July 30, 2020

Vanderbilt-wide Limited Submission Opportunity: 2021 Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholars; applications due Aug. 13

Applications due Aug. 13

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC): This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.

Vanderbilt (VU+VUMC, collaboratively) may nominate one candidate for the 2021 Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholars Fellowship Award. This program supports individual scientists of exceptional creativity who have an MD or PhD and who have completed a minimum of three years of a post-doctoral fellowship in the field of basic or clinical neurosciences at a medical school. Scholars will be chosen based on the success in their prior post-doctoral work and the importance and creativity of their continued work. 

These awards are given as transitional post-doctoral awards for recipients as they advance to become full-time faculty members at the assistant professor level or higher. 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 in year two to support their faculty position. Indirect cost of up to 15% of direct costs may be included in the $200,000. All applicants are required to provide 75% effort.

Eligibility:

  1. Postdocs must have a School of Medicine appointment (either VU or VUMC) in a field related to neuroscience
  2. As of July 1, 2021, postdocs must have completed at least three years of a postdoc appointment in the field of neurosciences
  3. Postdocs must have an MD and/or PhD

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. 13: 

  1. Brief research plan including summary budget; two pages maximum, references may be included on a separate page
  2. 1/2 page description of your applicant background and the special characteristics that you have for implementing the proposed project and career plan
  3. Statement of support from department chair/center director
  4. NIH Biosketch or abbreviated CV (five-page maximum)

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.