Legacy Male Fertility Research Award

Legacy Male Fertility Research Award

THIS AWARD IS NOW CLOSED

CLICK HERE FOR MANDATORY PROPOSAL CHECKLIST

PURPOSE

Legacy, in partnership with The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Research Institute, invites submission of applications for its male fertility research grant. The purpose of this grant is to support innovative research projects that provide insights into causes of male factor infertility, for example the effect of chemicals and our environment on men's sperm quality.

The applicant must demonstrate a strong career goal within the field of Reproductive Medicine and must be dedicated to the advancement of male reproductive health research and semen studies. The scope of the study could be clinical, basic science, or public health related but cannot include animal studies. Funds may be used for support of a new or ongoing research or clinical investigation project.

APPLICANT ELIGABILITY

Applicants must be actively working in areas related to reproductive medicine in the United States. The principal investigator (PI) must:

  • Have a doctorate degree (MD, MD/PhD, PhD, DO, ScD or equivalent) and have sufficient expertise, commitment of effort, organizational structure, and operational effectiveness to successfully implement the plan for the proposed research.
  • Be an independent investigator serving as a full-time clinician/physician scientist (academic, private practice, other non-profit or for-profit organizations).
  • Fellows and postdoctoral trainees may apply but must complete the project prior to their program completion.

AWARD

Award(s) to be distributed at a maximum of $50,000 for a ONE (1) year study period.

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 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 & sponsoring institution
    4. Contact information including mailing address, telephone number and email
    5. IF YOU ARE A FELLOW: Research mentor must be named
    6. Total funding amount requested
  2. Letters
    1. IF YOU ARE A PRACTICING PHYSICIAN: Chairman/Division Chief letter (no more than two pages) 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. IF YOU ARE A FELLOW: A letter of support must be provided by your research mentor confirming the institution’s and/or practice’s commitment to provide time and support to the applicant. Applicant letter must also state career goals and plans for achieving these goals, including a lay statement of 2-3 sentences describing the relevance of the proposed research.
  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. Innovation and Potential Impact
    3. Research Plan (methodology and statistical analysis plan must be clearly described)
    4. Timeline for project start up, implementation, and completion
    5. References/citations are required but do not count against the total number of pages for the application. You may also include them as an appendix.
  6. NIH-style Biosketch
    1. Each Biosketch should include a specific description of the role of each 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. Conference travel and/or registration expenses up to $1000 to present results related to this award.
    3. Funds are available for project expenses, technical assistance, patient expenses, research supplies and durable laboratory equipment (under $2000) used for the purposes of this project, analysis software, national registries, survey licenses, etc.
    4. Indirect costs (institutional overhead) will NOT be supported.
    5. Funds may NOT be used towards degree seeking courses, cost of routine clinical care, or research team salary and/or benefits.
  8. Formatting & Due Date
    1. The proposal must be typed in Calibri 12 pt. 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, by 4pm EST on December 1, 2023. SUBJECT LINE: LEGACY MALE FERTILITY GRANT PROPOSAL
  9. Regulatory Requirements
    1. Human 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) in collaboration with an appointed designee from Legacy 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 February 2024 and funding will be dispersed March 2024.

PROJECT PARTNERSHIP AND DELIVARABLES

The project will have the following objectives:

  • Furtherance of ASRM’s mission to advance the science of reproductive medicine.
  • Furtherance of Legacy’s mission to support innovative research projects that provide insights into causes of male factor infertility:
    • The project should lead to a published manuscript that would add to the body of research and provide additional high-quality scientific evidence in the field of male fertility.

The project will have the following deliverables:

  • A published manuscript in a peer-reviewed, high-impact scientific journal that will contribute to the advancement of the field of male factor infertility and sperm studies.
  • Presentation of grant recipients’ research findings at an ASRM Congress within two years of receiving the award.

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

PUBLICATION, PUBLICITY, AND CO-BRANDING

Publications, abstracts, manuscripts and/or presentations at scientific conferences or meetings based on results from the funded project must acknowledge Legacy and ASRM using the following language: “Funded in part by a grant from Legacy in partnership with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.”  Results and research findings must be presented at the ASRM Congress within two years of receiving the award and copy of any published works should be sent to Legacy and ASRM Research Institute.

The names of the Investigator and institution as well as the project title, a description of the project, and information regarding the award (written or digital) may be listed on the Legacy website (https://www.givelegacy.com), ASRM Research Institute website (www.asrmresearch.org), social media pages, or in print & digital written materials.