Dear Postdocs, Faculty Mentors, Clinical Fellows and Business Administrators,

 

We have received notice for the FY 2022-203 Brody Family Medical Trust Fund Fellowships in Incurable Diseases fellowship funding opportunity.  The University may put forth a maximum of ten nominees for these fellowships.  

 

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION TO THE OFFICE OF BIOMEDICAL POSTDOCTORAL PROGRAMS (BPP) IS:  12 NOON, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022.

 

Applicants must be US citizens, have permanent resident status, or be able to demonstrate clearly their eligibility to stay in the United States legally for the duration of the proposed Fellowship research. Applicants must have an appointment at UPenn or be co-mentored by a faculty member appointed at UPenn. 

 

The deadline for submitting our ten nominations to the College of Physicians is Monday, November 1, 2022.  

 

To meet all University fellowship submission requirements, we require that you submit your initial materials to the Office of Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs (BPP) as quickly as possible.  

 

Please inform your departmental Business Administrator and/or Grant Administrator of your intention to submit your materials for consideration.

 

Dr. Maja Bućan, Associate Dean, will convene a review committee and those selected as nominees will be notified in mid-October 2022.  At that time, nominees will receive further instructions on preparing their complete applications for final submission to the University coordinator, Elena Cruz, no later than 12 Noon on Wednesday, October 27, 2022.

 

To be considered for nomination, please submit IN ONE .PDF FILE (not a series of documents; the submission should not exceed a total of thirty-five (35) pages, or forty (40) pages if there are co-mentors  (excluding the Application Cover Sheet, Eligibility Criteria, and List of Supporting Materials and Application Checklist) the following information via email to Elena Cruz at: elena.cruz@pennmedicine.upenn.edu in the Office of Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs (BPP). Please name your .PDF file with last name, first name.pdf  - example:  Smith, John.pdf).

 

PLEASE CAREFULLY READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS 

• The Application must be single-spaced, formatted for standard size (8 ½" x 11")  sheets of paper.
• Observe page number limits.
• Print must be clear and legible. Please use 12-point. A smaller type size is acceptable for Figures, Graphs, Diagrams, Charts, Tables, Figure Legends, and Footnotes, but the type must be in black ink,readily legible.
• Use at least one-half inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) for all pages,  including continuation pages. No information should appear in the margins, including the applicant’s name or page numbers.
• Use only a standard, single-column format for the text.
• Consecutively number pages throughout the Application; do not include unnumbered pages.
• Use English and avoid jargon.  If terms are not generally known, define the terms  the first time they are used and note the appropriate abbreviations in parentheses. The abbreviations may be used thereafter.
• You may include black-and-white or color images in the Application, provided such  images are critical to the content of the Application.

 

DOCS TO BE INCLUDED WITHIN THE APPLICATION

 

Application Form – please request to elena.cruz@pennmedicine.upenn.edu  (formatted as a fillable Form in Microsoft Word). 

 

Applicant’s Curriculum Vitae

Applicant’s Personal Statement - (Maximum of 600 words) In light of the Brody Foundation’s goal to foster the career development of young scientists, each applicant should describe the particular inspiration for the proposed Fellowship project, if any, and explain how any prior research and personal experience, background, and future goals make the applicant an appropriate candidate for the Brody Fellowship. The statement should also describe other notable activities and interests to give the Review Panel a clear sense of the applicant’s individuality,passions, and pursuits outside of professional and scientific accomplishments.

Please note: The Review Panel is genuinely interested in learning about each applicant as an individual. Please use the Personal Statement as an opportunity to convey any important and distinctive information about you as an individual that is not reflected elsewhere in the Application materials.

 

Disease Information – (Maximum of 500 words) Describe the disease, or class of

diseases, targeted by your research. Include information about the societal impact of

the disease and efficacy of current treatments. Directly address how your research

has the potential to lead to a better understanding of disease process and/or a better

course for prevention, diagnosis or treatment of the disease(s).

Training Environment - (Maximum of 250 words) Explain how each Mentor’s laboratory will provide an appropriate environment in which to carry out the proposed research.

 

Abstract of Research Proposal – (Maximum of 500 words) This should be written in

language accessible to non-expert scientists, and may be published by the Philadelphia Foundation if the project receives Brody Fellowship funding. 

