NASPGHAN IBD Young Investigator Award - Career Development Awards Grant

The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation/NASPGHAN IBD Young Investigator Award supports early-career researchers in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This three-year grant offers mentorship and funding up to $60,000 annually, plus additional support for research-related expenses. Eligible applicants must hold an MD or PhD, demonstrate relevant research experience, and commit at least 65% of their time to the project. The award also facilitates access to IBD Plexus resources, enhancing research capabilities in the field.

This three-year grant, in partnership with the NASPGHAN Foundation and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, is available to research fellows or junior faculty.
Objective:
Career Development Awards are mentored awards intended to facilitate the development of individuals with research potential to prepare for a career of independent basic research investigation in the area of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
New Opportunity for Foundation Awardees to Access IBD Plexus!
The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation is pleased to inform researchers applying for its Career Development Award (CDA) that they may gain access at no cost to the bio-samples and/or research-ready datasets housed within IBD Plexus as part of a newly funded CDA research project.
IBD Plexus™ was founded by the Foundation with a mission to advance science, accelerate progress towards precision medicine, and improve the care of patients living with IBD. The multi-component IBD Plexus includes a biobank, pediatric and adult patient clinical data, patient-reported data, linked genetic and other molecular data and bio-samples, central reference labs to generate molecular data (genetic, transcriptomic, microbiomic, etc.) from existing bio-samples, as well as a data and analytical platform to house, organize, aggregate, and provide data for research.
Investigators who choose to convert bio-samples to molecular data as part of their research proposal can use CDA funds to help defray those costs. Most molecular data generation is done at IBD Plexus central reference laboratories to promote standardization and the ability to pool results. Further, IBD Plexus functions under the guiding principle that researchers who take advantage of the resources will also contribute back the raw data (not the analyses) they derive from patient bio-samples.
Time Commitment:

• Awardees must devote a minimum of 65% of his/her professional time directly to the project.
• Stipend & Institutional Allowance:

Award salary will match applicants’ institutional salary (salaries may be supplemented by the applicant’s institution), depending on postgraduate year (PGY) level, up to $60,000 per year. Fringe benefits are allowed according to institutional policies, but must not exceed 25% of the salary award (up to $15,000 per year). The Foundation will also provide up to $27,500 to be used for non-salary/fringe expenses such as an MPH degree or equivalent tuition (all degrees must be completed within the three years of this award), statistical support, travel to professional meetings, professional memberships, and textbooks. These funds may not be used to supplement awardee’s salary/fringe benefits.

Eligibility

Applications must propose original clinical, translational, epidemiological, or basic scientific research related to pediatric inflammatory bowel disease.Applicants must indicate in their submission for either a Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Career Development or Research Fellowship Award and that the submission is pediatric IBD-related. This is important for the study to be considered for the joint Crohn's & Colitis Foundation/NASPGHAN IBD Young Investigator award.The Foundation is sensitive to personal matters that impact career trajectories. Applicants who have taken leave from their career (e.g., parenting of a child, childbirth, long-term care of a parent/spouse/child/dependent, personal health issues), or have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in a way that puts them outside of the eligibility time frame, should feel free to reach out to Foundation staff ahead of their application submission. This can be captured in the applicant's cover letter.Applicants should identify a senior investigator to act as a mentor to facilitate the transition to independence. At the time of application, applicants must be employed by an institution (public non-profit, private non-profit, or government) engaged in health care and/or health-related research within the United States. Research is not restricted by citizenship; however, proof of legal work status is required. Applicants must hold an MD and/or PhD (or equivalent degree). Candidates holding MD degrees must have five years of experience after receiving their terminal degree—two years of which must be documented research experience relevant to IBD. Applicants holding PhDs must have at least two years of documented post-doctoral research relevant to IBD. Generally, candidates should not be in excess of ten years beyond the attainment of their doctoral degree.

Ineligibility

Individuals who are already well-established in the field of IBD research are not considered eligible for this award.