National MS Society: Sylvia Lawry Physician Fellowships Grant

National MS Society: Sylvia Lawry Physician Fellowships Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Amount: Up to US $225,000
Last Updated: June 27, 2025

Summary

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society offers the Sylvia Lawry Physician Fellowships to support MDs in acquiring essential clinical trial training. This fellowship aims to enhance expertise in conducting complex trials for MS therapies, fostering skills in protocol design, patient recruitment, and data analysis. Applicants must have relevant medical training and be engaged in ongoing MS clinical research. The program is vital for addressing the increasing demand for trained professionals in MS clinical trials, contributing to advancements in treatment.

Overview

National Multiple Sclerosis Society The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions. Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap: STOPPING MSRESTORING functionENDING MS by prevention MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS. Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap. The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes. We value studies that: promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research). Sylvia Lawry Physician Fellowships It is the intent of this program that the individual with an MD or equivalent medical degree will acquire formal training, under the tutelage of an established investigator, in a broad range of key elements associated with conducting clinical trials in MS. These may include design of study protocols, recruitment of patients, power calculations, randomization procedures, use of controls, identification of appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria, identification of primary and secondary outcome measures, maintenance and assessment of blinding, informed consent, safety monitoring and evaluation, and data access and statistical analysis. These elements must be integrated in the plan of training. The proposal must provide documentation that: the clinical fellow will be actively trained in multiple ongoing MS clinical trials, preferably at various phases to provide exposure to the recruitment stage through data analysis.a formal curriculum appropriate for clinical trial training, including courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, or other related courses is available at the institution and will be part of the fellowship experience.Although it is not required, the review committee looks favorably on a training plan that includes the completion of a Master’s degree in clinical research or another related research topic

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Previous Training: Individuals must have received a MD or equivalent medical degree from an accredited institution and must be licensed to practice medicine in the United States prior to starting their fellowship. Residents who have or will have received training in one of the medical specialties relating to multiple sclerosis, and who are entering their final year of residency or beyond at the time of the application deadline, are eligible to apply.Citizenship: There is no citizenship requirement; however, the individual applying for the award must be licensed to practice medicine in the United States at the time of application.Mentor and Institution: Proposals may only be submitted by medical institutions in the United States where investigators are actively engaged in MS clinical research and where ongoing MS clinical trials are being conducted.The mentor’s expertise must be established by previous participation in well designed clinical trials in MS.Before submitting an application, a candidate must arrange for appointment to an appropriate U.S. institution and acceptance by a mentor who will oversee the training. The application must be endorsed by the applicant’s proposed mentor and the head of the department in which the training will be received. A plan of training must be formulated and agreed on by the mentor and the applicant, and described in detail in the application.