 

Please note:  Abstracts should be written for “generalist” scientific reviewers, rather than for experts in the candidates’ respective scientific fields.   

 

Research Proposal – (Maximum of 3 single spaced pages, using 12-point font. Figures are included in this page allotment, but the Reference List is not.) The Research Proposal should follow standard NIH format: Specific Aims, Background and Significance, Preliminary Data and Research Design and Methods, and Career Objectives, including how the Award will help you achieve these objectives.

 

Please note:  Proposals should be written in language "that is accessible to and understandable by a multidisciplinary group of scientific reviewers," be complete, cohesive and easy to read, and tell a story.  

 

Budget, Timeline, and Institutional Certification and Approval - Include a Proposed Budget Form, a Project Timeline, and a completed Institutional Certification and Approval, with signatures from the following individuals:

An Internal Review Board (IRB) or Certifying Officer, who can attest that the proposal is in compliance with government and institutional regulations The institution’s Administrative Officer The institution’s Financial Officer

 

Mentor information – For each mentor, the applicant must provide a copy of the Mentor's Biographical Sketch  (in NIH format) and a letter in which each Mentor addresses how the proposed project will foster the applicant’s independent professional growth and development. The Primary Mentor must also attest to having read the Application, agreeing to it, and confirming the Mentor’s and the institution's willingness to accept the applicant forthe stated period of time.

 

Reference Letters – Each Applicant must arrange to have three (3) Reference Letters submitted in order for his or her Application to be considered. One (1) letter of reference should be from the Applicant’s Mentor (in the case of an applicant with joint mentorship, the Primary and Collaborating Mentors should each submit a letter). 

 

Reference Letters should be emailed to the BPP office at postdoc@pennmedicine.upenn.edu (subject line: Brody Fellowship – Reference for applicant’s last, first name).

 

Eligibility Criteria

 

1. These Fellowships will be available to Applicants who will be conducting their research at Drexel University College of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine or the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (inclusive of BPP affiliates).

 

2.  The 2022 Eligibility Requirements allow for Applicants from outside of the respective Host Institutions’ Medical Schools, as long as the proposed disease-related research meets the intent of the Brody Fellowship and the Applicants are collaborating with faculty in one of the Host Institutions’ Schools of Medicine.  Such Applicants would have joint Mentorship of their research projects.

 

3.  The Brody Fellowship will provide up to two (2) consecutive years of financial support only; there 

will be no consideration of a proposed third year of funding.

 

4.  Applicants must hold an MD degree and/or be in the final stages of completing a PhD (PhD Applicants must have obtained their degrees by the date the Award commences).

 

3. PhD Applicants already possessing their degrees must be in their first or second year of postdoctoral training on the date of the submission of the Application.

 

4. Applicants holding an MD or combined MD/PhD degree must have completed an accredited residency program and be in their first year of advanced (subspecialty, fellowship) training.

 

5. Applicants must apply for the Fellowship under the guidance of a Mentor qualified to oversee the proposed research.

 

6. Applicants must be US citizens, have permanent resident status, or be able to demonstrate clearly their eligibility to stay in the United States legally for the duration of the proposed Fellowship research.

 

7. Multiple applications will be considered from the same laboratory, but only one Brody Fellow at a time will be funded per laboratory. However, more than one Brody Fellowship may be awarded in any particular year to postdoctoral fellows from one university.

 

8. Each potential Host Institution (Drexel University College of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine or the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine) may nominate up to ten (10) Brody Fellowship Applicants per year.

 

9. All applicants must notify The College of Physicians promptly if they have accepted any other positions or funding opportunities that would preclude their acceptance of a Brody Fellowship Award.  In such cases, the information will be confirmed with the applicants, mentors, and institutional point persons, the designated Applications will be withdrawn, and the Selection Committee will be informed of the change in Application status.  

  

NOTE:  DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION TO BPP IS:  12 NOON, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022.

 

The ten nominees will be notified of their selection by mid-October 2021.

 

If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Ms. Elena Cruz at: elena.cruz@pennmedicine.upenn.edu. 

 

When contacting the BPP, please use the same discretion you would employ if contacting an external sponsor.