Research Award Program

2024 Research Funding

For nearly 60 years, the Dermatology Foundation has played a significant role in the advancement of patient care through its Research Award Program. 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.

All mid-career development award, fellowship and grant applications will be accepted this summer for 2024 support.

Announcing the 2023 Research Award Recipients

The DF congratulates its 2023 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.

View Awardees [PDF]

Award Categories

The Dermatology Foundation is essential to progress. It provides funding to junior investigators doing skin research at a critical time in their careers. The support helps junior investigators establish an independent career because the DF funding comes at a time when few options for support exist. Research dollars typically are used to generate preliminary data important for applying for NIH grants that are necessary for a successful research career in cutaneous research."

George Cotsarelis, M.D.

Board of Directors Research Award Program Liaison
Chair of the Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania

Award Selection Process

Announcement of Award Offerings

The DF's Research Award Program (RAP) 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. Applications for career development awards, fellowships, and grants are accepted annually in the fall.

Medical and Scientific Review

Identifying the most exemplary ideas and researchers is the role of the Medical and Scientific Committee and its Clinical / Medical / Surgical / Dermatopathology Panel, made up of 18 specialty leaders whose expertise spans the field. The committees review proposals following a rigorous process based on the National Institutes of Health study sections.

Recipients Announced and Funding Begins

Once the most meritorious applications are ranked, funds are allocated and approved by the DF Board of Trustees. Award recipients are announced in the spring at the DF Annual Meeting of Membership and online. Funding begins July 1.

The impact of DF funding is profound. As a physician-scientist, I can say that not every specialty has this. It’s a real boon to dermatology to be able to provide our pipeline of physician-scientists with the support that allows them to keep making the choice to deepen our knowledge of skin disease. These basic observations are then translated into great tools — such as those we now have for psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and other diseases.”

Tiffany C. Scharschmidt, M.D.

Associate Professor, UCSF Department of Dermatology

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?

General Eligibility

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

Additional Requirements for all CDAs

1. Candidates with an M.D.; M.D., Ph.D.; or D.O. must be no greater than 12 years beyond their terminal degree — as of January 1, 2023.

2. Candidates with a Ph.D. must be no greater than 8 years beyond their terminal degree — as of January 1, 2023.

3. Junior faculty member in a department or division of dermatology with an ACGME-approved dermatology residency program, through Assistant Professor level.

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 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.

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.

Learn about additional award-specific eligibility requirements for each DF career development award in the CDA award description pages.

How do I apply for a Research Award?

The DF is now accepting applications for career development awards, fellowships and research grants via our CDAFG Research Award Application Portal. The Applicant Instructions provided below include essential information potential applicants need to know to evaluate the various award opportunities and develop a successful application and research proposal. Interested individuals are strongly encouraged to read sections II and III before assembling their application.

The DF has also prepared a Quick Reference Guide to enable users to quickly acclimate to the online application system.

Application deadline: November 1, 2022

CDAFG Applicant Instructions [PDF]

CDAFG Portal Quick Reference [PDF]

Chair's Comment of Support Form [docx]

Early Career Support

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. Each award recipient receives $55,000 in annual salary support for up to three 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 $30,000 to the most promising physician-scientists who have recently completed their dermatology residency training.

Grants

Diversity

The DF is dedicated to improving the diversity of physician-researchers in our specialty, which will ultimately benefit patient care. The Diversity Research Supplement Award provides support for a 6-to-12-week mentored investigative opportunity for medical students belonging to a minority group underrepresented in medicine. Due to the unique timing and structure of this award, information is available in the fall, and applications are due April 1 and November 1 of each year.

I'm a current award recipient. Where do I find reporting forms? How do I request funding renewal?

Reporting Forms

The Foundation requires the submission of final research and financial reports for each research award granted. Both reports must be completed and submitted no later than 60 days following the end of the award period to dfrap@dermatologyfoundation.org. To confirm that you have met the reporting requirement for your award, you will receive a return email confirmation from the DF.

If you do not receive this confirmation email, please contact the office at 847-328-2256 or dfrap@dermatologyfoundation.org. The final award payment will be scheduled for disbursement once the Financial and Research Reports have been received. Please note, award funds will not be distributed beyond one year of the award termination date.

Download Reporting Templates

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.