Early-Career Research Grants

This program (formerly, New Investigator Research Grants) is offered by The Obesity Society (TOS), as a member service, to foster and stimulate new research ideas in any area of investigation related to obesity. The program targets junior-level investigators and post-doctoral trainees by funding proposals that demonstrate a high likelihood of resulting in new and innovative approaches in obesity research. Early-career investigators are defined as individuals who have received a PhD within the past five years or MD within the past eight years and who currently hold full-time, entry-level positions (e.g., post-doctoral fellow, instructor, assistant professor) at an established academic/research institution. Applicants may request up to $25,000. No indirect cost will be paid from this grant. Applications (Letters of Intent) are due April 15, 2013, with funding available September 3, 2013. The award may be expended over a period of up to one year.

Eligibility Criteria

The following applies to the Principal Investigator only:

- Member of TOS (domestic or international)

- Junior investigator or post-doctoral research fellow:

• PhD within the past five years or MD within the past eight years
• No previous major research funds as PI (e.g. RO1, UO1, PO1, P510, and any extramural funding totaling more than $250,000 per year of direct costs
• Potential to generate future funding

- Applications from postdoctoral research fellows must have a mentor who is a current TOS member

PhD: obtained not earlier than September 1, 2008; MD: obtained not earlier than September 1, 2005. Applicants may not be a post-doctoral fellow for more than five years.

How to Apply

Step 1

• Prepare a one-page letter of intent cover page (MS Word) downloadable from the link below
• Describe the scientific project, including AIMS and hypotheses, on a maximum of one page on institutional letterhead, one inch margins, font-size no smaller than 11 point font
• Prepare an NIH style biosketch (four page maximum) of the principal investigator, if the principal investigator is a postdoctoral fellow, the biosketch of the mentor should also be included.
• Files (MS Word) are downloadable from the link below

2013 Early Career LOI Cover Page

TOS Biosketch (PI and postdoctoral mentor, if applicable)

Please create one PDF of the above listed documents with the file name: LASTNAME-2013ECRG-LOI then CLICK HERE to submit by Monday, April 15 2013 @ 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

The PI may only submit ONE ECRG application for the current grant year.

Step 2

Successful applicants selected by TOS's Scientific Review Committee, will be notified by May 28, 2013 to submit a full four-page proposal along with timeline, budget, and biosketches (two page maximum) for each investigator and mentor (if applicable).

Criteria for evaluating applications

• Responsiveness to the intent of the announcement
• Novelty of the research
• Feasibility of producing meaningful research results within one year of the grant
• Scientific design
• Feasibility of meeting budgetary constraints
• Adequacy of proposed timeline and schedule of deliverables

Important dates

• Letter of Intent Submission Deadline: April 15, 2013
• Full Proposal Request Notification: May 28, 2013
• Full Proposal Submission Deadline: June 28, 2013
• Grant Recipients Notified: July 29, 2013
• Anticipated Grant Start Date: September 3, 2013 (85% of grant paid to recipient's institution)
• Anticipated Research Completed: September 3, 2014
• Final Report and Financial Statement Due: November 4, 2014 (15% of grant paid to recipient's institution upon successful completion of final report and financial statement)