-year progress reports. Funds will be directed to the sponsoring institution. Funds may be used to support the salary of the applicant, research costs, and/or travel. Indirect expenses are capped at 5%.

The deadline for submitting applications is passed for this year. 

To Apply:

The ERF/NETRF Nuclear Medicine Research Grant in NETs is sponsored by the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation through a generous grant from the Margie and Robert E. Petersen Foundation. Written progress reports will be required at six-month intervals, outlining all progress to date. At the conclusion of the award period, the recipient must provide ERF with a final written report of the project and budget reconciliation. The investigator selected for the grant will be expected to attend the annual NETRF Research Symposium throughout the project and the year immediately thereafter to present findings. Grant funds may be used to cover travel costs to the Symposium. Additionally, a brief annual update for the five years following the research will be required including:

• Investigator’s future clinical and research plans, especially regarding the field of neuroendocrine tumors and molecular imaging;
• Listing of reference citations for all articles, patents, presentations and awards arising from the recipient’s research project;
• Listing of all subsequent funding that has been secured for the continuation, or extension, of the research project from other agencies and entities.

Applicant Eligibility:

• Basic or clinical scientists with an advanced degree, such as MD, PhD, or equivalent are eligible.
• The research may be done in any country.
• Awardee must hold a full-time faculty or equivalent position in an educational institution when the award starts.
• Applicant must be no more than five years post training (training includes residency, MD/PhD training, professional school, graduate school, post doc, or fellowship).
• Applicant must not have served as the principal investigator of a peer-reviewed grant for more than $100,000 in a single calendar year.
• Preference will be given to individuals who have demonstrated great potential for a research career in the field of nuclear medicine/molecular imaging and whose research focuses on translational in vivo studies that include radionuclide imaging or therapy for NETs.

Submission Requirements:

There is no application form to complete. However, all packaged applications must have the following components in the order listed. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

• Title page: Applicant Name, Project Title, Institution
• Principal investigator’s current curriculum vitae or NIH Biosketch (2-page maximum including most relevant references)
• Principal investigator’s ORCID number (If you do not have one, please register and include.)
• Type of Research – Please select from the following: Basic Science, Translational, or Clinical Research.
• Research Plan (no more than 3 pages) containing the following elements:
  -Specific Aims
  -Background and Significance
  -Preliminary Data (if available)
  -Methods
• Personal Statement by the Candidate (1-2 pages): the applicant should include description of any past research projects, evidence of interest in neuroendocrine tumors, and description of how the project will contribute to the future development of the candidate as a clinician and/or investigator in the field of neuroendocrine tumors.
• NET organ of Interest – If applicable, select from the following: Gastrointestinal NET, Pancreas NET, Lung NET, Pheochromocytoma/Paraganglioma, other (please specify).
• Keywords
• Abstracts
  – Lay abstract: Please provide an abstract for a general audience. Be sure to describe the key question or therapeutic roadblock being addressed by your proposal and why it is important to our understanding of NETs and/or its treatment. Also, describe the potential outcomes and how they may impact NET research and treatment. Write in a style that the average non-scientist adult would understand without scientific terminology. (300-word maximum)
  – Technical Abstract: Please provide an abstract for a scientific audience. Be sure to describe the key question or therapeutic roadblock being addressed by your proposal and why it is important to our understanding of NETs and/or its treatment. Also, describe the potential outcomes and how they may impact NET research and treatment. (300-word maximum)
• Letter of Institutional Support (1 page)
• Proposed Budget: The funds can be used to support the salary of the applicant, research costs and/or travel.
• Please note: No grantee may receive more than one research grant from ERF in any one year. Likewise, no other grant request will be considered until a satisfactory summary of an earlier grant is received.

Evaluation and Selection Criteria:

• The proposal is highly relevant to advancing molecular imaging.
• The work is completely original and innovative.
• The proposal reflects sound methodology that is likely to prove the hypothesis.
• The protocol is based on good, scientific reasoning.
• The applicant has the knowledge/skills, resources to successfully conclude this project.
• The applicant has the support of his/her institution.

Submission Details:

There is no formal application form. Applicants should provide every item listed under the “Submission Requirements” in the order listed. Only complete packages should be submitted via email by 5:00 p.m. E.T. U.S. on May 1, 2023. Incomplete packages will not be considered and ERF is not responsible for ensuring packages are complete.

Electronically submit cover letter with all documentation listed under “submission requirements” to: info@mierf.org Email subject: “NETS Research Grant Material Submission – LAST NAME”

Disclaimer:

Funding of this award is subject to the approval and availability of grant funds appropriated to ERF. Therefore, ERF reserves the right to alter the number of investigator awards, terms and allowances.

Richard L. Wahl Mid-Career Leadership Award

The Education and Research Foundation for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (ERF) developed this award through donations to the Award for the purpose of encouraging and funding a mid-career candidate in the advancement of his/her career in Nuclear Medicine/Nuclear Radiology. The purpose of the Award is to fund education, certification, etc. for a mid-career physician that will directly lead to the candidate’s career advancement.

The Richard L. Wahl Mid-Career Leadership Award

Applications are closed until next year.

