Clinical Research Training Scholarship in Parkinson's Disease

Funded by the Parkinson's Foundation and the American Brain Foundation in collaboration with the American Academy of Neurology, this award is intended to recognize the importance of rigorous clinical research and encourage young investigators pursuing clinical studies of Parkinson's disease. The program supports investigators interested in academic careers in neurological research and emphasizes the development of clinician-scientists through research, training, and mentorship. The American Academy of Neurology also states its commitment to diversity among members, applicants, and reviewers and affirms the importance of equity and inclusiveness within its research program. The award provides $65,000 per year for two years, together with a $10,000 per year stipend for education and research-related costs. The total award is therefore $150,000 over two years. Supplementation with other grants is permissible; however, to be eligible to apply, an applicant's other grant source or sources cannot exceed $75,000 annually. No required matching or cost-sharing contribution is stated. Applicants may submit only one application and are not permitted to apply for more than one award. An application submitted for this opportunity will also be considered for all relevant clinical research training scholarship awards. Eligible recipients must be interested in an academic career in neurological research and hold an MD, PhD, or equivalent doctoral-level clinical degree. The recipient must have completed clinical residency or a PhD no more than five years before the award begins on July 1, 2027. For an individual who completed both residency and a PhD, eligibility is determined by the residency completion date. Completion of a fellowship after residency does not change this calculation. Applicants at accredited United States and international institutions are eligible. Eligible research includes patient-oriented research involving human participants and translational research designed to develop treatments or enhance diagnosis of neurological disease, including epidemiologic or behavioral studies, clinical trials, disease-mechanism studies, development of new technologies, and health services and outcomes research. Disease-related studies not directly involving humans or human tissue are also encouraged when primarily directed toward therapies, diagnostic tests, or other tools to prevent or mitigate neurological diseases. The applicant must submit a PDF research plan of no more than three pages containing brief statements of aims, background, contemplated methodological approaches, and any supporting preliminary data or figures; references do not count toward the page limit. The research plan must be written by the applicant and represent the applicant's original work, although development of the plan through discussion with the proposed mentor is expected and encouraged. Applicants must also provide a PDF of their NIH Biosketch using the most recent NIH Biosketch template and a training plan of up to two pages describing relevant previous education or training, proposed training, and a brief timeline. After the applicant completes and submits the required information, the chair receives an email requesting confirmation that clinical service responsibilities will be limited to no more than 30 percent of the applicant's time and requesting a list of non-research-related service. The chair is not required to provide a letter. The mentor receives an email requesting a reference letter of no more than 1,000 words describing support for and commitment to the applicant and the proposed research and training plan. The letter must address the mentor's role in developing and preparing the research plan, how the proposed research fits the mentor's research program, the mentor's expertise and experience in the proposed area, the mentor's proposed time commitment to supervision and training, prior experience supervising and successfully mentoring clinician-scientists, the applicant's potential for a future research career and comparison with other researchers, and the institution's commitment to 70 percent protected research time. The mentor must also upload an NIH Biosketch. Applications are evaluated for the quality and originality of the research plan; the applicant's ability and promise as a clinician-scientist based on prior achievement, career plan, and NIH Biosketch; the quality and nature of the proposed training and the mentor-specific, departmental, and institutional training environment; innovation; and project significance. A successful application is expected to present a clear and testable hypothesis, feasible and logical primary outcomes, a well-defined training plan, strong mentorship, an original and novel concept that advances the applicant's long-term career goals, and a detailed, well-designed statistical plan. Applications open June 2, 2026, and all application elements are due September 10, 2026, including required elements from the mentor and chair. Recipients are scheduled to be notified in January 2027, and funding begins July 1, 2027. No recurring or annual application cycle is stated in the supplied material. For additional information, applicants may contact Ashley Nielsen at research@aan.com or (612) 928-6378. The source also provides a frequently asked questions document and a link to the NIH Biosketch template.

Present a clear, testable hypothesis; make each aim feasible, focused, and logical; provide a well-defined training plan; demonstrate strong mentorship; emphasize an original and novel concept that advances long-term career goals; provide a detailed and well-designed statistical plan; demonstrate project significance and the ability to advance the field or solve an important problem; ensure all applicant, mentor, and chair elements are completed by September 10, 2026