Medical Frontiers Career Development Award

1. Candidates with an MD; MD, PhD; or DO must be no greater than 12 years beyond their terminal degree – as of January 1, 2026.
2. Candidates with a PhD must be no greater than 8 years beyond their terminal degree — as of January 1, 2026.
3. Junior faculty member in a department or division of dermatology with an ACGME-approved dermatology residency program, through Assistant Professor level. Applicants can include instructors, postdoctoral fellows on an NIH T32 training grant and assistant professors.
4. Anyone who is a prior or current principal investigator (PI) on a federal grant is not eligible to receive a DF career development award. The following two exceptions apply:

• • CDA awardees may have effort on an NIH grant as long as he/she is not the senior PI who initiated the application and he/she does not have direct reporting responsibilities for this or prior federal awards. Total support from all federal grants must be less than 20% of their total effort during the term of the DF award.

OR

• • The individual is the recipient of an NIH training grant or an equivalent grant from another granting agency.

Important Notes: An individual who receives a federal grant that eliminates their status as a “new investigator” is not eligible to maintain/receive a CDA. The Foundation utilizes the NIH definitions of “principal investigator” and “co- investigator” to administer this policy, as found in the Glossary of NIH Terms.

5. Research award recipients may not simultaneously hold a DF career development award and a grant. As a result, applicants applying for a new career development award may also apply for a grant though they cannot receive funding for both. Current CDA recipients applying for a second or third year of funding cannot also apply for a DF grant.
6. Strong institutional commitment for the individual’s career development.

All DF-funded research must be conducted in the U.S. under the sponsorship of a department/division of dermatology that is ACGME-approved for training in dermatology. A project to be performed as a part of the U.S. government research program (except Veterans Administration), or to be performed at a private foundation without an academic affiliation to dermatology, is not eligible for funding. A project involving human subjects must have IRB approval at the time funding commences, i.e., July 1, and throughout the term of the award.

An individual who is a prior or current principal investigator (PI) on a federal grant is not eligible to receive a DF career development award, fellowship or grant. The following two exceptions apply:

1) CDA awardees may have effort on an NIH grant as long as he/she is not the senior PI who initiated the application and he/she does not have direct reporting responsibilities for this or prior federal awards. Total support from all federal grants must be less than 20% of their total effort during the term of the DF award.

OR

2) The individual is the recipient of an NIH training grant or an equivalent grant from another granting agency.

Upon receipt as the PI of a federal grant, a DF CDA or grant will be withdrawn. Note, an individual who receives a federal grant that eliminates their status as a "new investigator" is not eligible to maintain/receive a DF CDA.

Fellowship recipients may receive NIH training grants or an equivalent grant from another granting agency.

Important Note: The Foundation utilizes the NIH definitions of “principal investigator” and “coinvestigator” to administer this policy, as found in the Glossary of NIH Terms.