Limited Submission Opportunity: Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholars Fellowship

Applications due Aug. 1

This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.

Vanderbilt (VU and VUMC, collaboratively) may nominate one candidate for the 2024 Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholars Fellowship Award. This program supports individual postdoctoral scientists of exceptional creativity who have an M.D. or Ph.D. degree and who have completed by July 1, 2024, a minimum of three years of a postdoctoral fellowship in the field of basic or clinical neurosciences at a medical school. Scholars will be chosen based on the success in their prior postdoctoral work and the importance and creativity of their proposed future research.

These awards are given as transitional postdoctoral awards for recipients as they advance to become full-time faculty members at the assistant professor level or higher and to promote the development of a laboratory program that will lead to independent funding. The medical school nominating each scholar will be awarded $200,000 annually for two years to cover their salary, lab costs and related expenses. Under certain circumstances, the awardee may transfer funding to support their beginning faculty position. Indirect cost of up to 15 percent of direct costs may be included in the $200,000. All applicants are required to provide 75 percent effort.

Eligibility

1. Must be a postdoctoral researcher with a School of Medicine appointment (either VU or VUMC)
2. Research must be focused in the field of neuroscience
3. Postdocs must have completed a minimum of three years and no more than six years of a postdoctoral fellowship by July 1, 2024
4. Postdocs must have an M.D. and/or Ph.D.
5. Commitment of a minimum of 75 percent effort

Internal application process

Anyone interested in being considered as Vanderbilt’s nominee must submit the following (in PDF format) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu  by 5 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2023:

1. Brief research plan including summary budget; 2 pages max., references may be included on a separate page

1. Half-page description of your applicant background and the special characteristics that you have for implementing the proposed project and career plan
2. Statement of support from department chair/center director
3. NIH Biosketch or abbreviated CV (5-page max.)

Submissions should reference “Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholars” in the subject line of the email. Any questions about this opportunity or the LSO process may be directed to LSO@vanderbilt.edu.