Parker B. Francis Fellowship for Pulmonary Research Grant

Parker B. Francis Fellowship for Pulmonary Research Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Francis Family Foundation
Amount: Up to US $225,000
Last Updated: August 28, 2025

Summary

The Parker B. Francis Fellowship for Pulmonary Research offers three years of funding, totaling $225,000, for clinical and basic scientists transitioning to independent research careers in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Eligible candidates include those with relevant doctoral degrees, U.S. or Canadian citizenship, and a track record of research experience. The fellowship encourages diverse research topics, including bioethics in pulmonary medicine, while requiring mentorship and adherence to strict eligibility criteria.

Overview

Parker B. Francis Fellowship Program Advancing Research in Pulmonary and Respiratory Disease The Parker B. Francis Fellowship provides research support to clinical and basic scientists embarking on careers in clinical, laboratory or translational science related to Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at a U.S. or Canadian university or research institution. The ideal candidate is one with evidence of strong aptitude in research and who is in transition from post doctoral trainee to independent investigator. It is essential that there be evidence of accomplishment and proficiency in research. Few applicants who are just beginning research training and have only one or two research publications are funded. Appropriate Topics A broad array of approaches to pulmonary and critical care medicine, ranging from cell and molecular studies, to those involving epidemiologic and clinical aspects of human subjects are appropriate. We also encourage applications from pulmonary medicine specialists interested in pursuing research in bioethical aspects of pulmonary medicine or critical care. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the ethics of clinical trials in critical care, end-of-life decisions and resource allocation. The context of all these topics should be pulmonary biology and lung disease. Applicants must meet all the eligibility standards. Mentors and/or applicants considering whether a particular area is appropriate are encouraged to discuss potential projects with the Scientific Director of the PBF Fellowship Program. Funding The Parker B. Francis Fellowship provides three years of funding. The total budget for individuals starting a PBF Fellowship is $225,000 over three years or $75,000 per year. Allowable costs are restricted to the PBF Fellow’s salary plus fringe benefits and may include travel to a maximum of $2,000 per year. Direct research project costs should be supported by the mentor’s research grants. Such grants are an essential part of the application as documentation of sufficient financial support to complete the fellow’s project.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicants are eligible to apply for a PBF Fellowship if at the time of application they are:Scientists holding a relevant doctoral degree (e.g., M.D., Ph.D., Sc.D., D.V.M., Dr. P.H.) who are embarking on a career in clinical, laboratory or translational science related to Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at a U.S. or Canadian university or research institution.A citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. or Canada or or holder of a Visa that spans the entire project period of the grant.A Ph.D. or other non-M.D. scientist no more than seven years beyond completion of their doctoral degree or an M.D. scientist no more than seven years beyond clinical training (i.e., residency, internship, clinical fellowship) at the time of application.Candidates with greater than seven years since the doctoral degree require approval for continued training from the Scientific Director of the PBF Fellowship Program.Applicants must be approved by their department to apply for the PBF Fellowship.Institutions may have no more than three Parker B. Francis Fellows in a single department at a given time, a department may submit nor more than two applications annually, and a mentor may sponsor only one application annually.If a PBF Fellow receives an NIH K or Research Award or any nationally competitive grant at a similar level, at any point on or after the start date of the PBF award, the amount of the award will be changed per the Allowable Cost policy. PBF Fellows are required to have at least 75 percent of their time available for research. Most successful candidates have two-to-five years of research experience and a minimum of two or three research publications at the time of fellowship application.Mentorship of the fellow by an established investigator is required. Any established faculty scientist at a university or a not-for-profit research institution may mentor a candidate for fellowship.The mentor should be in a position to guarantee that 75 percent of a fellow's time is available for research. The mentor should be committed to fostering the candidate's career advancement and should be the primary scientific advisor. Secondary scientific mentors at the same or a different institution are encouraged but not required. Many fellows spend some portion of their fellowship years working with a secondary mentor, who is at another institution.There are no restrictions regarding discipline or department. Clinical or basic science departments are suitable; however, it is expected that the proposed research will focus on lung biology or lung disease.

Ineligibility

Individuals are not eligible for a PBF Fellowship if, at the time of application, they are or have been principal investigator on an NIH K or R series research award or other nationally competitive research award at the comparable level.Mentors at government or corporate laboratories are not eligible. Awards will not be given if either the fellow or mentor currently holds funding from the tobacco industry, even if the tobacco monies will not be used to support the PBF sponsored research.Indirect costs and equipment purchases are not allowed.