CEET Mentored Scientist Transition Award (MSTA)

CEET Mentored Scientist Transition Award (MSTA)

The Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) has established a Mentored Scientist Transition Award for all Early Stage Investigators (Research Assistant Professors, and newly appointed Assistant Professors on the tenure or clinician educator track) who need protected time to establish their independent research programs in environmental health and is for salary and research support. The overarching eligibility criteria are: (a) a project in EHS that would benefit from the generation of preliminary data; (b) no prior history of federal grant support; and (c) a strong mentorship plan.

Application Process

Applicants are asked to submit a 10-page proposal. The application must include: (a) Title of the Application; (b) personal information (name, position, title, affiliation, and contact information); (c) two-page NIH biosketch; (d) list of current and pending grant support; (e) an abstract: (f) a statement on how this project may lead to extramural funding in EHS; (g) specific aims; (h) significance which must state the relevance to environmental health or toxicological research; (i) preliminary studies; (j) methods; (k) references; and (l) justified budget. The references and budget are not counted towards the page limitation.

The application must also contain a letter from a faculty sponsor describing the mentorship plan and time-line to seek independent grant funding. If the junior investigator works in the faculty sponsor’s laboratory, the applicant must provide a copy of the mentor’s Other Support page and NIH biosketch to show that the proposal does not overlap with the sponsor’s funded research and is independent. The faculty sponsor must guarantee release time from other duties.

Budget

Applicants can request up to $50,000 per year for up to two years. Funding for the second year is contingent on progress achieved in the first year. Salary support for the junior faculty member is allowable.

Deadlines

Application deadlines correspond to the pilot-project due dates  and can be submitted in PDF format to Paula Williams at paula.williams@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.  Please check availability of funds before you begin to work on the application.  Please email Paula Williams or call 215-746-3031 with any questions.

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