PURPOSE

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Research Institute invites submission of applications for its Health Disparities & Family Building Award. This award aligns with ASRM’s mission and commitment to better understand the determinants of health disparities in family building. The award(s) are given to young investigators using evidence-based DEI research to evaluate or affect practice change(s), and barriers to care, resulting in improved access, treatment, or management, for patients and families seeking reproductive healthcare. Funds may be used for support of a new or ongoing research or clinical investigation project.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible applicants must:

1. Be a current medical student, resident, or fellow at an accredited medical school in the United States
2. Applicants must also demonstrate a strong career goal within the field of Reproductive Medicine

AWARD

Amount:  $7,500     Number of Awards Available:  Two (2)     Award Period:  One (1) Year  

APPLICATION

An application must include the following information in order as described below. Additionally, all letters must be included in your application package and cannot be sent separately or post application deadline. Please note: Letters outside of the required department head or program chair letters are not required but you may submit up to 2 additional letters of support should you choose.

1. Title page
   1. Title of the project (not to exceed 200 characters including spaces)
   2. Applicant’s name and credentials
   3. Applicant’s department affiliation and sponsoring institution
   4. Contact information including mailing address, telephone number and email
   5. Total funding amount requested
2. Letters
   1. Program Director letter (One page maximum) acknowledging the applicant’s project and grant proposal, endorsing the applicant’s research, and confirming the institution’s commitment to provide time and support to the applicant.
   2. Trainees must include a letter of support from a faculty mentor and must complete the project prior to their program completion.  
3.  Abstract (One page maximum)
   1. Scientific Abstract (500 words) describing the research proposal including the potential immediate impact of the anticipated results on the practice of reproductive medicine.
   2. Lay-person Abstract (200 words) describing the project in general terms
4. Specific Aims of the research proposal presented in NIH format (One page maximum)
5. A research proposal should include the following sections (no more than three pages)
   1. Background and Significance
   2. Resources and Environment (can be attached as appendix)
   3. Research Plan (methodology and statistical analysis plan must be clearly described)
   4. Timeline for project start up, implementation, and completion
   5. Innovation and Potential Impact
   6. References/citations are required but will not count against the total number of pages for the application.  You may also include them as an appendix.
6. NIH-style Biosketch
   1. An NIH fellowship biosketch  should include a specific description of the role of the investigator in the proposed project and should not exceed FIVE pages (including the current funding).
7. Budget
   1. A detailed yearly and cumulative budget and budget justification for the project.
   2. No clinical care costs will be covered by this funding opportunity.
   3. Funds are available for project expenses, technical assistance, patient expenses, research supplies and durable laboratory equipment, analysis software, national registries, survey licenses, etc.
   4. Funds may NOT be used towards degree seeking courses, salary, or the purchase of equipment.
   5. Funds, at a max of $1200, may be used for conference travel/registration to present final summary of findings at ASRM Congress.
   6. This grant does not cover sponsoring institution indirect costs.
8. Formatting & Due Date
   1. The proposal must be typed in Calibri 12-point type with page margins no less than .5 inches and no more than 1 inch.
   2. Pagination should be included at the bottom of each page (excluding the Title page).
   3. The entire application must be submitted as ONE PDF FILE to research@asrm.org, Subject Line: ASRM Health Disparities & Family Building Grant Application by 4pm EST on March 1, 2024.
9. Regulatory Requirements
   1. Human and/or animal use must be approved by the Institutional Review Board or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, or their equivalent and documented before funds are released, but pre-approval is not required for application.
   2. It is required that any research involving human embryos will comply with applicable federal and state laws and will be in line with the ASRM’s guidance document on the ethics of human embryo research. No research will proceed without all relevant Institutional Board(s) and Committee(s) reviews and approval.

SELECTION PROCESS

An ASRM Research Institute Grant Review Group (GRG) will review the proposals and awardees determined. To avoid a potential conflict of interest, members of the GRG will recuse themselves from review of any proposal that involves their institutions of employment. Award notifications will be made in April 2024 and funding will be dispersed May 2024.

REPORTING

Annual progress and financial reports are required and should be sent to research@asrm.org. ASRM Research Institute will review and provide a confirmation of progress report acceptance via email. Continued funding will depend on demonstrated progress and productivity as well as compliance with progress report timelines and any regulatory requirements. A final progress and financial report is required and should be submitted to ASRM within 90 days of project completion.