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AAAAI/ TMS Research Award in Mast Cell Disorders including Mastocytosis and/or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) /The Mast Cells Disease Society (TMS) Research Award in Mast Cell Disorders including Mastocytosis and/or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome is a collaborative effort between the AAAAI and TMS. The award program is administered by the AAAAI. The award supports research that will advance the understanding of Mast Cell Disorders including Mastocytosis and/or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Funding is restricted to support studies related to mast cell disorders including mastocytosis and/or mast cell activation syndrome.

Sponsors
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and The Mast Cell Disease Society, Inc. (TMS)

Amount
This one-year award will provide $60,000/year for salary and lab expenses. The award term is July 1, 2027, to June 30, 2028. Funds may not be used for institutional indirect costs.

Deadline
October 30, 2026, 3:00 pm (CT)

Selection
The selection is made by an ad hoc committee consisting of representatives from the AAAAI Grant Review Committee and The Mast Cell Disease Society, Inc. Priority will be given to those applicants who document a career plan for obtaining future research funding. Proposals will be judged based on the following: Scientific merit; relevance of project goal(s) to Mast Cell Disorders including Mastocytosis and/or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome; affiliation with a recognized and appropriate research facility; and the timeline for benefit to patients with Mast Cell Disorders including Mastocytosis and/or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.

Terms
Receipt of this award does not preclude the applicant from obtaining grant support from other sources. However, there must not be a significant overlap with other funded grants.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Direct relevance to allergy, asthma and immunology ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the fundamental predictor.

Strong projects should directly address areas such as:

Asthma
Food allergy
Atopic dermatitis/allergic skin disease
Allergic rhinitis
Drug hypersensitivity
Anaphylaxis
Eosinophilic disorders
Immunodeficiency
Immune dysregulation
Type 2 immunity
Respiratory allergy
Pediatric allergy
Clinical immunology
Precision allergy/immunology

The strongest applications make the connection to allergy/immunology patient care and scientific advancement immediately apparent. AAAAI's stated mission is to advance knowledge and practice in allergy, asthma and immunology for optimal patient care.

2. High scientific significance and potential impact ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reviewers assess the quality and potential impact of the proposed research.

A strong proposal should answer:

What important problem is being addressed?
What is currently unknown?
Why does the knowledge gap matter?
How will the research advance allergy/immunology?
Could the results ultimately improve patient care?

Projects with a clear connection between scientific discovery and meaningful clinical benefit are particularly compelling.

3. Innovation and originality ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Innovation is a major success factor.

Competitive proposals may involve:

Novel immunologic mechanisms
New biomarkers
Precision medicine
Innovative therapeutic targets
New diagnostic approaches
Advanced genetic/genomic approaches
AI or computational methods
Novel disease models
New approaches to allergy prevention

For example, the 2026 Faculty Development Awardees include research on hidden splice variants in inborn errors of immunity, T-cell/alveolar-macrophage interactions in lung inflammation, and mast-cell progenitors as biomarkers of food allergy—all highly focused mechanistic or translational questions.

4. Strong scientific methodology ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A promising idea must be supported by a rigorous approach.

Strong applications should provide:

Clear hypothesis
Specific aims
Appropriate study design
Appropriate controls
Valid methodology
Statistical rigor
Adequate sample size
Defined outcomes
Feasible timeline

AAAAI's Grant Review Committee evaluates both the quality and potential impact of proposed research and research-related activities.

5. Potential to prevent or treat allergic/immunologic disease ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The AAAAI Foundation's Faculty Development Award has a particularly clear objective: support excellent research that can contribute to the prevention and cure of asthma, allergic, and immunologic disease.

Therefore, strong projects should ideally show potential to:

Prevent disease
Improve diagnosis
Identify patients at risk
Develop new treatments
Improve treatment response
Reduce disease severity
Improve long-term outcomes

6. Strong early-career investigator potential ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is one of the most important AAAAI Foundation-specific predictors.

The Faculty Development Award is specifically designed to develop junior faculty into independent investigators.

A strong early-career applicant should demonstrate:

Strong research training
Emerging publication record
Clear scientific direction
Commitment to allergy/immunology
Potential for independence
A strong mentor
A realistic path toward future NIH/extramural funding

The Foundation reports that 55 of 57 major awardees have continued careers in allergy/immunology, illustrating the strong career-development emphasis of the program.

7. Strong mentor and career-development plan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

For the Faculty Development Award, applicants must have a current mentor.

A strong mentor should provide:

Relevant scientific expertise
Research supervision
Access to specialized techniques
Career guidance
Publication development
Grant-writing support
A pathway toward independence

The proposal should make clear that the applicant is progressing from mentored research toward independent research leadership.

8. Health equity, diversity and inclusion ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is an explicit AAAAI Foundation priority, not merely a generic consideration.

The Foundation states that it is especially interested in health-equity research in allergy/immunology and research promoting diversity and inclusivity. It also encourages applications from minority investigators and researchers from diverse geographic areas.

Strong projects may address:

Allergy disparities
Unequal asthma outcomes
Access to allergy care
Underdiagnosis
Environmental exposure disparities
Underserved populations
Representation in research cohorts
Geographic barriers to care

9. Strong institutional environment and protected research time ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

For career-development awards, institutional support is critical.

A competitive applicant should have:

Appropriate laboratory/clinical facilities
Patient access
Statistical support
Research infrastructure
Protected research time
Departmental commitment
Appropriate space and resources

The AAAAI Foundation's Bridge Award application, for example, requires the department/division head to confirm the applicant's full-time faculty appointment, future institutional path, space and funding commitment, and protected time.

10. Potential to generate future NIH/extramural funding ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is an especially strong AAAAI Foundation predictor.

The Foundation reports that its initial support has been followed by nearly $143 million in federal grants to its award recipients since 1993.

Its Award to Sustain Research Excellence (Bridge Award) is explicitly designed to strengthen a revised or planned five-year R01 application and requires applicants to explain how the Foundation funding will increase the competitiveness of the R01.

Therefore, a strong application should show:

AAAAI funding → preliminary/strengthening data → NIH application → independent research program

Specialties

Allergy

Immunology

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants may be at any level of research experience, however, at the time of application, the applicant must hold an MD, DO, PhD, MD/PhD, or DO/PhD. At the time of award, the recipient must have a primary faculty or equivalent appointment in an allergy/immunology division/ section/ program of an academic institution; be undertaking a project related to mast cell disorders including mastocytosis and/or mast cell activation syndrome; and have completed a training or research fellowship.

Applicants must be independent, self-directed researchers for whom their institution must provide space and other resources customary for independent investigators. The application must convey the commitment of the institution to the applicant and the proposed research activities. Applicants must conduct their research at an allergy/immunology division or section in the United States. Applicants must be AAAAI members and a US citizen or permanent resident.

Applicants may be current recipients of NIH K08 awards but may not be current recipients of NIH R01 awards or be PI or Co-PI of a project on an NIH program project grant.

Eligible Countries:

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 555 East Wells Street Suite 1100 Milwaukee, WI 53202-3823

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