Description
The Research Fund Award has been created to provide initial research funds for any investigator who has an important idea or hypothesis to test, but no funds to do so. The proposed project must be relevant to making progression towards understanding the causes of schizophrenia and its treatments and has the ultimate goal of either preventing the illness in vulnerable individuals or improving the illness course of those who are already afflicted with it. The project, while preliminary and pilot data that may lead toward applications to larger funding sources, must also be one that is publishable in a peer reviewed journal once complete and presented at the annual SIRS congress.
Eligibility: A total of $12,000 USD is available to support an early career researcher. Early career researchers are those with which the Society recognizes as a researcher who is less than 40 years of age by April 2024 or within five years post-doc of their terminal degree taking into account career breaks are eligible to apply. Junior investigators from countries with limited resources will be given preference. Only members of SIRS are eligible.
New members must apply for membership by Friday, 6 October 2023. The applicant must have a non-profit office where the funds will be held and appropriate accounting managed and reported to SIRS directly at the end of a 12-month period. If human subjects are involved in the research, an institutional review board (IRB) must approve the project before it can begin.
Timing: Applications for the 2023 Research Fund Award must be received by the SIRS Office by Thursday, 12 October 2023. Notice of Award will be received by the applicant by mid-November 2023 and the project may begin anytime between 1 December 2023 and 1 February 2024. It is expected that the project as proposed will be completed in 1 years’ time. with a progress report sent to the SIRS award committee not later than 3 months later and the results presented at the 2025 SIRS congress. For further information, contact: info@schizophreniaresearchsociety.org.
Submissions
SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN. The deadline to submit proposals Is Thursday, 12 October 2023. The Awardee will be notified by mid-November 2023.
Only members of SIRS are eligible to apply. Please read all the submission details and proposal requirements before starting the application.
The project may begin anytime between 1 December 2023 and 1 February 2024. It is expected that the project as proposed will be completed in 1 years’ time. with a progress report sent to the SIRS award committee not later than 3 months later and the results presented at the 2025 SIRS congress. For further information, contact: info@schizophreniaresearchsociety.org.
Eligibility
Early careers researchers, which the Society recognizes as a researcher who is less than 40 years of age by April 2024 or within five years post-doc of their terminal degree taking into account career breaks are eligible to apply. Junior investigators from countries with limited resources will be given preference. Only members of SIRS are eligible. The applicant must have a non-profit office where the funds will be held and appropriate accounting managed and reported to SIRS directly at the end of a 12-month period. If human subjects are involved in the research, an institutional review board (IRB) must approve the project before it can begin.
Applications from members of underrepresented groups are highly encouraged.
Budget
Funds may be used to cover expenses involved in recruiting research subjects, such as payments for the participants' travel. They may include the costs of laboratory tests or imaging procedures and may also cover payments to consultants who can aid in analyzing the data or who provide specific expertise not covered by the applicant. Funds may not be used for publication of the results in a free access peer reviewed journal, nor for travel expenses to a professional meeting or meeting registration fees. Funds may not be used toward the applicant's salary or to pay indirect or administrative cost to the institution hosting the funds. The funds are meant to only apply to direct costs of the research project itself. Funds will only be awarded to the investigator after the home IRB has approved the project and the approval letter received by SIRS.
Application Format
The application should be submitted electronically on the SIRS website (schiziophreniaresearchsociety.org) and be typed, single-spaced using a font that is no smaller than Arial 11, with margins that are a minimum of 0.5 inches. The following pages should be included:
(1) Title of Proposal: Title of the project, the name, affiliation, title, address, phone number and email address of the applicant, and the address of the location where the funding will be held.
(2) Significance and Innovation: Significance to the understanding, prevention or treatment of Schizophrenia and application to clinical care.
(3) Hypothesis and Aims
(4) Methods
(5) Anticipated Results
(6) Figure Upload (optional; limit to one figure).
(7) Proposed Budget (one page maximum, PDF format): One page proposed budget with the allotted maximum being $12,000 USD. Each item should have its justification. Funds may include the costs of laboratory tests or imaging procedures and may also cover payments to consultants who can aid in analyzing the data or who provide specific examples not covered by applicant. The funds are meant to only apply to direct costs of the research project itself.
(8) Needs and Funding Statement: Please upload a statement from the applicant with a needs statement about the lack of funds to perform this project and statement of financial need. The statement must also list all other active funding with dates of start and completion, and topic. Please detail any existing resources (e.g., mentor or institutional, such as lab space, referring clinics, equipment) that are available for this project.
(9) CV Information Items: Education/training, positions and scientific appointments, honors and awards, publications (up to 10 of your most relevant, and link to complete bibliography), and presentations/abstracts (up to 10).
(10) Supporting Letter (PDF): Please upload a supporting letter from your institution agreeing to host the funds. The letter writer should describe their institutional role and relationship to applicant. Note: this is not a letter of recommendation.
(11) Personal Statement: Briefly describe your reason for submitting this application and why you are well-suited for your role(s) in this project. Relevant factors may include: aspects of your training; your previous experimental work on this specific topic or related topics; your technical expertise; your collaborators or scientific environment; and/or your past performance in this or related fields, including ongoing and completed research projects to which you want to draw attention. Briefly describe your future goals and Indicate how this funding will allow you to do something that you could not otherwise do.
Online Application Preview (PDF)
Timing
Notice of Award will be received by the applicant by mid-November 2023. The project may begin anytime between 1 December 2023 and 1 February 2024. It is expected that the project as proposed will be completed in 1 years’ time. with a progress report sent to the SIRS award committee not later than 3 months later and the results presented at the 2025 SIRS congress. For further information, contact: info@schizophreniaresearchsociety.org.