Award Information

The Award provides a $7,500 one-time payment to be used to pay the expenses toward the furtherance of the chosen candidate’s career, including, but not limited to enrollment in courses that result in additional education credentials, such as certificates and degrees, and additional training that are necessary for and directly impacts career advancement.

Eligibility

• Applicant must hold a doctoral degree (M.D. or equivalent) from an accredited
• Applicant must have a full-time employment position as and M.D. either nationally or internationally.
• Proposals may include courses, certifications, degrees, and training offered nationally or internationally. The $7,500 grant will be paid in USD.   
• Applicant must be more than 10 years beyond his/her final year of residency and less than 10 years from expected
• Previous recipients of this award are not eligible for a new

Application Contents

• Applicant Curriculum Vitae
• Advancement Plan
• A line-item budget of how the $7,500 grant will be used. 

Application Submission

• Incomplete packages or packages that do not follow the submission requirements will not be
• Proposals are due by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on March 30, 2023. Late submissions will not be acknowledged or accepted, regardless of the
• All components of a package must be combined into one, single PDF file in the order outlined
• Packages that are emailed pieces at a time or as separate PDF attachments will not be
• Submit all materials electronically to the following address: info@mierf.org, using “Wahl Award Material Submission” as the subject

Application Review

The ERF Wahl Award Review Committee will review proposals. The Committee is composed of physicians with expertise ineducation, research and technology in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. Review

criteria includes the applicant’s professional record, career advancement plan, and ability of the proposed plan to lead tofuture advancement of the candidate’s career.

Award Requirements

Each recipient of an ERF grant, as a condition of acceptance of the award, agrees to the following:

• Submission of receipt(s) to prove the award money was paid for the advancement plan as outlined
• Updates of future advancements in the candidates career as a direct result of receiving the award

Cassen Postdoctoral Mentoring Award

Applications are now closed until 2024.

The Education and Research Foundation for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (ERF), through a bequest from the estates of Benedict Cassen and Mary Wiley Cassen, is offering grant support for a junior scientist faculty member to recruit a post-doctoral to support research in the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. The grant is intended to provide an early-career scientist with mentoring experience and the opportunity to develop preliminary data for federal or other competitive research support. The grant will provide support for the postdoctoral fellow to carry out the research under the supervision of the junior faculty member, with the assistance of a senior faculty member or principal investigator. Selection of a postdoctoral fellow from relevant disciplines outside nuclear medicine and molecular imaging is encouraged but not required. Overall administrative and research guidance for the postdoctoral fellow is to be provided by a senior mentor in the same institution.

Award Information

The Postdoctoral Mentoring Award provides up to two years of research support. The amount of the award is $50,000 per year, payable to the applicant’s institution, which is to be used for salary support (including benefits) of the postdoctoral fellow.  The postdoc candidate does not need to be nominated or identified at the time of application and can recruited after the award is made.  The award may be renewed for a second year, subject to ERF review and approval of first-year progress.

Eligibility

• Applicant must hold a doctoral degree (M.D. or Ph.D. or equivalent) from an accredited institution.
• Applicant must have a full-time position at an accredited university or medical school or equivalent in the United States.
• Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.
• Applicant must be no more than 10 years beyond his/her doctoral degree or final year of postgraduate training, whichever is later.
• Applicant must have a senior mentor with significant research experience.
• Previous recipients of this award are not eligible for a new award.
• Institutions are not eligible for consecutive awards, but they are eligible for repeat awards that are not consecutive.

Application Contents

• Applicant curriculum vitae
• Research plan (five pages maximum), to include research question and significance, experimental design and methodology, role of postdoctoral fellow, relevance of research to applicant’s career objectives and development of research skills, and anticipated publications.
• Senior mentor details:
  • One-page statement of support including mentorship plan.
  • Curriculum vitae, including research support and publications.
  • Previous experience in fostering development of junior researchers.
• Description of institutional facilities relevant to the proposed research.
• Institutional commitment to 20% FTE research requirement of applicant from applicant’s department chairman, dean or other responsible administrator.

Application Submission

• Incomplete packages or packages that do not follow the submission requirements will absolutely not be accepted.
• Late submissions will not be acknowledged or accepted, regardless the rationale.
• All components of a package must be combined into one, single PDF file in the order outlined above.
• Packages that are emailed pieces at a time or several PDF’s as attachments will not be accepted.
• Submit all materials electronically to the following address: info@mierf.org, using “Cassen Grant Material Submission” as the subject line.
• Applications for this grant are currently closed and will open again in 2024.

Application Review

The ERF Cassen Review Committee will review proposals. The Committee is composed of internationally prominent scientists with expertise in education, research and technology in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. Review criteria includes the applicant’s academic record, career development plan and potential to develop into an independent researcher in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, research plan, mentor and mentorship plan, and institutional research environment.

Award Requirements

Each recipient of an ERF grant, as a condition of acceptance of the award, agrees to the following:

• Submission of annual progress reports for each year of funding and a final report at the conclusion of the award period.
• Acknowledgment of ERF Cassen funding in all presentations and publications resulting from the award.