• The call for application is closed. The application period is March 1 – May 31, 2023

Armenise Harvard Airalzh Mid-Career Award: how to apply

ELIGIBILITY AND GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS


Background:

The Giovanni Armenise Harvard Foundation and Airalzh offer one Armenise-Harvard Airalzh Mid-Career Award in Neurodegenerative Diseases (“AHA-MCA”) of $100,000 USD per year, for two years, to support  basic research projects in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. The Armenise Harvard Foundation and Airalzh share the common goal to support a category of basic scientists, i.e. the Mid-Career researchers, who are currently insufficiently supported, with the common objective to set a new trend and inspire other foundations, private and public institutional donors to help with this critical need.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicant must:

  • be Principal Investigators or Group Leaders (“PI”)
  • have been responsible for their independent laboratory in Italy for at least five years but no more than 12 years at the time of the application deadline. The calculation of the five and 12 years is made by comparing the date the applicant’s title was conferred to the AHA-MCA application deadline (i.e. May 31, 2023), so this year the title should have been received no earlier than May 31, 2011, and not later than May 31, 2018. Please note: the actual elapsed time since the award of the title as PI considered for eligibility can be reduced in the following properly documented circumstances. For maternity, the actual elapsed time since the award of the title will be considered reduced by 18 months for each child born during the time after having received the title of PI. For paternity, the actual elapsed time since the award of the title will be considered reduced by the documented amount of paternity leave actually taken for each child born during the time after having received the title. For long-term illness, clinical training or national service the actual elapsed time since the award of the title will be considered reduced by the documented amount of leave actually taken by the applicant for each incident which occurred after receiving the title of PI
  • have obtained their PhD no more than 20 years before the date of the application deadline. The calculation of the 20 years is made by comparing the date the first PhD degree was conferred to the AHA-MCA application deadline (i.e. May 31, 2023), so this year the degree should have been received no earlier than May 31, 2003. Please note that the actual elapsed time since the award of the first PhD considered for eligibility can be reduced in the following properly documented circumstances. For maternity, the actual elapsed time since the award of the first PhD will be considered reduced by 18 months for each child born during PhD study or after the PhD award. For paternity, the actual elapsed time since the award of the first PhD will be considered reduced by the documented amount of paternity leave actually taken for each child born during PhD study or after the PhD award. For long-term illness, clinical training or national service the actual elapsed time since the award of the first PhD will be considered reduced by the documented amount of leave actually taken by the applicant for each incident which occurred after the PhD award.
  • have won at least one grant as Principal Investigator since leading their independent laboratory
  • have at least one last or co-last (without the last Post Doc supervisor) authorship primary research paper, with an impact factor of at least 8 (eight), published since becoming a PI. Please note that the impact factor should be calculated as of the time of the publication of the paper
  • are based primarily in Italy. In cases where the PI has multiple affiliations and positions, the PI must spend at least 80% of her/his time in the Italian Host Institute

Projects

The proposed research project should be focused on Neurodegenerative Diseases (clinical research is NOT supported by this award) and can either be a new research direction or part of an on-going program. In both cases, the applicant must provide specific aims of the research project and the budget showing current and/or pending support (if applicable)

Maximum External Grant Support

PIs must have less than Euro 100.000/year of secured external funding for the next 24 months, as of the application deadline

FUNDING

  • Each grant will be given for two years and will be distributed annually at a rate of $100,000 per year, per awardee
  • Funds can cover salaries for technicians, junior scientists, research supplies. Funds can also cover specialized equipment not normally available at the Host Institute
  • The Host Institute must provide the salary for the Applicant, the facilities, equipment, infrastructure and administrative support necessary to carry out the proposed research

CHANGES IN STATUS OF THE AWARDEE

  • If, after the AHA-MCA is awarded, the recipient moves from Italy , the award will be forfeited.
  • If the Award recipient wishes to change host institute before taking up the grant, the original grant may be forfeited and a new application may have to be made the following year. This circumstance would be handled on an individual basis.
  • Please be aware that any change in status of the recipient must be notified promptly to the Armenise Harvard Foundation and Airalzh.  The Armenise Harvard Foundation and Airalzh reserve the right to terminate the AHA-MCA should the time and effort dedicated to the AHA-MCA-sponsored project be deemed inappropriate.

Please note that failure to disclose change of status may result in the loss of the AHA-MCA and repayment of prior funds.

REPORTING AND OTHERS

  • Award recipients will be expected to provide an annual progress report, including a financial report and a brief summary of their research activity
  • The Giovanni Armenise Harvard Foundation and Airalzh should be acknowledged in all publications emanating from the research carried out during the award period

APPLICATION DEADLINE

May 31, 2023 (11:59pm EDT)

NOTE

Applicants should note that short-listed candidates will be required to attend a remote interview on October 5/6 , 2023. The interview will include a presentation of the candidate’s work and proposal, of no more than 20 minutes, in addition to an informal dialogue about the candidate’s aspirations, as well as Q&A.

