Academic Research Award

The WDS Academic Research Award Program provided funding for residents, post-residency fellows, junior faculty and early-career dermatologists performing basic science or clinical research relevant to the field of dermatology. Awards in the amount of up to $10,000 each were awarded on a competitive basis from 2007 to 2019.

Purpose of Award

These awards were intended to help the recipient further his or her academic career, and may serve as a basis for obtaining further funding.

Selection Criteria

Recipients will be selected on the basis of scientific merit and the anticipated impact of the project on the field of dermatology. Preference will be given to candidates who have demonstrated a clear intention of pursuing a career in academic medicine.

Candidates with no other sources of funding may receive preferential consideration. Preference will be given to applicants whose mentors have been members of WDS for 3 or more years.

Award Requirements & Specifics

• Applicant and Mentor must be a current or pending members of the WDS.
• Either the mentor or the mentee must be a woman
• Applicants must be dermatology residents, post-residency fellow, junior faculty (instructor, assistant professor), or early career dermatologists (academic, government, or community practice; within eight years of residency completion).
• Candidates are eligible to receive only one award under this program. Prior recipients are not eligible.
• IRB submission is REQUIRED. Projects that are not subject to IRB approval may still be submitted.
• The award is NOT intended to cover indirect/overhead costs, including but not limited to:
  • Travel expenses
  • Conference registration
  • publication fees
  • Personal computers or electronic devices
  • IRB fees
  • Salary/stipends
• The award CAN be used for direct expenses related to the study, including but not limited to:
  • Supplies (excluding computers and tablets)
  • Statistical Support
  • Patient Compensation
• Awards must be used within two years of receipt.
• Awardees will be required to submit a progress report of their research at one year.
• Awardees will be required to give a formal presentation of their research at the end of two years.
• A summary of research findings must be submitted at the end of the project for publication in a WDS publication at the end of two years.
• An accounting of expenses and copies of all related publications, abstracts, and posters must be submitted at the end of two years.
• Awardees will acknowledge funding and sponsorship by WDS in all presentations and publications.

Research Application

As part of the online application, applicants will be asked to indicate the ways in which they have been involved with WDS in the past, and how they would like to be involved in the future.

In addition to the online application, you will need the following items:

• Research Proposal
  A description of the proposed research project must accompany the application and must include the below elements. Please limit proposal to six pages.
  • Name, Title, Abstract / Significance
    Provide a brief description of what will be accomplished and why the proposed research is important.
  • Hypotheses and Specific Aims
    State your working hypothesis (or hypotheses) and the aims of the proposed studies.
  • Background
    Describe the reasoning behind the proposal in the context of existing scientific knowledge.
  • Experimental Approach
    Describe how you plan to address the specific aims in terms of methodology and experimental design. Please limit to two pages.
• Budget Request
  Describe (in detail) your budget and provide sufficient justification and detail to allow critical evaluation by the committee.
• Biosketch/CV
  All applicants must upload their own CV, along with the CV of their mentor. All CVs are limited to 5 pages each.
• Layman's Statement
  Please provide a brief summary of your research project. layman's statements should be written for members of the public rather than researchers or professionals. Please limit your layman's statement to 1 page.
• Letters of Commitment
  Applicants are required to submit a letter of commitment from their chairman and/or institution, along with a letter of commitment from their mentor. Letters of commitment may be addressed to the Research Grant Committee.
  Applicants MUST submit TWO letters of recommendation. If your chairman and mentor are the same individual, please request a letter of recommendation from another reference who can speak to your character, skills,and dedication to your proposed project.
• Relevant Publications (Optional)
  You may provide up to 2 relevant publications that support your research project.