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Clinician Scientist Development Award

Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance(FARA)

The Clinician Scientist Development Award provides funding for mentored clinical research to provide protected research time to early-career physician faculty to enable career development and transition to independent investigators as clinician scientists. FARA’s objective is to promote training and retention of clinicians who wish to develop expertise in diagnosis, management and/or treatment of Friedreich’s ataxia as part of their clinical practice and who want to engage in Friedreich Ataxia (FA)-focused clinical and/or translational research.

FARA seeks to fund outstanding clinicians, mentored by an established FA expert, who want to maintain or develop clinical experience and have potential for clinical/translational research careers and whose projects will address highly significant clinical/translational research questions in FA.

For the purpose of this award, research is defined as patient-oriented research conducted with human participants, or translational research specifically designed to develop treatments or enhance diagnosis of FA. Areas of research may include natural history, epidemiologic or behavioral studies, clinical trials, studies of disease mechanisms – as they relate to symptoms and disease progression, and clinical outcome assessment and biomarker research. Disease-related studies not directly involving humans or human tissue will also be considered if the primary goal is the development of therapies, diagnostic tests, or other tools to prevent or mitigate FA. Proposals that support applicants in training and research activities that lead to Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) or Master of Public Health (MPH), or equivalent, will be viewed favorably.

Requirements

Letter of support from the mentor(s)
A mentoring plan developed jointly by the applicant and mentor(s).
The applicant must contribute at least 50% effort to the project.
Letter of support from Department Chair, confirming at least 50% protected time and outlining other responsibilities (such as clinic and on-call time)

Award Term and Budget 

$100,000 / year for a maximum of 2 years, for direct costs (e.g. salary support, research project costs).

1st Round of Annual Funding Deadlines and Important Dates:

Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline: Feb 15
Application Deadline: Apr 15
Award Notice: Aug 1
Grant Start Dates: Sep 1 – Oct 1

2nd Round of Annual Funding Deadlines and Important Dates:

Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline: Aug 15
Application Deadline: Oct 15
Award Notice: Feb 1
Grant Start Dates: Mar 1 – Apr 1

AI Based Application Success Predictor

While FARA does not publish a scoring rubric, successful projects share several strong, consistent traits:

✅ 1. Alignment With FARA Research Priorities

Applications must clearly map to at least one of the priority areas above. Reviewers look for explicit justification of how the project addresses FA disease mechanisms or therapeutic pathways. Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance

Success tip: In your narrative, tie your aims directly to FARA-listed priorities and explain why they are critical gaps in FA research.

✅ 2. Clear, Testable Hypothesis and Scientific Rationale

Grants should articulate a strong scientific question with a hypothesis grounded in existing literature and preliminary evidence. Even when preliminary data are limited (especially for AIM awards), the rationale must be compelling.

Success tip: Present a coherent mechanistic story with well-justified hypotheses that reviewers can easily evaluate.

✅ 3. Feasibility and Realistic Experimental Plan

FARA awards are modest in duration and budget relative to large NIH grants. Reviewers prioritize projects with clearly defined milestones, achievable aims, and feasible timelines within the funding period. Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance

Success tip: Include contingency plans and measurable endpoints tied to specific timelines.

✅ 4. Innovation With Therapeutic Impact Potential

Especially for mechanisms like the Award for Innovative Mindset (AIM), FARA prioritizes high-risk, high-reward approaches that deviate from incremental advances. Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance

Success tip: Explain how the work could create new research directions, tools, or drug targets for FA.

✅ 5. Relevance to Disease and Potential Translation

Projects that bridge discovery biology to translational endpoints — such as biomarker development, clinical measures, or preclinical efficacy — are viewed as more impactful. Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance

Success tip: In clinical or translational proposals, emphasize how outcomes inform therapeutic development or clinical trial design.

✅ 6. Investigator Experience and Environment

For career and fellowships (e.g., Postdoctoral, Clinician Scientist, Graduate Research Fellowship), reviewers consider:

Investigator’s track record and productivity

How mentorship and environment support success

Clear professional development plan tied to FA research goals Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance

Success tip: Include mentor letters that describe training and career milestone support.

✅ 7. Clear Budget Justification

FARA expects budgets that are strongly tied to project activities with no unrelated costs. Crafting a budget narrative that matches each aim increases confidence in feasibility. Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance

✅ 8. Engagement With FARA Community

FARA encourages collaboration, participation in forums, and engagement with the FA research community. Although not a formal requirement, active engagement signals commitment and networking that can strengthen applications. Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance

📌 Practical Application Tips

Before submission:

Read the latest FARA Grant Priorities page and match your aims directly to them. Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance

Contact FARA staff (e.g., grants@curefa.org) with questions about fit or clarifications. Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance

Select the grant type that matches the scale and scope of your research (e.g., AIM for innovative ideas vs. General Research for standard studies). Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance

Proposal drafting:

Start with a concise summary that expresses significance and translational relevance.

Define specific aims with measurable endpoints and tie them to FA pathophysiology or therapy development.

Use figures, timelines, and tables to clarify experimental design and deliverables.

Review readiness:

Ask for internal feedback from colleagues familiar with rare disease funding.

Keep lay summaries clear — reviewers often include clinicians or patient advocates.

🧠 What FARA Does Not Typically Fund

Projects unrelated to FA biology or therapy development. Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance

Incremental work lacking innovation (especially under AIM). Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance

🧠 Summary: FARA Success Predictors

Predictor	Why It Matters
Aligns with FARA research priorities	Ensures eligibility and relevance Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance
Strong hypothesis and rationale	Foundation of scientific merit
Feasible and detailed plan	Essential for trust in deliverability Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance
Innovation and translational emphasis	High impact potential Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance
Investigator experience & mentoring plan	Supports execution and career growth Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance
Justified budget	Demonstrates efficient use of funds

Specialties

Clinical Trials

Eligibility Requirements

Recipient must have an MD or MD/PhD (or equivalent) and completed residency training no more than 7 years prior to the beginning of this award. If the applicant completed a fellowship of any kind after residency, the eligibility is still based on the date residency was completed.
Current principal investigator of an individual mentored training grant or current or former principal investigator of an NIH R-level or equivalent grant are not eligible.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance(FARA)

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 533 W. Uwchlan Ave, Downingtown, PA 19335

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