Pilot Grant

Thank You AAOGF Partners

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The American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Foundation (AAOGF) and the Society of Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology (SASGOG) are pleased to announce a pilot grant opportunity to provide $25,000 in funding to a qualified candidate to assist the candidate in generating preliminary data and to foster a mentor relationship in anticipation of applying for a future mentored award (e.g. the AAOGF Physician Scientist Award, a NIH K08, a NIH Reproductive Scientist Award, and others). The award is for a nine-month funding period, to start October 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 with an automatic one-year extension through June 30, 2026.

Purpose:
The purpose of this grant opportunity is to provide $25,000 in funding to a qualified candidate to assist the candidate in generating preliminary data and to foster a mentor relationship in anticipation of applying for a future mentored award (e.g. the AAOGF Physician Scientist Award, a NIH K08, a NIH Reproductive Scientist Award, and others).

Eligibility:
Candidates must have been awarded an M.D. (or D.O.) degree and must be ABOG certified or ABOG eligible at the time of the award. Eligible candidates must have completed an ACGME approved residency program in obstetrics and gynecology, hold an academic appointment of assistant or associate professor, and have completed the PROGRESS Course (Program for Researchers in Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences) or have completed a research fellowship in general obstetrics and gynecology. This award is not intended to fund clinical training leading to specialty or subspecialty certification. However, applicants who are in their second year of a research fellowship can apply for funding through this mechanism. Support from a sponsoring academic department is required.

Application Requirements:

1. A description of the candidate’s qualifications, including a complete curriculum vitae with bibliography, prior training, past research experience, and evidence of completion of residency training in obstetrics and gynecology. A letter of recommendation from the Department Chair should describe the basis for the sponsoring department’s selection of the candidate and future plans for career development, as well as research time and resources. Short and long-term career development plans should be specified.
2. The research project should be described in detail using an NIH grant format but should not exceed 4 pages (with 0.5-inch margin), using number 11 Arial font, including all figures and tables but not bibliography. The goals of the research program and the means of evaluation of productivity and success in meeting these goals must be clearly stated.
3. A description of departmental resources appropriate to the training, including the full-time faculty member responsible for serving as the training mentor, must be provided. The mentor’s NIH-style biosketch (which should include a list of current extramural funding), a list of past trainees, and a letter of commitment are required.
4. The proposed mentor must provide a detailed mentoring plan that includes methods of assessment, and expected milestones. In addition, a list of any other faculty members with whom the trainee will work, with particular emphasis of their prior experience in mentoring and their time commitment to this undertaking, should be included. Finally, the mentor should make note of available research space, equipment and general resources as well as an account of prior training experience within the unit, and the existence of other departmental support resources.
5. A list of other research grants, training grants, or scholarships previously or currently held by the applicant must be provided. Please include a list of all applications by the candidate that are currently pending review.A budget should be provided. As noted, the award may be used for salary support of the scholar, purchase of equipment and supplies, research assistant salaries and/or services and travel expenses related to research training. Planned expenditures should be listed under the following headings: salaries (by individual), supplies, equipment, services, and travel. Please note that no indirect costs will be paid.
6. Documentation of approvals from the Institutional Review Board (Human Subjects) and if applicable, from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee can follow NIH “just in time” approval rules. However, following granting of the award no funding will be released until full documentation of the necessary approvals are received by the respective Foundation.
7. Applications for the AAOGF/SASGOG Pilot Award should focus on research in any field of Obstetrics and Gynecology, with a preference for non-subspecialty areas of inquiry.

Evaluation of Applications

The evaluation of applications will be conducted by committee(s) and will be based on:

1. The scholarly, clinical and research qualifications/promise of the candidate, including evidence of the candidate’s commitment to an investigative career in academic obstetrics and gynecology in the United States or Canada.
2. Qualifications of the sponsoring department and mentor(s) with respect to research experience, grant track record, prior research mentoring, adequacy of opportunity for appropriate collaborative relationships, facilities, and other appropriate resources.
3. The overall quality of the mentoring plan.
4. The candidate should specify percent effort that will be dedicated to research training and the conduct of the research that was approved. Please specify a percent effort that will be devoted to research and to clinical effort.
5. The quality of the research project, including evidence that the applicant is either performing an originally conceived project or taking on an area of interest of the mentor that represents a significant new direction.
6. The accuracy and completeness of the application.
7. A virtual interview will be required as part of the evaluation process. After an initial review, the most competitive applicants may be invited for the interview. The Committee may also elect to interview the mentor.
8. Investigators belonging to an under-represented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. For the purpose of this award under-represented is defined as someone whose racial or ethnic make-up includes the following: African American/Black, Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American/Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander or two or more races.
9. The Committee reserves the right not to not fund any applicant if none of the applications meet the standards of the Committee for acceptance.

Awardees are encouraged to attend the annual retreat of AAOGF Award Recipients, usually held during late summer/early fall. Unfortunately, this will need to be funded by the sponsoring Department.

Post-award monitoring:

1. Awardees will submit progress reports at 6 and 12 months. If a no-cost extension is granted, one additional progress report will be submitted at 18 months, to be followed by a study closure report at 24 months.
2. An application for an AAOGF-sponsored 3 year physician scientist development award is highly encouraged.
3. Insufficient progress as determined by the Committee, will result in termination of funding.
4. Unused funds will be returned to AAOGF at the completion of the study period.

All inquiries regarding the scholarship should be directed to:

Submitting Applications: August 1, 2024

All applications must be received electronically by August 1, 2024. To apply for the AAOGF/SASGOG Pilot Award, please upload application materials to SmarterSelect https://app.smarterselect.com/programs/96197.

APPLICATION FORMAT (Please use Fonts – Arial 11)

I. Cover Page

II. Candidate qualifications

A. Complete curriculum vitae with bibliography, past research experience

B. Record of other research and/or training grants or awards – past and pending

C. Career development plans (1/2 page)

III. Letters of support and commitment (must accompany application)

A. Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

i. Should include the basis for the sponsoring department’s selection of the candidate and future plans for development and placement

ii. Should specify the percent clinical effort that will be expected of the candidate.

B. Mentor(s)

iii. Should include a stated commitment to the candidate’s program and training

iv. Should describe mentoring plan and evaluation including proposed means of evaluating productivity, and how it fits the career development plans

v. NIH style biosketch

IV. Resources (1 page)

A. Space

B. Equipment

C. Other departmental support resources

V. Research proposal (Section A-D 4 pages not including bibliography)

A. Abstract and specific aims

B. Significance

C. Approach (including a timeline)

D. Selected Bibliography

VI. Budget

A. Purchase of equipment and supplies

B. Technician salaries

C. Services

D. Other items (specify)

E. Total annual funding to awardees will be $25,000.

VII. Documentation of approvals (Just in time format)

A. Institutional Review Board (Human Subjects)

B. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee