SCPAB Transition to Independence Award

Opportunity

The Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain (SCPAB) Transition to Independence (TTI) Award aims to facilitate the transition of the next generation of outstanding scientists from historically underrepresented groups to research independence in the field of cognitive aging. Through this effort, we seek to support the transition of scientists doing work consistent with SCPAB’s scientific mission. SCPAB launched this program in 2022 with the recognition that diversity improves scientific innovation and collaboration. The program application is open to individuals who are from racial, ethnic, and other groups underrepresented in cognitive aging, including individuals with disabilities and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.This includes, but is not limited to, any individual identifying as Hispanic or Latine, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or American Indian or Alaska Native. A previous background in aging research is not required; candidates with a background in fields including neuroscience, molecular biology, genetics, immunology, cell biology and the physical and information sciences are encouraged to apply.

Timeline and Funding

SCPAB’s TTI Award program supports talented early-career scientists by facilitating their transition to research independence in the field of cognitive aging by providing up to two (2) years of postdoctoral support as well as three (3) years of grant funding at the start of their professorships. This request for applications (RFA) is aimed at Ph.D. and M.D.-holding scientists who are currently in training positions but intend to seek tenure-track research faculty positions during the upcoming academic job cycle. The program’s selection process is designed to enhance the TTI fellows’ job prospects by providing a letter that specifies SCPAB’s financial commitment to the research project once the TTI fellow has secured a suitable faculty position. Importantly, this fellowship also includes up to two years of postdoctoral fellowship support in order to facilitate professional development and offer support during the job search process. Fellows will receive up to two (2) years of postdoctoral support with an annual salary of $70,000, fringe benefits, an annual resource and professional development allowance of $10,000, and indirect costs (limited to 20 percent of modified total direct costs, see Simons Foundation policies), followed by a commitment of $600,000 over three (3) years, including indirect costs (limited to 20 percent of modified total direct costs, see Simons Foundation policies), activated upon assumption of a tenure-track research professorship.

Application Process

TTI grants are awarded through a multi-stage process. The first stage is a competitive process in which first-stage applications are reviewed by the SCPAB scientific staff and executive committee. TTI fellows are selected at the end of stage one. Upon selection as a TTI fellow, fellows will receive up to two (2) years of postdoctoral support at their postdoc institution with an annual salary of $70,000, as well as a resource and professional development allowance of $10,000 per year. The award will also provide fringe benefits and indirect costs (limited to 20 percent of modified total direct costs, see Simons Foundation policies). During this time, postdocs will receive mentorship and professional development resources to assist in their search for a faculty position.

Fellows have 24 months to secure a tenure-track professorship at an academic institution and submit a second-stage approval application. Review of the approval application is a non-competitive, internal process intended to confirm that the fellow has secured an academic research position and adequate institutional resources to support their research program. .After the Simons Foundation accepts the second-stage approval application, the awardee will receive research support at the level of $600,000 over three (3) years, including indirect costs (limited to 20 percent of modified total direct costs, see Simons Foundation policies). The award is administered through the institution at which the TTI fellow has secured a tenure-track faculty appointment. Funds are intended as a supplement to a standard start-up package. Funds may not be used toward the faculty salary but may provide salary support for other laboratory personnel and other typical grant budget expenditures. Institutional start-up packages may not be reduced because of TTI funding. SCPAB will work with fellows and their potential faculty institutions to ensure that fellows receive start-up packages with sufficient institutional resources and academic privileges to complete the TTI project.

Awards will be governed by the Simons Foundation policies, which can be found at http://www.simonsfoundation.org/funding/policies-and-forms/.

Eligibility

• The program application is open to individuals who are from racial, ethnic and other groups underrepresented in cognitive aging, including individuals with disabilities and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. This includes, but is not limited to, any individual identifying as Hispanic or Latine, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander or American Indian or Alaska Native. We will consider applicants to have come from a disadvantaged background if they meet at least two (2) of the following criteria:
• Were or currently are homeless;
• Were or currently are in the foster care system;
• Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program* for two or more years;
• Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree;
• Were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell* grants;
• Received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children* as a parent or child;
• Grew up in one of the following areas: a) a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer, or b) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas (qualifying zip codes are included in the file). Only one of the two (2) possibilities in this bullet can be used as a criterion for the disadvantaged backgrounds.
• * For non-U.S. applicants, please consider approximately equivalent programs.
• Applicants must hold a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent degree.
• Applicants must be currently in non-independent, mentored training positions, as recognized by their institution. See FAQ for guidelines.
• Applicants must be actively seeking a tenure-track position at an institution of higher education during the next job cycle.
• Applicants are not eligible if they are recipients of other career development awards with similar budgetary scopes as the SCPAB Transition to Independence Award. See FAQ for more information.
• Applicants must not have accepted a formal offer for a tenure-track faculty position.
• There are no citizenship requirements.

Additionally, please note that beginning with the 2024 SCPAB TTI RFA, applicants will be limited to one application resubmission (a total of two (2) submissions to the SCPAB TTI RFA).

You are strongly encouraged to contact SCPAB before applying if you are unsure of whether you meet the eligibility criteria above.

Informational Sessions for Potential Applicants

The Simons Foundation held an informational webinar for the Transition to Independence RFA featuring SCPAB scientific staff and a current SCPAB TTI fellow on December 8, 2022. We encourage prospective applicants to view the recording here.

The Simons Foundation held an informational session on how to submit an application through our grants management system, Simons Award Manager (SAM), on Thursday, January 12 – Click here to watch the recording.

Additionally, informational videos on submitting applications in SAM can be found here.

Instructions for Submission

The deadline for first-stage application submission is 12:00 p.m. EST on February 16, 2023.

Applications must be completed electronically and submitted via SAM. Please click on the Funding Opportunities icon and navigate to the Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain – Transition to Independence Postdoctoral Award call. Click the Create Application button to begin. Applications should be started and submitted under the applicant’s own account in SAM. Please refer to the How to Apply instructions for further details.

All first-stage applications must include the following:

• Proposal Narrative: A research statement, not to exceed four (4) pages (not including references). Detailed description of scientific interests and goals describing your future research program as an independent investigator and how the SCPAB mission fits in with your intended research program. This should be your overall plan for your lab, not a specific three (3) year project proposal. Please include:
• Relevant scientific background
• Significance and relevance to SCPAB mission
• Signed self-attestation of eligibility (available on SAM). The program application is open to individuals who are from racial, ethnic and other groups underrepresented in cognitive aging, including individuals with disabilities and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. This includes, but is not limited to, any individual identifying as Hispanic or Latine, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander or American Indian or Alaska Native.
• Personnel Biosketch, not to exceed five (5) pages, including:
• Personal statement, not to exceed 500 words;
• Optional diversity statement, not to exceed 500 words. Explanation of how the candidate’s participation would further the goal to promote diversity in cognitive aging;
• Contributions to science; and
• Education, positions, awards and additional publications.
• Letter from current institution officially confirming you are in a mentored training position (e.g., letter from department chair or grant office).
• Letters of Recommendation: Three (3) confidential letters of recommendation are required from previous mentors and/or senior scientists who have substantial familiarity with your scientific career thus far. One letter of recommendation must be from a current scientific mentor. Confidential letters must be submitted through SAM.
• Budget: A detailed budget for up to two (2) years of postdoctoral support, specifically: $70,000 annual salary and fringe, for the fellow (personnel field), $10,000 annual resource and professional development allowance (research support costs field), and indirect costs (limited to 20 percent of modified total direct costs, see Simons Foundation policies).

First-stage applications are reviewed by the SCPAB scientific staff and competitive applications are further reviewed by the SCPAB executive committee. Reviewers will weigh criteria related to the applicant’s scientific potential as an independent investigator and their ability to formulate an impactful, innovative and feasible research project in cognitive aging.

After Selection

SCPAB TTI fellows will be notified of their award in June 2023. Fellows will receive up to two years of postdoctoral support with a $70,000 annual salary, awarded to them at their postdoc institution. In order to receive the postdoctoral support portion of the award, your institution must appoint you as an employee of the university with no teaching obligation, and provide the standard benefits package that the university provides to employees. Upon notification, fellows have up to 24 months to secure a tenure-track faculty position and submit a second-stage approval application. As job negotiations develop during this intervening period, fellows are strongly encouraged to contact SCPAB, who will informally review job offer letters, and as appropriate, work with fellows and their potential faculty institutions to ensure that start-up packages provide sufficient institutional resources and academic privileges to complete the TTI project.

To activate the faculty support portion of the award, fellows must submit a second-stage approval application, which includes the tenure-track faculty appointment offer letter with confirmed research startup package and laboratory space commitments. Other required documents include any applicable updates to the proposal narrative, biosketch, current and pending support, budget, budget justification, research environment and resources, renewable reagents and data-sharing plan, and institutional sign-off.

SCPAB will review these documents internally with the intention of funding all fellows who have secured sufficient institutional resources and academic privileges to complete the TTI project. If these are deemed acceptable, a grant funding letter will be sent.

SCPAB reserves the right to withhold grant support 1) if the fellow is unable to secure a tenure-track position at a suitable academic institution within 24 months of their award notification letter, 2) if an institutional environment is deemed inadequate by SCPAB to support successful completion of the research project, 3) if the revised and updated proposal narrative is not considered adequate, or 4) if the fellow is unable to fulfill the responsibilities of the PI for other reasons. Such instances will be handled on a case-by-case basis. It is our intention that withholding grant support from fellows will occur only in rare instances. When appropriate, SCPAB will work with fellows and their prospective institutions in developing mutually agreeable solutions.

Related Programs at SFARI and SCGB

SCPAB’s sister programs, the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) and Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB), offer their own Independence Awards. A chart of the differences between the programs can be found here. Candidates may apply to all programs but may only accept one award. Each application will be reviewed individually based on the program’s own selection process and criteria. As such, it is expected that applicants will tailor each research narrative to align with the respective Simons Foundation program to which they are applying.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Many of the greatest ideas and discoveries come from a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds and experiences. The Simons Foundation is committed to grantmaking that inspires and supports greater diversity and inclusiveness by cultivating a funding environment that ensures representation of all identities and differences and equitable access to information and resources for all applicants and grantees.

The Simons Foundation provides equal opportunities to all applicants for funding without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, pregnancy, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic disposition, neurodiversity, disability, veteran status or any other protected category under federal, state and local law, except when identifying from a disadvantaged background or underrepresented group is an eligibility requirement of the request for application (RFA).