The Junior Clinical Research/Career Development Awards will provide MDs in Portuguese residency training with an opportunity to apply on a competitive basis for funding to support their clinical research in Portugal. Awards will be made to MD residents who propose a worthwhile project, demonstrate the support of their institution to pursue the work full-time over a two- to three-year period, and bring to the project a Portuguese mentor. Where appropriate, a Harvard co-mentor may also be recruited.
Each award will also provide an annual stipend for the MD applicant as well as research costs over the two- to three-year period. Tuition and registration will be provided for each qualified MD resident to attend the Harvard Medical School “Program in Clinical Effectiveness (PCE)” summer course (see http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/clineff/) during the first and second years of their award. The awardees must apply and be accepted to the PCE summer course through the normal PCE admissions process. Participation in the Program in Clinical Effectiveness for two successive summers will provide each awardee with a solid underpinning for clinical research. An important condition of the award will be an institutional guarantee of the support and infrastructure required to carry out the work. This support and infrastructure must be guaranteed in writing by the Portuguese hospital, clinical institution, and/or research laboratory in which the clinical research will be conducted.
Duration of activity: Funding will be awarded for up to 3 years. Funding will be conditional on the progress achieved by the awardee as determined upon review by the Review Committee.
Funding: Up to 80,000 Euros per year will be available to support each applicant who is chosen (including salary, travel and support for research in Portugal). For the 2009 call, funding is available for 2 awards.
Where to apply: Applications must be submitted online through the FCT website https://concursos.fct.mctes.pt/projectos/ following the Announcement of the Call for Proposals. Information on http://alfa.fct.mctes.pt/apoios/projectos/concursos/harvard/2009/junior
Applications must:
- Be written in English
- Include three detailed letters of recommendation sent by individuals who are familiar with the applicant's clinical ability and/or research potential. One of these letters must be from the applicant's Department or Division Head who must take responsibility for protected time of the applicant from clinical effort.
- Include a one-page statement of the applicant's reasons for wishing to attend this program, indicating his/her professional goals and describing why he/she feels that this program will be beneficial to him/her.
- Include the CV of the applicant.
Deadline for receipt of applications: 30 October 2009
Review of applications: Applications will be assessed by a Review Committee of independent experts, to be organized by FCT in close collaboration with Harvard Medical School. The top four applications will be sent to the Clinical Effectiveness Program Admissions Committee by 1 December 2009.
Notification: The 2 successful applicants will be notified by email on 5 January 2010.
Start of Activity: Program starts 1 July 2010.
Progress Report: A yearly report will be delivered, for interim review by the Review Committee. The Committee has the right to recommend that further funding be discontinued or extended for one more year.
Final Report: A Final Report will be delivered, for review by the Review Committee.