WARNING

FAILURE TO DISCLOSE ALL-INCLUSIVE AND ACCURATE INFORMATION IN THE APPLICATION WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE DISQUALIFICATION. SHOULD THE MISREPRESENTATION EMERGE AFTER THE AHA-MCA AWARD IS RECEIVED, THE GIOVANNI ARMENISE HARVARD FOUNDATION and AIRALZH RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REVOKE THE AWARD AND TO ENFORCE THE OBLIGATION OF THE AWARDEE TO REIMBURSE IN FULL THE FUNDS ALREADY RECEIVED FROM THE GIOVANNI ARMENISE HARVARD FOUNDATION and AIRALZH.  THIS MAY BE INVOKED AT ANY TIME. BY SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION YOU GUARANTEE THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE IS EXHAUSTIVE AND TRUE, AND THAT YOU ACCEPT THE CONDITIONS ABOVE.

INSTRUCTIONS

Application’s documents must be typed using a 12pt font, with double-spaced pages and one-inch side margins on each side (excluding Bibliography and Images). Please put your name in the title of each pdf document (e.g. MillerL CV.pdf, MillerL Publications.pdf, etc.) and the document title, date, and page number in the header or footer of each separate document.

The application consists of several elements, some of which need to be uploaded, while others must be emailed. Click on “Application Form” below to begin the application process. Please have everything ready before you start.

  1. Application Form: Complete all information requested. At the end of the form you will be prompted to upload the following  documents from 2 to 8 in pdf format
  2. Curriculum Vitae including all affiliations and positions, and the list of publications since becoming Principal Investigator or Group Leader (i.e. responsible for your own laboratory). Please make sure to specify also the exacts date of your PhD (MM/DD/YYYY), and the exacts date of your appointment as Principal Investigator or Group Leader (MM/DD/YYYY)
  3. Selected paper: a paper of your choice where you are last author, published since you became a PI and having an impact factor of at least 8 (calculated at the time of the publication date). Include the impact factor and the source of the data
  4. List of Grants: list all grants received since becoming Principal Investigator or Group Leader, specifying amount/year and duration, and list all the ongoing. Please indicate also the number of grant applications you have submitted as PI in the last 24 months prior to the deadline
  5. Proof of eligibility: specify the yearly secured external funds for the next 24 months, as of the application deadline, indicating the name and amount of the grant and the title of the associated projects (the Proof of Eligibility must be on the Host Institute’s letterhead and signed by the relevant administrator)
  6. Synopsis: Description of the previous research and an abstract of the proposed project (the Synopsis should not exceed one, double-spaced page with a one-inch margin on each side, excluding bibliography)
  7. Scientific Proposal: This should be described in English in sufficient detail to enable the reviewing committee to appraise it. A level of detail typical of a scientific journal article is appropriate. The narrative should not exceed five pages (double-spaced with one-inch margins on each side, excluding bibliography and images). Include the following sections:
    1. Introduction: a brief summary of preliminary work or other background
    2. Objectives: a description of what is to be accomplished over two years, including an explanation of why the candidate considers this important for the advancement of this scientific area.
    3. Scope of Research: a summary of the design and methodologies to be applied, and experimental plan
  8. Budget: a detailed budget (including assumptions) of the project outlined per the above (7), including: personnel, equipment, travel, supplies, meeting costs, overhead (up to 5%) and taxes, additional sources of funding, if relevant. Please note that the Applicant’s salary CANNOT be covered by this award
  9. Letter from Host Institute: the Letter should include the following information at minimum:
      1. Indicate the continuing support to the Applicant
      2. Illustrate the plan, next steps and the timeline of the career development of the Applicant at the Host Institute
      3. Confirm that the department is willing to take on the administrative responsibilities involved in accepting the grant and furthering the career of the Applicant
      4. Confirm that the Host Institute and the Applicant are in complete agreement as to the terms indicated in this letter and in the Application

    This letter is considered a binding commitment of the Host Institute, in partnership with Giovanni Armenise Harvard Foundation and Airalzh, in furthering the career development of the grantee.

On-line applications can be submitted between March 1 and May 31, 2023. It will not be possible to submit an application for 2023  later than May 31, 2023 11.59pm EDT. Only applications that are complete and fully compliant with the Instructions will be considered. You should receive an email confirming that your application has been delivered successfully. If you do not receive a confirmation, please send an email to Elisabetta Vitali (email address below).

If you have any questions concerning this application or the program, please contact: