Focused Projects Grant for Junior Investigators: Diagnosis, Management and Treatment of Sleep Apnea

Focused Projects Grant for Junior Investigators: Diagnosis, Management and Treatment of Sleep Apnea

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: American Academy Of Sleep Medicine Foundation
Amount: Up to US $50,000
Last Updated: November 25, 2025

Summary

The Focused Projects Grant for Junior Investigators supports early career researchers in sleep and circadian science, providing up to $50,000 for one year. This grant focuses on addressing significant research gaps in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Mentored projects that explore innovative solutions, patient outcomes, and treatment adherence are encouraged. This grant aims to advance the field of sleep medicine and improve population sleep health.

Overview

Focused Projects Grant for Junior Investigators The Focused Projects Grant for Junior Investigators is our career development grant that supports early career investigators dedicated to focusing their research on basic, translational, clinical, or population sleep and circadian science. This opportunity provides seed funding for mentored research projects to jumpstart an early career investigator’s research career and provide the necessary support and resources needed to establish a track record of funding. Note: Cycle 1 of the 2026 Focused Projects Grant for Junior Investigators is open only to projects that address one of the following topics: Diagnosis, Management and Treatment of Sleep ApneaRestless Leg SyndromeIdiopathic HypersomniaPediatric Sleep The Focused Projects Grant for Junior Investigators provides funds for one year and can be for up to $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. Diagnosis, Management and Treatment of Sleep Apnea Open to mentored projects that address known research gaps in the diagnosis, management and/or treatment of OSA. There have been several publications that have noted the limitations, challenges, and gaps in research with diagnosing and treating OSA, examples of which include the 2022 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Technology Assessment on positive airway pressure therapy and the 2021 journal SLEEP publication on apnea-hypopnea index. Projects that address these gaps must advance the fields of sleep medicine and population sleep health. Only applications that address known research gaps in the diagnosis and/or treatment of OSA will be considered responsive. Examples of research topics of interest are provided below. Identifying patient-important outcomes and understanding how they are impacted with treatment (e.g., sleepiness, quality of life).Exploring novel ways to characterize OSA (e.g., new/alternative measures, new framework combining multiple measures).Building knowledge about personalized OSA care through endotyping, phenotyping, and biomarkers (e.g., identifying patients at most risk of clinically important OSA outcomes).Understanding patient preferences and satisfaction with different OSA treatment options.Understanding OSA or  Obstructive Sleep Apnea treatment adherence (e.g., barrier to adherence, how adherence relates to outcomes, strategies to address barriers, predictors of adherence to treatment).Comparative effectiveness research, especially in special populations (e.g., pediatrics, women, older adults, people with comorbidities), of:Alternate metrics for diagnosis or characterization of OSA severityInterventions and delivery methods to treat OSA.Interventions (e.g., technology, behavioral, psychological, pharmacologic) to improve OSA treatment adherence. Diagnosis, Management and Treatment of Sleep Apnea: Up to $50,000 for 1 year, with indirect costs capped at 8% Mentoring Since this is a Career Development Grant for early career investigators, individuals must identify a research mentor in the application with the skills, knowledge, and resources to provide mentorship to the applicant in sleep and circadian research. Applicants are encouraged to identify more than one mentor (i.e., a mentoring team) if expert advice is needed in all aspects of the project. In such cases, a primary mentor must be clearly identified in the application. The applicant must work with the mentor(s) to prepare the application. Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. 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

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.Note: In rare instances, AASM and AASM Foundation Board members may serve as unpaid consultants on an application, however, this requires Executive Committee approval prior to submitting the application.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.