ASRM & SREI Research Grants

The primary purpose of the ASRM and SREI Research Grant Programs is to provide funds for new investigators to establish independent research programs. New investigators are those who have completed their training within the past three years and have independent faculty appointments at the commencement of the research. In special cases applications for bridge funding (i.e., between grant funding periods) for projects that are of benefit to other members of the Society, or for funding of new, highly innovative research projects by established investigators will be considered. Both the ASRM Research Grants, which are funded by the ASRM, and the SREI Research Grant, which is funded by SREI, are reviewed by the ASRM Research Committee and awarded by the Board of Directors. Grants in amounts of $10,000 to $50,000 will be considered for funding by the ASRM Board of Directors on an annual basis. A total of $200,000 is available for 2019. The SREI Board of Directors will fund one grant of up to $40,000. Funds are available for project expenses, technical assistance, patient expenses, research supplies and durable laboratory equipment.
 

Up to ten percent (10%) of funds may be used for indirect costs or institutional overhead in circumstances deemed to be rare and extraordinary that are explained to the Research Committee. Research grant funds may be expended over a 2-year time interval. If residual funds remain after 2 years, the principal investigator can apply for a no-cost extension. An individual is eligible to receive only one grant. Grants may be renewed under extraordinary circumstances, such as may be necessary to sustain an ongoing activity of importance to the Society. An individual should indicate which grant(s) he/she is applying for though he/she is eligible to receive only one grant.

Recipients of an ASRM or SREI Research Grant may also have other grants contributing to the funding of their project; however, the additional funding amounts must be noted on the grant application. A progress report and a financial report on the work sponsored by the grant are required annually and within 60 days of the completion date of funding for the project. The final report should include a summary of the project and an accounting of funds spent, be signed by the recipient of the award and the institutional grants officer, and submitted to the ASRM office. All unused funds will be returned to the ASRM at the completion of the project unless additional time has been approved by no-cost as described above, or if the project has not been initiated at the end of the first year. An abstract should be submitted for consideration at an ASRM Scientific Congress either prior to or after completion of the project.

To be eligible for an ASRM Research Grant, the Candidate/Principal Investigator must:

• Have earned an M.D. and/or Ph.D. and/or D.O. and/or D.V.M. degree or their equivalents.
• Be an independent investigator who has a full-time faculty/research staff appointment as of July 1, 2019; note that clinical and research students, residents, fellows and postdoctoral trainees are not eligible.
• Have completed clinical, scientific and professional training within 3 years prior to the start of the grant.
• Have been an active or associate member of ASRM since at least July 1, 2018.

To be eligible for the SREI Research Grant, the Candidate/Principal Investigator must:

• Have earned an M.D., D.O. degree or equivalent.
• Be an independent investigator who has completed his/her training and has a full-time faculty/research staff appointment as of July 1, 2019
• Be an active or associate member of SREI since at least July 1, 2018.

Applications should be written in 11-point font with 0.5 inch margins. Pages should be numbered starting with the first page of the proposal. The application consists of the following items in this order:

1. Cover sheet – including title of research proposal, applicant’s name and degree(s), address, telephone, fax, and email; indicate which one of the three priorities is being addressed by the application (new investigators, bridge funding, initiation of innovative research project)
2. Research Proposal – the description of the research project should be presented using 6 (6) pages or less, including bibliography. The research proposal must include: Specific Aims, Background and Significance, Experimental Design and Methods, Expected Results, Schedule of Performance, and Bibliography
3. A one-page budget should be prepared and signed by the applicant and by the Department Chair and the appropriate institutional official. Recipients may have other grants that contribute to funding of their project, and notation of this funding must be included in the application budget.  Contact information on payment of funds to your organization should also be included.
4. Applicable institutional certifications of regulatory compliance, e.g., human subjects, animals, biohazards, radioactive materials, recombinant DNA, etc.
5. Statement of Career Goals – briefly list and/or describe career goals if the applicant is a new investigator.
6. Curriculum Vitae – this should include basic personal data, educational background, past and present positions, honors, achievements, and publications; limited to three pages; an NIH biosketch is acceptable.
7. Letter of Recommendation from Division Director or Department Chair – signed letter on company or organization letterhead.
8. Letter of Intent from Chair of the Department – this letter should state that the award money will only be allocated for the items noted in the budget and should affirm that the appropriate time will be allotted for completion of the research by the faculty member and that appropriate facilities will be available for the grant recipient to carry out the project.  Applications should be submitted to asrm@asrm.org.  Applicants will be notified by June 2019.

Selection is based primarily on the scientific merit of the proposed study, the qualifications of the applicant, and the significance of the research. The Research Committee may utilize the review services of non-Committee experts if necessary to ensure a competent and balanced review. Members of this Committee will recuse themselves from the selection process for a given year if any proposals for that year involve members of their institutions. Projects proposed by new investigators, studies of high scientific merit requiring bridge funding, and highly innovative studies will have priority. Evaluation of the proposals by the ASRM/SREI Research Committee will include the availability of resources to conduct the proposed study and the identification of a principal investigator who can offer an appropriate environment for the pursuit of the proposed project.
  
The recipient is required to attend the ASRM Scientific Congress. Members of the Executive Committee are not eligible to submit applications and they will recuse themselves from this review if any of the proposals for that year involve their institutions. In addition, the ASRM Research Committee will review the progress reports and financial reports on the work sponsored by the ASRM research grants annually and upon completion of funding for the project. Members of the Research Committee will recuse themselves from the review of reports for any project that involves their institutions of employment.  

 

The 2018 SREI Research Grant was awarded to Steven L. Young, M.D., Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, for his project “BCL6 and SIRT1, dual nuclear factors central to endometrial dysfunction.”