New career development program launched for LMIC scientists

Recognizing the struggle scientists in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) can face in carving out time to gain research experience and skills, Fogarty has launched a new mentored junior faculty career development award, called the Emerging Global Leader program. The initiative's overarching goal is to build research capacity at foreign institutions and foster long-lasting collaborations to benefit science.

To be eligible, applicants from LMICs are required to have worked at least a year at an LMIC institution, which must be willing to release the faculty member for three-quarters of their work time, so they can pursue mentored career development activities and a research project that both addresses a health priority in their country and has potential to garner further grant support.

Grants will provide up to five years of funding and require input from mentors from both the U.S. and the LMIC, who each are accomplished investigators in the proposed research area and experienced in guiding independent investigators. In addition to Fogarty, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) are also participating in the program, and additional partners may join.

The new award, using the K43 mechanism, is similar to Fogarty's existing career development award targeted at U.S. scientists interested in global health, the International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA) (K01). Fogarty has also reissued the IRSDA program, a longstanding program that provides protected time for global health research and career development activities. The program requires grantees to spend half their award period conducting research in an LMIC.

The application deadlines are Dec. 16, 2015 for the new Fogarty Emerging Global Leader Award and March 2, 2016 for the IRSDA.