Spotlight on Research
Marina E. Emborg,
M.D., Ph.D.
Imagine if your doctor was able to treat your Parkinson’s disease (PD) with a therapy made from your very own skin cells! It may sound futuristic, but it’s exactly the type of treatment, called ‘personalized medicine,’...
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Application FAQ
Are you interested in applying for a PDF grant, but have some questions about the process? We encourage you to learn more by browsing answers to the questions most frequently asked by our prospective grantees.
Please also download our application instructions here. To apply, visit grants.pdf.org.
Eligibility
Q. Does the International Research Grant Program (IRGP) fund international and US applicants?
A. Yes, the IRGP is open to applicants that reside either within the US or internationally, regardless of citizenship.
Q. Are students on J-1/F-1B (Students Visas) eligible to apply for grants?
A. Yes, all international students meeting the eligibility requirements may apply. All inquiries regarding visas should be directed to your research institution.
Q. I am a Ph.D. with an overseas lab. May I apply for a grant even if most of work will be conducted outside the US?
A. Yes, international applicants are encouraged to apply. Moreover, there is no requirement for research to be conducted within the US.
Application Process
Q. How does PDF select its grant recipients?
A. PDF’s Scientific Advisory Committee, headed by Dr. Stanley Fahn and comprised of leading Parkinson's basic, clinical and translational scientists, reviews the applications. The Committee meets, adjudicates the proposals and assigns rating scores based on the NIH scale. Finalists are chosen from the highest score downward until the funding cap is met for the fiscal year. If the awards are not accepted for any reason, the next applicant in line (again, based on the scores assigned by the scientists during the review process) is notified. This process continues until all the grant monies are awarded and accepted for the fiscal year.
Q. Will applicants receive critiques or feedback for their proposals?
A. Unfortunately, PDF cannot provide detailed feedback of an applicant’s proposal.
Q. What does “Budget and Justification” mean?
A. The budget is the amount of money requested to complete your research project. Salaries, cost for animals, equipment, related travel, or anything else to be paid out of the PDF grant should be listed in detail; this is the justification.
Q. Are salaries allowed in the budget?
A. Yes, salaries for the investigator and/or assistants are permitted in the budget. When listing salaries, percent effort must also be included in the budget justification.
Q. What is not included under the budget?
A. Overhead expenses are now covered at 10% of the IRGP award. Overhead includes items such as rental of office or lab space, electricity or janitorial expenses. Overhead is automatically calculated and need not be listed in the budget.
Q. Can portions of the project (e.g., antibodies, animals, etc.) be funded from other sources?
A. Yes, however, funding from any other sources must be noted as a subscript of the budget when completing the application.
Q. Does an applicant need to submit his/her mentor’s CV or references?
A. Yes, as part of the application process, the applicant is required to include a NIH format biographical sketch of their mentor/sponsors. Briefly: 1) List name, title, and education/training; 2) List positions and honors; 3) list peer-reviewed publication; 4) List research support (current, pending, and completed). For an example also see the NIH web site, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/SF424R-R_biosketchsample.doc. Except for the section describing research funding, the biographical sketch is limited to two pages per investigator.
Q. What does IRB or IACUC stand for?
A. IRB stands for the Institutional Review Board. Under FDA regulations, an IRB is a committee of physicians, statisticians, researchers, community advocates and others that has been formally designated to review and monitor biomedical research involving human subjects. The IRB ensures that the research is ethical, and that the rights of participants are protected. IACUC is the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, which oversees the specific use of animals in research by formally reviewing protocols and insuring that animals are cared for and used in a humane manner. The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals is an excellent resource for investigations involving animals.
Funding/Grant Cycle Specifics
Q. How long is the funding period for research grants?
A. The IRGP grants are two-year grants with the second year subject to assessment of the first year’s progress. Fellowship grants are for a one-year term. Fellowships may be competitively renewed by submitting a new application. See the individual grant descriptions and guidelines found on this website. The normal award cycle is July 1 through the following June 30 of any given fiscal year.
Q. Do you have a list available of previously supported projects?
A. Yes, we currently have summaries available from investigators funded in the last two cycles. We will have more available in the future.
Q. What may be purchased with the Fellowship research allowance?
A. The research allowance is meant to allow the Fellow to purchase specialized equipment, software or reagents necessary to complete their research. In addition, items that augment the training and education of a Fellow such as books, journal subscriptions, training courses, or a computer are also permitted. Travel costs, of up to $2,000, may also be defrayed by the research allowance. With approval of the advisor/mentor, the Fellow determines how the research allowance is spent. However, under no circumstances will the research allowance be used to pay for postdoctoral taxes, institutional overhead, or fees.
Q. May the Fellowship research allowance be used for health insurance premiums?
A. Yes, the research allowance may be used to defray the costs of a Fellow’s health benefits up to $3,000. The Fellow must submit a written request to PDF.
Q. What happens if a grant recipient transfers to a new lab/institution during an award cycle? Will he/she still be eligible for the remainder of the grant?
A. Should a grant recipient depart from his/her original research institution prior to the conclusion of the award cycle, all funding will cease. In addition, all equipment purchased from the IRGP must remain at the prior institution. However, there may be instances where funding may be transferred if the recipient provides official documentation from both the original and the new institutions’ administrative officials confirming that the recipient is continuing research at the new institution for the project funded by PDF. We encourage the grant recipient to contact the PDF in these circumstances.
Q. What happens to unused grant monies?
A. Any unused monies are to be made payable to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation and sent to PDF, 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, NY 10018, Attn.: Valerie Holt.
Q. If a grant recipient needs additional time to complete his/her research, what can be done?
A. A grant recipient must request a “No-Cost Extension” and specify how long they will need (generally an additional 3-6 months) to complete their project. This request must include an interim progress report and a report of expenses to date. The request must be made by the applicant and signed off by the institution’s administrative official. If the extension is granted, the grant recipient will be notified of the new reporting deadlines.
Q. What is a Progress Report?
A. A progress report is a report summarizing research findings as well as the accompanying expenditures of the project to date.
If you have any additional questions, please email grants@pdf.org.
