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About the Robert W. Katzman, M.D., Clinical Research Training Scholarship

The Robert W. Katzman, M.D., Clinical Research Training Scholarship aims to recognize the importance of good clinical research and to encourage young investigators in clinical studies related to Alzheimer's and related dementias. 

This grant is open to U.S. and international researchers.

Funded by the Alzheimer's Association® and American Brain Foundation® in collaboration with the American Academy of Neurology Institute®.

This award aims to recognize the importance of good clinical research and to encourage young investigators in clinical studies related to Alzheimer’s and related dementias. The award will consist of a commitment of $65,000 per year for two years, plus a $10,000 per year stipend to support education and research-related costs for a total of $150,000. Supplementation of the award with other grants is permissible, but to be eligible to apply for this award, the other grant source(s) cannot exceed $75,000 annually.

How to apply

  1. Visit AAN.com/view/ResearchProgram.
  2. Select “2020 Robert W. Katzman, M.D., Clinical Research Training Scholarship.”
  3. Select “Apply now.”
Please only submit one application – applicants are not allowed to submit applications for more than one award. Your application may be considered for another category at the discretion of the review committee, however, the system will only allow one application per person. Visit the Frequently Asked Questions portion of the website for more information.


Important dates 

  • October 1, 2019: Application deadline – Note that this is the deadline for all documents, including those from the reference, mentor, and chair. Applications will be declined if this information is not submitted by October 1.
  • January 2020: Notification of recipients.
  • July 1, 2020: Funding begins.

Eligibility

  1. For the purpose of this scholarship, research is defined as “patient-oriented research conducted with human subjects, or translational research specifically designed to develop treatments or enhance diagnosis of neurologic disease. These areas of research include epidemiologic or behavioral studies, clinical trials, studies of disease mechanisms, the development of new technologies, diagnostic tests after clinical trials in phase 1, and health services and outcomes research.” Disease-related studies not directly involving humans or human tissue are also encouraged if the primary goal is the development of therapies, diagnostic tests, or other tools to prevent or mitigate neurological diseases.
  2. Recipient must be an AAN member interested in an academic career in neurological research who has completed residency or a PhD no more than 5 years prior to the beginning of this award (July 1, 2020). If you have completed both residency and a PhD, your eligibility is based on when you completed residency. If you completed a fellowship of any kind after residency, your eligibility is still based on the date you finished residency.

Evaluation and selection

Applications are evaluated by reviewers based on the following criteria:
 
  • Applicant’s ability and promise as a clinician-scientist based on prior record of achievement and career plan, letters of reference, and NIH Biosketch (30 percent)
  • Quality and nature of the training to be provided and the institutional, departmental, and mentor-specific training environment (30 percent)
  • Quality and originality of the research plan (40 percent)
An annual progress report is due in May of the first year. Renewal of the award in year two is contingent upon presentation of a satisfactory progress report. Additionally, a final research report and a final expenditure report are due within 60 days following the close of the grant term. The final expenditure report must be prepared by the institution’s financial office.

Required attachments for application

1. PDF of Three-Page Research Plan, including brief statements of aims, background, contemplated approaches to methodology and any supporting preliminary data/figures. References do not count toward the page limit. The research plan should be written by the applicant and should represent his/her original work. However, the applicant is expected and encouraged to develop this plan based on discussion with the proposed mentor. It is appropriate, but not required, for the proposed work to be specifically related to the mentor’s ongoing research.

2. PDF of Applicant’s NIH Biosketch. Select this link for the most recent NIH biosketch template.

Once the above information is fully completed and submitted by the applicant:

3. The chair will receive an email with a link asking them to check a box confirming that the applicant’s clinical service responsibilities will be restricted to no more than 20 percent of your time. The chair will NOT be asked to submit a letter.

4. The references, identified by applicant, will receive an email with a link to submit a letter of reference supporting the applicant’s potential for a clinical, academic research career and qualifications for the scholarship.

5. The mentor will receive an email with a link to submit a letter of reference detailing his or her support of and commitment to the applicant and the proposed research and training plan. The letter should specifically indicate the mentor’s role in the development and preparation of the applicant’s research plan and should include:
 
  • How the proposed research fits into the mentor’s research program
  • Expertise and experience in the area of research proposed and the nature of the mentor’s proposed time commitment to the supervision and training of the applicant
  • Mentor’s prior experience in the supervision, training, and successful mentoring of clinician scientists
  • Potential for applicant’s future research career and comparison of applicant among other residents
6. The mentor will also be required to upload a NIH biosketch.

7. Applications will not be processed or reviewed until the letters of recommendation are submitted. The applicant will receive an email confirmation upon receipt of each support letter. To send a reminder email to the letter writer, log back into the application and select "Re-send Recommendation Request" located in the Support Information section of the application.


Contact Information:
Bridget McDonald, Program Manager, Education and Research Grants
Phone: (612) 928-6186
Email: bmcdonald@aan.com