FARA Clinician Scientist Development Award

FARA Clinician Scientist Development Award

Supports early-career clinician scientists with protected salary time to launch Friedreich's ataxia translational research careers.

Eligibility · United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany

The FARA Clinician Scientist Development Award is a protected-time salary grant designed to help MD or MD-PhD investigators establish a structured Friedreich's ataxia research program while maintaining clinical responsibilities. FARA created this mechanism recognising that clinician-researchers face competing demands that can prevent them from building a viable independent research portfolio without dedicated salary support. The award provides up to $100,000 per year for one to two years, with funds intended to support 50% protected research time for the named investigator. This is a fall 2026 cycle entry, with a Letter of Intent due 15 August 2026 and a full application due 15 October 2026.

Eligibility is restricted to MD or MD-PhD investigators who are within seven years of completing residency training. The application requires a formal mentorship plan, letters from the named mentor(s), and a letter of support from the department chair — both the mentor letter and department chair letter are mandatory components, not optional supplements. For-profit entities are not eligible; universities, academic research organisations, and non-profit medical centres are the typical applicant institutions. Salary is capped at the NIH salary cap, and indirect costs are not funded, consistent with all FARA grant mechanisms.

The full application follows FARA's standard structure: up to ten pages of project description, a Data Management and Sharing Plan, milestone timeline, detailed budget, CVs for the PI and key personnel, and IRB/IACUC documentation where applicable. Review panels apply the five standard FARA criteria — significance, investigator qualifications, innovation, approach, and environment — but the mentorship infrastructure and career development plan receive particular scrutiny for this mechanism. Junior investigators who have not previously applied to FARA grants are encouraged to contact grants@curefa.org to discuss project fit before preparing a full submission. All applications are submitted via the FARA online portal.