Verified

Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program

American Society of Nephrology

The goal of the Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program is to fund nephrology fellows to conduct original, meritorious research projects. This program will foster the training of fellows, under the direction of a sponsor, who are highly motivated to make contributions to the understanding of kidney biology and disease. This Fellowship serves to establish the beginnings of an independent research career.

Applicants interested in clinical and basic science may submit a proposal that examines any aspect of the entire spectrum of kidney biology and disease.

Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program grants are not renewable and previous recipients are not eligible for a second grant. Applicants may only submit one application during a cycle.

KidneyCure invites applications from individuals whose personal backgrounds or life experiences may contribute valuable perspectives to nephrology, particularly those who have encountered barriers to entry in the field.

Funding and Stipulations

• The Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program provides each fellowship awardee with $50,000 annually for up to two years, to begin on July 1 of the award year. Payments will be made to the fellow’s institution and must be used only for salary support, including fringe benefits. Funds cannot be used for project costs, travel expenses, or overhead costs.

• Research must begin on July 1, 2027; research start dates cannot be deferred.

• Recipients cannot hold another training grant or be included on an institutional training grant. Institutional support of the applicant sufficient to conduct the research project is expected.

• A progress report and financial report are required for non-competitive renewal of the grant for the second year. Final reports are also required at the end of the funding period. The award is for continuous support, and interruptions in the period of support will require written approval from KidneyCure.

• Recipients shall acknowledge KidneyCure’s support in publications resulting from their proposed work.

• Grants may be transferred from one institution to another only with the prior approval of KidneyCure.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Direct relevance to kidney biology and kidney disease

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical

The fundamental requirement across KidneyCure research mechanisms is a clearly kidney-directed scientific question. ASN's current programs allow both clinical and basic-science proposals covering the spectrum of kidney biology and disease.

Strong areas include:

Chronic kidney disease
Acute kidney injury
Glomerular disease
Diabetic kidney disease
Hypertension and kidney disease
Polycystic kidney disease
Kidney transplantation
Dialysis
Pediatric nephrology
Kidney stones
Renal genetics
Kidney physiology and molecular biology

2. Strong scientific merit and rigorous methodology

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical

ASN's Grants Review Committee reviews KidneyCure's major investigator and fellowship programs. The current Early Career Training Grant explicitly evaluates the scientific merit of the proposed project alongside investigator qualifications and career potential.

A competitive proposal should have:

A clearly defined research question
Testable hypothesis
Appropriate experimental design
Strong controls
Appropriate statistical methods
Measurable outcomes
Feasible aims
A clear explanation of expected results

3. Clear pathway toward independent research

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical for career-development grants

This is one of ASN/KidneyCure's most distinctive success factors.

The Transition to Independence Grant explicitly aims to produce investigators who can become competitive for an NIH R01 or equivalent by the end of the award period. Applicants must demonstrate that the proposed project is independent of their previous mentors.

Therefore, a strong application should demonstrate:

Mentored research → independent scientific question → preliminary evidence → independent research program → R01/equivalent

4. Strong applicant productivity and future potential

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very High

ASN evaluates more than the research idea. Current review criteria for the Early Career Training Grant include the applicant's:

Prior training
Productivity
Independence
Collaborative ability
Vision for impact
Potential to build a research program

The Transition to Independence mechanism similarly focuses on the applicant's ability to establish an independent research career.

This makes the investigator's trajectory particularly important for ASN career-development awards.

5. Excellent mentor and institutional environment

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very High

For fellowship and early-career mechanisms, the mentor is not simply a letter writer. ASN evaluates the mentor's ability to develop independent kidney researchers and the institution's ability to support the applicant's career.

A strong proposal should demonstrate:

Mentor expertise directly related to the project
Mentor's history of developing researchers
Appropriate laboratory/clinical resources
Protected research time
Institutional research space
Access to collaborators and specialized equipment
Institutional commitment to independence

6. Innovation and potential to advance kidney care

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very High

ASN's broader research strategy emphasizes new drugs, devices, biologics and technologies, including emerging areas such as AI and xenotransplantation.

Innovation can involve:

New therapeutic targets
Novel disease mechanisms
New biomarkers
Precision medicine
New dialysis technologies
Artificial intelligence
Digital health
Novel transplantation approaches
New experimental models
Innovative clinical interventions

The proposal should explain what changes if the research succeeds.

7. Translational or clinical significance

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

ASN supports both basic and clinical research, but proposals become more compelling when they establish how discoveries can eventually improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment or kidney-care delivery.

A strong translational chain is:

Mechanism → biomarker/target → intervention → clinical validation → improved kidney outcomes

This does not mean every ASN grant must be immediately clinical; fundamental kidney biology remains explicitly eligible.

8. Appropriate career-stage and mechanism fit

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

ASN/KidneyCure has deliberately different mechanisms for different career stages.

For example:

Career stage	Relevant mechanism
PhD student	Pre-Doctoral Fellowship
Nephrology fellow	Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship
Senior postdoc/clinical fellow	Early Career Training Grant
Early faculty	Transition to Independence Grant
Established investigator	Research/innovation mechanisms

The 2027 cycle also has specific eligibility windows. For example, the Lipps Fellowship generally limits applicants to five years from the relevant medical degree or three years from a PhD, while the Transition to Independence mechanism uses longer windows and requires a full-time faculty appointment.

