ACMS Foundation Investigator Research Award

Intended to support original research with high potential to advance care in dermatologic oncology.

Award Amount: $20,000 - $40,000 in direct research costs for 1 year (amount based on the robustness, clinical importance, and budget of the project)

Research Focus: Research projects must pertain to dermatologic surgery and cutaneous oncology. Special consideration will be made for projects involving MohsAIQ data.

Geographic Scope: United States and Canada

Eligibility Requirements:

• Applicants must have completed training in a US Dermatology Residency Program and/or be a member in good standing of the American College of Mohs Surgery
• Applicants must be citizens of the United States or Canada
• Applicants must not have received a grant from the ACMS Foundation in the past two years

Award Timeline:

• Awardee will be announced at the 2026 Annual Meeting
• Must plan for IRB approval to take place prior to July so work may commence on this project and produce results by the next Annual Meeting
• Award payments are distributed in January and July
• Recipients must submit progress reports at 6 months and 1 year
• Additional follow-up on publication or presentation of data from the award is encouraged
• Award winners must be willing to provide project updates during the ACMS 2027 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, April 28-May 2, 2027

Scoring Criteria: Potential of the applicant to advance the field of dermatologic oncology, novelty and impact of the proposed research, feasibility of the research plan, and strength of the environment and resources available to conduct the research

Application Requirements

Required Materials:

1. NIH-format Biosketch (maximum of 3 pages)
2. Research Proposal in PDF format with the following sections (maximum 3 pages total):
   • Specific Aims - Identify what you intend to research/accomplish and the hypothesis to be tested
   • Background & Significance - Describe why the research is important, what has already been done in the area of interest, and how this research will add to the current body of knowledge
   • Preliminary Studies - Describe any studies that you have already performed pertaining to the research subject
   • Methods/Experimental Design - Identify how you are going to carry out the research. Describe in detail the experimental design, methodology, and manner in which the data will be analyzed
   • Environment/Organizational Structure - Describe in detail the organizational structure where you work, including support and resources available to you
   • Literature Cited (Not included in page limit)
3. Detailed Budget (maximum 1 page): Applicants are encouraged to use the entire award for direct costs related to the research. Any administrative or salary costs must be specified in the submitted budget
4. Letter of Commitment from Applicant

Submission Process

• Applications must be submitted online using the application link (specific URL not provided in materials)
• Deadline: February 27, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PT