Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

CSDA Bridge Grant

Purpose

The purpose of the bridge grant is to help Doris Duke Clinical Scientist Development Award (CSDA) recipients succesfully transition to independent National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 funding.

This competition is open only to former CSDA grantees or current CSDA grantees in the last year of their award (or in a no-cost extension period).

Rationale

The Medical Research Program created these grants to “bridge” the time between when a CSDA investigator learns of a very strong but unfunded score on an NIH application to when s/he is able to successfully obtain an R01 grant. The bridge grants provide protected time and support for CSDA recipients to continue their research projects, collect supportive data, keep patients enrolled if applicable, and strengthen their proposals to resubmit to the NIH. The foundation hopes that the bridge grants will help keep promising physician-scientists committed to clinical research careers by providing stable support during their critical transition to independent R01 funding.

2008 Competition Details

In 2008, it is likely that the foundation will award up to four bridge grants of $135,000 each to be spent only on direct costs over 12 to 18 months. Eligible CSDA recipients are invited to submit applications throughout the year up to the deadline of September 1, 2008. Applicants will be notified of their awards by November 17, 2008.

Eligibility

Bridge grants are specifically intended for former CSDA recipients and current CSDA grantees in the final year of their award (or in a no-cost extension period).

CSDA recipients whose new submission for an NIH R01 grant was ranked in the top 30th percentile, received supportive critiques, but did not receive funding are encouraged to apply.

To apply for bridge grants, CSDA recipients must meet the NIH definition of a New Investigator.

For additional eligibility requirements and instructions on how to apply for a bridge grant, see the Request for Applications

Selection Process & Criteria

Applications will be reviewed by scientific experts, who will recommend the strongest proposals to DDCF for funding. Selection criteria include outstanding research productivity during and since the CSDA, evidence of a strong commitment to a clinical research career, scientific merit of the research project proposed to the NIH, and justification of the need for a bridge grant.