Career Development Awards - Dermatology Foundation

We want to fund your scientific breakthrough.

The Dermatology Foundation offers ten categories of highly competitive Career Development Awards (CDAs). CDAs may be renewed annually for up to a total of three years of funding. Strong institutional commitment for an individual’s career development is essential for a recipient of any career development award, and must be clearly explained in the Department Chair’s form of support. Renewal of a career development award for a second and third year will depend on a recipient’s ability to provide evidence of significant progress on the research project, demonstrated institutional commitment to career development, and progress toward obtaining other funding.

Know Before You Apply

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. Applicants must meet the DF's general eligibility requirements, in addition to award-specific requirements presented on or before the time of funding. Minority applicants are encouraged to apply.

The Dermatology Foundation encourages applications concerning health issues impacting minority groups, including, but not limited to, racial minorities, sexual gender/LGBTQ minorities, and underserved/disadvantaged populations.

Career Development Award FAQs

All CDAs offer an annual salary stipend of $55,000 that can be supplemented from institutional sources so that salary received is commensurate with peers within the institution. A CDA recipient may seek simultaneous grant support from other agencies to provide for the non-salary components of the research being performed under the auspices of an award.

New CDA, Fellowship, and Grant Application Deadline: October 15, 2024
CDA Renewal Deadline: November 1, 2024
Announcement of Award Recipients: March 2025

Am I eligible?

If you meet the requirements below, you may be eligible to apply for a CDA. View additional eligibility requirements and exceptions below.

Eligibility Requirements

Candidates with an MD; MD, PhD; or DO must be no greater than 12 years beyond their terminal degree – as of January 1, 2024.
Candidates with a PhD must be no greater than 8 years beyond their terminal degree – as of January 1, 2024.
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.
Anyone who is a prior or current principal investigator (PI) on a federal grant is not eligible to receive a DF career development award.

Complete Eligibility Requirements for all CDAs

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 award description pages accessible below.

How do I apply for a Career Development Award?

The PDF application instructions provide essential information potential applicants need to know to evaluate the various award opportunities and develop a successful application and research proposal. Updated application instructions for the 2025 cycle will be available in the coming weeks. Interested individuals are strongly encouraged to read sections II and III before beginning any paperwork. Applications will be accepted beginning July 2024. View all nine available CDA categories below.

Application deadline: October 15, 2024

CDAFG Portal Quick Reference [PDF]

CDAFG Applicant Instructions [PDF]

Chair's Comments of Support Form [PDF]

Physician Scientist Career Development Award

Public Health Career Development Award

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Career Development Award

Dermatologic Surgery Career Development Award

The Dermatologic Surgery Career Development Award supports clinically relevant research projects that will further the practice of dermatologic surgery and develop the teaching, research, and/or leadership abilities of dermatologic surgeons. These projects may include, but are not limited to, clinical research projects addressing severe dermatologic diseases requiring procedural interventions (including surgical, laser, and other physical interventions), patient safety, wound healing, clinical outcome measures, cosmetic dermatology, or the basic sciences.

Dermatopathology Research Career Development Award

Medical Dermatology Career Development Award

Pediatric Dermatology Career Development Award

Women’s Health Career Development Award

Science of Human Appearance Career Development Award

The Science of Human Appearance Career Development Award provides annual salary support for the career development of individuals who wish to understand the cell and molecular mechanisms of altered human appearance or of therapeutic interventions. This CDA recognizes the specialty’s sizeable increase in focus on human appearance and the paucity of high-quality research in the area. This award is intended to support research addressing human appearance issues caused by aging and/or environmental factors.

Research Career Development Award

How do I renew my Career Development Award?

Renewal applications are due to the DF on or before November 1^st via the CDAFG Research Award Portal. The DF office will send you an email in early September with a unique link to your renewal application. The required content is defined in detail in the Research Award Program Applicant Instructions.

Aileen Y. Chang, MD

University of California, San Francisco

Public Health Career Development Award

Career Development Award Recipient

Hospital Utilization for Skin Diseases in Persons Experiencing Homelessness

One in 25 Americans will experience homelessness in their lifetime. Homelessness is an independent risk factor for increased emergency department use, longer length of hospital stay, and hospital readmission. This study aims to evaluate homelessness as a risk factor for hospital-based dermatology care and readmissions after dermatology-related hospitalizations. Understanding the social risks that drive costly health care utilization for skin diseases will inform future interventions.