Applying to the wrong mechanism can therefore undermine an otherwise strong scientific proposal.

9. Meaningful kidney-health impact and unmet need

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

A competitive application should establish why the problem matters to kidney patients, clinicians or the kidney research field.

Particularly compelling areas can include:

Progressive kidney disease
Kidney failure
Dialysis safety
Transplant outcomes
Rare kidney diseases
Treatment-resistant disease
Health disparities
Prevention and early detection
Patient-centered kidney care

ASN's current funding portfolio includes specialized mechanisms for dialysis safety, innovation and treatment development.

10. Strong feasibility, protected research time and institutional resources

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

ASN places substantial emphasis on whether the investigator and institution can actually complete the proposed work.

The Early Career Training Grant requires at least 75% research time and evaluates institutional resources and cost sharing. Transition to Independence applicants similarly need institutional commitment covering resources such as laboratory/office space, salary support and protected research time.

The proposal should therefore show:

Achievable aims
Adequate preliminary evidence
Appropriate facilities
Sufficient personnel
Protected research time
Realistic budget
Clear milestones

Specialties

Nephrology

Eligibility Requirements

KidneyCure grants are available to non-US Citizens so long as they are working in North or Central America, or the Caribbean during the grant term.

To apply for a Research Fellowship, a candidate:

Must hold an MD, DO, PhD, or equivalent degree.
Must be an active member of ASN (Membership Type: Fellow/Trainee) when the application cycle closes on Thursday, November 19, 2026. The sponsor and all co-sponsors of the candidate must also be active members of ASN by that date.
May not be more than five years from earning an MD, DO, MD, or equivalent (excluding residency, fellowship, and any time spent earning a Masters in Clinical Research) at the time of activation of award on July 1, 2027. Note that the eligibility window excludes residency and clinical fellowship training years. Over 70% of time should be spent on clinical training for a year to be considered "clinical fellowship training".
For applicants without a medical degree, may not be more than three years from earning a PhD at the time of the activation of the award, July 1, 2027.
Cannot have or have had at any time a nephrology-related or basic science faculty position at any academic institution; instructor-level positions are permitted.
Must complete research under the direction and mentorship of a sponsor. However, the research objectives proposed by the candidate must clearly be different than the research of the sponsor/mentor/principal investigator.
Cannot hold another full individual fellowship award such as another foundation fellowship or grant, or a post-doctoral research fellowship from the National Institutes of Health at the time of award activation (July 1, 2027). However, a candidate's institution may supplement the support provided by KidneyCure.
Must be working in North or Central America, or the Caribbean during the fellowship period.
Must commit a minimum of 75% time to research during the fellowship period.
Must not exceed the maximum number of two applications from a single sponsor/mentor/principal investigator during any given application cycle.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: American Society of Nephrology

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 1401 H Street NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005

Legal & Affiliation Disclaimer

Affiliation Disclaimer: Trialect operates independently and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by any sponsors or organizations posting on the GrantsBoard platform. As an independent aggregator of publicly available funding opportunities, Trialect provides equal access to information for all users without endorsing any specific funding source, content, organization, or sponsor. Trialect assumes no responsibility for the content posted by sponsors or third parties.

Subscription Disclaimer: Upon logging into Trialect, you may choose to SUBSCRIBE to GrantsBoard for timely notifications of funding opportunities and to access exclusive benefits, such as priority alerts, reminders, personalized recommendations, and additional application support. However, users are advised to contact sponsors directly for any questions and are not required to subscribe to engage with funding opportunities.

Content Ownership and Copyright Disclaimer: Trialect respects the intellectual property rights of all organizations and individuals. All content posted on GrantsBoard is provided solely for informational purposes and remains the property of the original owners. Trialect does not claim ownership of, nor does it have any proprietary interest in, content provided by third-party sponsors. Users are encouraged to verify content and ownership directly with the posting sponsor.

Fair Use Disclaimer: The information and content available on GrantsBoard are compiled from publicly accessible sources in alignment with fair use principles under U.S. copyright law. Trialect serves as an aggregator of this content, offering it to users in good faith and with the understanding that it is available for public dissemination. Any organization or individual who believes their intellectual property rights have been violated is encouraged to contact us for prompt resolution.

Third-Party Posting Responsibility Disclaimer: Trialect is a neutral platform that allows third-party sponsors to post funding opportunities for informational purposes only. Sponsors are solely responsible for ensuring that their postings comply with copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Trialect assumes no liability for any copyright or intellectual property infringements in third-party content and will take appropriate action to address any substantiated claims.

Accuracy and Verification Disclaimer: Trialect makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided by sponsors. Users are advised to verify the details of any funding opportunity directly with the sponsor before taking action. Trialect cannot be held liable for any discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies in third-party postings.

Notice and Takedown Policy: Trialect is committed to upholding copyright law and protecting the rights of intellectual property owners. If you believe that content on GrantsBoard infringes your copyright or intellectual property rights, please contact us with detailed information about the claim. Upon receipt of a valid notice, Trialect will promptly investigate and, where appropriate, remove or disable access to the infringing content.

View Funding Opportunity