Dermatology Focus
2025 Research Funding
The Dermatology Foundation has played a significant role in the advancement of patient care through its Research Award Program since 1964. With support from the DF’s 16 research award categories, promising investigators have the opportunity to pursue innovative ideas and new knowledge that ultimately lead to breakthroughs in patient care. Funding is available in a wide range of research award categories.
IMPORTANT DEADLINES
Requests for Diversity Research Supplement Awards may be submitted beginning September 1st to November 1st.
Mid-career research award applications will be accepted beginning September 15th. The deadline for submission will be December 1st. Applicaiton Instructions and eligibility can be found on the specific award page.
Applications for career development awards, fellowships and grants are now being accepted. The deadline for submission is October 15th. Application instructions and eligibility can be found on the specific award page.
Award Categories
Announcing the 2024 Research Award Recipients
The DF congratulates its 2024 research award recipients! The Foundation’s Medical and Scientific Committee reviewed many promising proposals and identified those which are most meritorious and impactful for the future of dermatology. We are pleased to support the work of these individuals.
Award Selection Process
Research Award Program FAQs
The DF’s Research Award Program offers a variety of research awards intended to further the specialty and enable advancements in patient care. An emphasis is placed on supporting research that benefits the dermatology community at large and has significant potential to advance patient care. It is the expectation that the recipients of Foundation awards will be tomorrow’s expert teachers, innovative investigators, and master clinicians in dermatology.
Am I eligible?
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:
- CDA awardees may have an 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.
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 “co-investigator” to administer this policy, as found in the Glossary of NIH Terms
How do I apply for a research award?
The Foundation offers 16 funding opportunities in the five (5) categories: Mid-career, career development, fellowship, research grants and diversity supplement awards. Applications for all awards are to be submitted online. The DF utilizes three award portals for application submission and award management:
- Mid-Career Research Award Portal -- for all mid-career awards, including the Bristol Myers Squibb Psoriasis Research Award
- CDAFG Research Award Portal – for all career development, fellowship, grant requests
- DRSA Research Award Portal – for all Diversity Research Supplement Award applications
If you are a new user of the DF system of portals, you will be asked to create a profile and select a password on your first visit. Once complete, this profile and password will be linked to all three portals, enabling you to apply for additional funding in any category, in the future. For quick reference user guides, see the award-specific pages on this site.
Career Development Awards
Investing in our specialty’s most promising researchers helps them to establish the track records and data needed to secure major federal awards. For 2025 new award recipients will receive $75,000 in annual support for up to 2 years.
Research Fellowship
Our specialty’s newest investigators are its future leaders. Investing in them early in their careers makes future innovation possible. This award provides a one-year salary stipend of $35,000 to the most promising physician-scientists who have recently completed their dermatology residency training.
I'm a current award recipient. How do I provide the final research or financial report required by the Foundation?
Attention Department Chairs and Program Directors
The Chair's Comments of Support form [Word] must be completed by the Dermatology Department/Division Chair/Chief for all career development award and fellowship applicants. Please be sure to respond to each question thoroughly. Keep in mind, the applicant’s potential to contribute to dermatology, mentor, training environment, and the institution’s support of the applicant are key criteria in the DF’s application review process.