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.
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 be 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
Application Contents
Application Submission
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:
Applications are now closed and will open again in the spring of 2022.
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%.
To Apply:
The 2021 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 it 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 it 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.S.T. U.S. on a date to be determined, 2022. 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.
Applications are now closed and will open again in the spring of 2022.
The Benedict Cassen Prize is awarded in recognition of outstanding achievement and work leading to a major advance in nuclear medicine science. The prize award is $25,000 and is only offered every other year (even years).
Proposal Requirements
Submission Details
