Instructions for electronic submission: To apply for the 1907 Research Trailblazer Award, please submit the materials requested below to this link no later than March 12, 2024.
Budget: Up to $120,000, comprised of the following:
- $100,000 Unrestricted Gift for research & administrative costs
- $20,000 Prize directly payable to the award recipient
- Annual Meeting travel & expenses for two years
Number of Applications: 3 application from WCM (not including Ithaca)
Program Description:
The 1907 Research Trailblazer Award was established to encourage high-impact, step-change approaches to research in the brain and mind sciences for mental health. In addition to supporting a specific research project, the Award intends to increase the size of the talent pool of early career investigators researching causes and cures for mental illness.
Applications for the 1907 Trailblazer Award should describe programs of work that aim to improve knowledge and outcomes of psychiatric illness through brain-mind research. Eligible disciplines include but are not limited to neuroscience, neurology, psychology, psychiatry, cognitive neuroscience, clinical psychology, computational neuroscience, neuroimaging, genetics and engineering (including novel technologies and devices). Projects must be grounded in the study of biological mechanisms underlying brain function, cognitive processes, and/or consciousness.
We particularly encourage research that involves human patients, but projects can also focus on well-validated animal models, and/or on psychiatrically-relevant research in healthy humans or conceptual/theoretical work. The projects can be framed around a single disorder or can be transdiagnostic, e.g. with an emphasis on shared risk factors (genetic or environmental) or common neural substrates. For projects in basic science, applicants who provide an in-depth understanding of the disorder(s) they are trying to treat will be prioritized.
The key criterion in assessing applications will be the extent to which research programs bring us closer to causes & cures based on an enhanced understanding of how aberrant neurobiological and/or psychological mechanisms give rise to behavioral (objective) and psychological (subjective) symptoms.
The application must be centered on a “novel idea" and must explicitly address the following four questions:
- What is the novel idea and what is the potential impact to the field?
- What is the scientific rationale of the idea given current gaps in knowledge?
- If everything you say in your Novel Idea is true and everything goes to plan, how will this improve health outcomes, and for whom?
- What is your execution plan and why are you uniquely positioned to execute?
- Why is 1907 Research best positioned to partner with you?
See the Foundation website for details.
Eligibility
- Be within ten years of the date when PhD or MD degree was awarded (whichever came later and with exceptions for maternity leave, paternity leave and other excused absences). For clinical scientists, the 10-year clock starts starts upon completion of all residency and fellowships. Please use February 23, 2024, as the end date for calculation of the 10-year period.
- Have demonstrated independence from senior colleagues. They must be able to initiate and direct their own research as principal investigator, have full responsibility for running their labs and full control of their research funds.
- Research applications may be related to but cannot be identical to any other currently funded projects.
Application Requirements
Internal Application Requirements:
WCM is limited to submitting one application; therefore, an internal selection process will be conducted. Chairpersons/Division Heads may submit no more than two nominations from their department/division.
Note: Chairs/Division Heads submitting more than one nomination must comment on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two nominees. Send the candidates' comparison summary by email to researchdean@med.cornell.edu by the internal deadline indicated above.
For the internal selection, please submit the following items in the order listed in one single PDF file using the appropriate naming convention:
- One-two page letter of nomination from the Department Chair/Division Chief detailing why the nominee should be considered;
- Applicant's Bioketch
- A description of the candidate's proposed novel idea (2-page Max. Margins should be at least one inch and font size not less than 11 points)
- The Novel Idea must address the following questions:
- What is the novel idea? This is the ‘elevator pitch’ that must demonstrate the purpose, importance and uniqueness of your project. Connect the dots and show that this project achieves your goal. If everything you’re suggesting is true, how will this improve outcomes for patients?
- What is the scientific rationale? Sound scientific reasoning is far more important that pedigree or dogma. Show command of the pathophysiology and demonstrate the importance to psychiatric health conditions and treatments.
- Who are you trying to help? Define the target patients. Define future translation to humans and the human experience. Whether basic science or near-term clinical application, you should have translation as the ultimate goal. Be as precise as possible when defining the target illness (e.g. “depression” is too vague a description). We encourage applicants to consider differences in neural functions rather than differences in symptoms when defining the illness.
- What is the execution plan? Show that you have the requisite tools, resources and relationships to complete the research. Upload your budget to demonstrate how the $100,000 in research funding will be spent. Be succinct on methods.
- Why is 1907 Foundation best positioned to partner? Our goal is to catalyze new ideas and provide organic mentorship; it is not to provide follow-on funding to mainstream ideas. Prove to us that 1907 Foundation is uniquely positioned to fill the void. If the project is already being funded, it’s in your interest to disclose this proactively and confront the question of how the 1907 Trailblazer Award is filling the gaps.
- The Novel Idea must address the following questions:
Instructions for Electronic Submission of Nominations:
Submit the above items here no later than March 12, 2024 in the order listed in one PDF file using this naming convention: PI last name-first initial_907Trailblazer2024.pdf (see example below). Margins should be at least one inch and font size not less than 11 point.
Example: Smith-J_907Trailblazer2024.pdf
Past Recipients
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Basic Science
- Clinical Science
- Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Precision Medicine
- Psychiatry
- Psychology/Behavioral Science
- Translational Science
- Faculty
- Junior Faculty
- New Investigator