Verified

Lalit and Anubha Gupta Pilot Award in PSC Research

American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Foundation

Application Deadline

December 7, 2026

Award Amount

$50,000

Award Term

One year

Award Type

Project-Based

Clinical / Translational / Outcomes Research

Basic Science Research

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)-Related Research

Career Level

Fellows / Postdocs

Junior Faculty

Mid-Career Faculty

View the 2027 Request for Applications [PDF].

Overview

The purpose of this award is to support new, highly innovative Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis-related (PSC) research ideas that focus on questions pertaining to the etiology and/or pathogenesis of PSC. Responsive projects will address highly innovative research ideas that have a clear potential to produce high-impact results, but that have little or no preliminary data to successfully compete for funding from other sources. This award is not intended to support ongoing research in the applicant’s laboratory, but rather support new ideas or approaches that have not previously been studied.

Award Period: July 1, 2027 – June 30, 2028
Total Award Amount: $50,000

Award funds of $50,000 will be provided in a single payment upon grant initiation.
Funds may only be used for technical support/laboratory supplies (excluding capital equipment) for the recipient.
If the funded candidate is a post-doctoral researcher, up to $10,000 may be used for PI salary support.
PI salary support (if allowable) or salary for technical support may include fringe.
No additional or indirect costs, registration fees, or travel expenses are allowed.

PIs will receive complimentary registration for The Liver Meeting during their one-year grant term.

Unexpended funds at the end of the Award term must be promptly returned to AASLD Foundation.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

The rankings below synthesize the Foundation's published award purposes, eligibility requirements and application guidance. They are not official numerical scores.

1

★★★★★

Direct relevance to liver disease — Critical

Address a clearly defined hepatology question involving liver physiology, disease mechanisms, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, transplantation or patient outcomes. The Foundation supports a broad range of liver-related research rather than prioritizing one disease across all its programs.

aasld.secure-platform.com

2

★★★★★

Scientific significance and innovation — Critical

Define an important knowledge gap and explain how the proposed research could advance hepatology. For the Pilot Research Award, innovation is particularly important because the program is intended to support new ideas with little or no preliminary data.

AASLD Foundation

3

★★★★★

Methodological rigor and research design — Critical

Provide clear aims, a testable hypothesis, suitable methods, appropriate controls or comparison groups, a defensible analysis plan and meaningful endpoints. Clinical and outcomes studies should show how their design answers the stated research question.

4

★★★★★

Applicant potential and career development — Critical

Demonstrate relevant expertise, research productivity, a clear commitment to hepatology and potential to become an independent investigator. The Foundation's career-development awards explicitly aim to protect research time and strengthen investigators' ability to build productive research careers.

AASLD Foundation

5

★★★★☆

Mentor quality and institutional environment — Very high

Show that the mentor has relevant expertise and can provide meaningful scientific guidance. Demonstrate access to the necessary clinical populations, laboratory infrastructure, data, collaborators and institutional support. Several awards require an AASLD-member mentor.

aasldfoundation.org

6

★★★★☆

Feasibility and a credible research plan — Very high

Align the scope with the award term and resources. For pilot studies, identify the specific preliminary evidence the project will generate. For larger awards, establish milestones, risks, alternatives and a pathway to complete the research.

7

★★★★☆

Potential to improve patient outcomes — Very high

Connect the research to better prevention, diagnosis, treatment, transplant outcomes, quality of life or care delivery. For outcomes research, define patient-relevant measures and explain their potential use in clinical practice.

aasldfoundation.org

8

★★★★☆

Exact fit with the award mechanism — Very high

Select the appropriate mechanism: basic science for Pinnacle, clinical/translational/outcomes research for CTORA, novel exploratory work for Pilot, or a resubmission bridge for an eligible previously scored but unfunded federal proposal. Donor-directed programs may have additional disease-specific priorities.

AASLD Foundation

9

★★★☆☆

Potential for future funding and scientific impact — High

Explain how results could support larger national grants, new collaborations, independent research programs or future clinical studies. The Foundation's early-career mechanisms are designed to strengthen investigators' future competitiveness.

AASLD Foundation

10

★★★★☆

Eligibility, protected time and budget compliance — Essential gate

Verify career stage, faculty appointment, AASLD membership, mentor requirements, research effort and institutional location. Applications must follow the RFA's formatting and submission rules; indirect costs are not permitted for Foundation research awards.

Specialties

Hepatology

Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible for this award, the applicant must adhere to the following guidelines:

The applicant must:
- Be at the postdoctoral-level (MD, PhD, PharmD, or equivalent) up to faculty at or below the rank of Associate Professor/equivalent.
- Be a member of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) at the time of award application and maintain active membership for the duration of the award period.
- Be able to devote at least 20% effort to the research project on which this application is based.
- Be sponsored by a public or private non-profit institution accredited in the United States, Canada or Mexico engaged in health care and health-related research. Individuals employed at the NIH, FDA, and CDC are not eligible to apply.
- If the applicant is at or below the rank of Assistant Professor, they must have a mentor or co-mentor who is an AASLD member in good standing at the time of application and for the duration of the award period. Mentors are not required for Associate Professor level applicants or equivalent.
- Not hold federal funding (e.g., U, P, R, K, VA Merit, VA CDA) unless they are able to justify the following in their application:
  1. The project is truly completely distinct and non-overlapping from existing funding.
  2. The proposed work cannot be completed using existing funds.
The proposed project must:
- Focus on research pertaining to the etiology and/or pathogenesis of PSC.
- Not be an established project with alternate funding.
- Be conducted at the sponsoring institution within the United States, Canada, or Mexico.
Application limits:
- There is no restriction on the number of applicants an institution can sponsor each cycle, but only one applicant may be funded per department within each institution for this award category.
- Applicants may only apply for one AASLD Foundation research award per calendar year. Eligible applicants in this category may also apply for the AASLD Foundation Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Award in the same calendar year.

Eligible Countries:

Canada

Mexico

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Foundation

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 1001 North Fairfax Street, 4th Fl, Alexandria, VA 22314

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