The Scleroderma Research Foundation is dedicated to bringing talented early-career scientists to scleroderma research. The Scleroderma Research Foundation Fellows Program aims to attract outstanding postdoctoral fellows with strong records of accomplishment, who have a clear sense of direction and/or novel idea they wish to develop in the field of scleroderma research. In particular, the SRF encourages exploration of new approaches and hypotheses on the pathogenesis of scleroderma.

Up to two, two-year postdoctoral fellowships in scleroderma research will be awarded, with a stipend of $35,000-$55,000 to support the candidate. Funding support from the SRF is in the form of a grant.

MISSION OF THE SCLERODERMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION
In its mission to find a cure for scleroderma, the Scleroderma Research Foundation seeks to advance research by: promoting collaboration and cross-institutional cooperation among scientists in a variety of disciplines; attracting promising new scientists to scleroderma research; maintaining scleroderma centers of excellence; and bringing new technology and thinking to the field of scleroderma research.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Completion of Ph.D. or M.D. prior to appointment

SPONSORSHIP:
Before submitting a fellowship application, the applicant must identify a sponsoring institution and an individual who will serve as a sponsor and will supervise the training and research experience. The sponsoring institution may be private or public non-profit.

The applicant's sponsor should be an active investigator in the area of the proposed research who will directly supervise the candidate's research. The sponsor must document the availability of staff, research support, and facilities for high-quality research training.

ACCOUNTABILITY:
Applicants who accept an award from the Scleroderma Research Foundation may be asked to account for how they have spent their grants. Grant recipients will be required to attend the annual SRF Scientific Workshop to present their research.

SCIENTIFIC CONDUCT AND IRB APPROVAL:
The Scleroderma Research Foundation does not assume responsibility for the conduct of the investigation or the acts of the investigator, because the investigator's conduct and actions are under the direction and control of the grantee institution and subject to the institution's medical and scientific policies. Grantee institutions must safeguard the rights and welfare of individuals who participate as subjects in research activities by reviewing proposed activities through an Institutional Review Board (IRB) as specified by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office for Human Research Protections, DHHS (OHRP). Furthermore, grantee institutions must adhere to current U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines regarding financial conflict of interest, recombinant DNA, research misconduct, and vertebrate animals. The Awardee's institution must assure appropriate governance of animal studies as well as human studies.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

1. Open and Save the SRF Post-doctoral Grant Application.
2. Complete the application according to the above online guidelines.
3. Copy the completed application onto a CD. You may prefer to create a PDF copy of your application and then save it on the CD.
4. Print and Sign the completed application.
5. Print the completed application.
6. Ship by overnight carrier one (1) hardcopy of the signed, completed application, research proposal, relevant appendix material, three letters of recommendation and one (1) copy on CD to:


Victoria Slotfeldt
Scleroderma Research Foundation
220 Montgomery, Suite 1411
San Francisco, CA 94104

For more information, contact Victoria Slotfeldt at:
Tel: 415-834-9444
Fax: 415-834-9177
vslotfeldt at sclerodermaresearch dot org

SUBMISSION DEADLINE
November 14, 2008 (new applications) or December 31, 2008 (continuing grants).

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS
Completed applications will be evaluated by the SRF Scientific Advisory Board.

Fellows will be selected on the basis of previous achievements, the commitment of the applicant, sponsor and sponsoring institution to scleroderma research, the scientific and technical merit of the research proposal, and the relevance of the proposal to the SRF's ongoing research program.