Program for Retaining, Supporting, and EleVating Early-career Researchers at Emory (PeRSEVERE)

Funding Availability:

• This program will offer 10–13 research supplement awards to eligible faculty.
• Awardees will be supported for one year and funded up to $30,000. The total supplement fund may vary based on actual needs, not to exceed $50,000 per individual.
• Awardees will have access to support and resources funded through SOM matching funds, including multiple forms of research support, professional development, and caregiving extra hands.

Eligibility:

• Emory School of Medicine full-time faculty holding the rank of instructor or assistant professor or who are within one year of appointment/promotion to associate professor.
• Candidates must hold an MD, MBBS, or DO degree; a request for exception will be reviewed based on the conduct of relevant clinical research and clinical provider activities such as clinical psychologists engaged in research.
• Engagement in translational and clinical research addressing significant biomedical problems; particularly research that has the potential to address a health issue that poses a significant clinical burden (with considerable morbidity and mortality, whether it is a rare or common condition) and that has potential for societal benefit. Research supplements cannot be used to support research with non-human animals or any tissues or cells derived from them.
• A minimum of 50% professional effort allotted to research.
• Active current intra- or extramural career development funding in support of the candidate’s salary and research program.
• Award of research supplements will be prioritized to support early-career physician scientists who identify as women, Black, African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native peoples, people with disabilities, or who are at economic disadvantage.
• Applications should demonstrate a compelling, time-sensitive need for the supplement to regain research momentum because of family caregiving responsibilities or other issues caused by COVID-19. Typically, caregiving would be childcare, partner care, and/or eldercare, but candidates may make the case for other reasonable family caregiving responsibilities.
• Commit to initial and quarterly meetings with program co-directors for individual consultation related to the supplement fund.
• Commit to submit a progress report at the completion of the funding period.

Terms of the Award:

• Awardees will be notified within 8 weeks of submission.
• Awardees will be supported for one year and funded up to $30,000. The total supplement fund may be increased based on actual needs, not to exceed $50,000 per individual; requests for a no-cost extension of up to 6 months must be submitted to the PeRSEVERE Program Administrator at least 30 days prior to the end of the award period. 
• Awardees will also have access to multiple forms of research support including students, a pool of Georgia CTSA research assistants and coordinators, biostatistical support, and a consultant experienced in grant writing and individualized research mentoring.
• Awardees will benefit from PeRSEVERE leader consultations aimed at determining and creating access to additional support needs including strengthening skills in research management, professional growth, and personal resilience.
• Institutional professional development funds will support participation in key scientific conferences relevant to the awardee’s research.
• The PeRSEVERE program coordinator will work with awardees to optimize access to institutional resources as well as family care concierge services through TimeSquared.

Application Information:

1. Candidate information (1/2 page) – to include Emory-format CV and self-identification narrative that integrates your social and cultural identity and may include constructs such as gender, race/ethnicity, disability, and/or economic disadvantage. (Emory CV template for upload in the application form)
2. Description of current clinical research project (2 pages) – to focus on the candidate’s current research and short to medium term goals for pursuing future additional extramural grant funding. Candidates should describe the research project and specific aims, originality of the approach to the clinical questions, significance of the work to substantially benefit individuals with a health condition, whether common or rare, and potential for furthering public health and/or health equity.
3. Justification of need (1/2 - 1 page) - to include a description of how the COVID-19 pandemic materially disrupted the candidate’s research trajectory. Caregiving (childcare, partner care, and/or elder care) should be addressed, with quantitative information and timelines wherever possible. Additional work-related factors (e.g., facility closures, access to staff to assist with research, clinical redeployment) and evidence of financial hardship may be included (e.g. frozen funds, used on salary).
4. Budget and budget justification (1/2 page) - to include how the candidate plans to use the supplemental funding and associated institutional support to positively impact current research program and future goals for extramural funding and promotion. Eligible expenses may include funding for an MPH student to assist with research (through the Rollins REAL program), partial support for a research assistant or program coordinator, use of a grant writing consultant, biostatistical support, and study subject expenses, or other eligible “extra hands” support. (Budget template for upload in the application form)
5. Chair endorsement (1 page) – a letter from candidate’s department chair is required to attest to the applicant’s promise as a clinician scientist in their field, confirmation of current intramural or extramural career development or research grant funding as PI for at least 1 year following proposal submission, and guarantee of at least 50% release time from clinical activities for dedication to research (for a minimum of 16 months beyond the supplemental research award date).

Review criteria will evaluate:

Candidate:

• Demonstration of compelling, time-sensitive need for the supplement to regain research momentum lost due to family caregiving responsibilities and other issues caused by COVID-19.
• Potential to achieve and sustain momentum as a clinician scientist, attaining future grants for impactful clinical research. Past research funding, publications, and presentations will be considered.
• Strong endorsement by candidate’s chair, including attestation of 50% release time

Research Project:

• Significance of ongoing and proposed clinical research work to advance knowledge of the etiology, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of human disease, whether rare or common. The research approach must be original and rigorous, with the potential to address a health issue that poses a significant clinical burden (with considerable morbidity and mortality, whether it is a rare or common condition) and that has potential for societal benefit.

The PeRSEVERE Steering Committee will ensure prioritization of awards to early career physician scientists who identify as women, those historically underrepresented in medicine, people with disabilities and/or those raised with economic disadvantage who have demonstrated caregiver burden as a barrier to the continued pursuit of a promising research trajectory.

Progress Report:

Awardees are required to submit a progress report at the completion of the funding period.

Citation Requirements:

Awardees are required to cite institutional support of Emory School of Medicine Doris Duke Charitable Foundation COVID-19 Fund to Retain Clinical Scientists and the Georgia CTSA NIH award number (UL1-TR002378) on all products (publications, patents, presentations) resulting from this award.