In order to encourage the submission of highly innovative proposals, applications for AAF Scholar Awards are intended to be brief and require no preliminary data.

Review the Award Policies carefully to ensure that your application will meet the Program requirements.

Budget. No budget is required at the time of application (see Award Policies, items 5-6, for budgetary policies and restrictions, including restrictions on indirect costs).

Deadline. The deadline to submit an application is Wednesday, February 6, 2013, 5:00 PM, Pacific Standard Time. The application must be uploaded on the AAF Research Program website as a PDF file. It must include the applicant's signature and the signature of the official signing for the institution. Applications submitted after the deadline, or without the required signatures, will not be reviewed.

Format Requirements. The font size and margins must conform to the specifications below. Failure to conform to type specifications and page limitations will be grounds for downgrading or rejecting the application. Page numbering should begin with the Research Narrative section.

• Use Arial, Helvetica, Palatino Linotype or Georgia typeface and a font size of 11 points or larger. (A Symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters or special characters; the font size requirement still applies.)
• Type density, including characters and spaces, must be no more than 15 characters per inch.
• Type may be no more than 6 lines per inch.

• Use Letter-size paper (8.5 inch x 11 inch), with at least 0.5 inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) throughout.

The application should consist of the following items, in order:

1. Application Cover Sheet. Complete the Application Cover Sheet for 2013 AAF Scholar Award, including the required signatures. Do not use an earlier version of this form page. Although each Award names only one AAF Scholar, the AAF supports collaborative research. Additional investigators who will participate in the studies may be listed here either as Co-Investigators, who will play a direct role in the research, or as Collaborators, who will lend assistance and/or reagents, etc.

2. Abstract of 250 words or less. The abstract should include the specific aims of the proposal.

3. Biographical Sketch in the NIH format (PHS 398/2590 Rev. 06/09) for the Applicant and each Co-Investigator named on the Application Cover Sheet. Do not include a Biographical Sketch for those named as Collaborators. Applicants who are approved for funding will be asked to update their research support prior to funding. Publications should list all authors. Use 11 point font or larger.

   1. For the Applicant, follow the NIH format, including Section A, Personal Statement. In Section D, Research Support, include ongoing and pending support (applications submitted or pending funding). If there is no pending support, state "Pending Support: None". Limit four (4) pages.

   2. For each Co-Investigator named on the Application Cover Sheet, follow the NIH format. Section A, Personal Statement, is optional. Limit four (4) pages for each investigator.

4. Research Narrative limited to seven (7) pages, not including references cited. There is no required format, but the Narrative should include Hypotheses and Specific Aims. A suggested format is: Rationale, Hypotheses and Specific Aims, Background, Preliminary Results (if any), Research Plan, and Relevance to Asthma. Since the application is brief, a detailed description of Methods is not required. A reference will suffice if the methods have been published in the literature. If the methods are new, the applicant should include a brief description. Applicants in the field of asthma should explain in the Narrative how the proposed work represents a departure from their previously funded work.
   
   Begin numbering pages of the application with the Research Narrative as page 1, 2, 3...

5. References Cited should include all authors.

6. Optional Appendix, limited to four (4) pages, may include additional illustrations, figures, and tables, but not methods or other details required for evaluation of the application. Figure legends should be kept to a few words. Explanation of figures should be in the Research Narrative section.

7. Other Attachments.

   Co-Investigator Letters: A brief letter from each Co-Investigator named on the Application Cover Sheet should be included with the application. Letters should affirm the Co-Investigator's willingness to perform the duties ascribed to him or her in the proposal. Letters from Collaborators are suggested but not required. Letters do not count toward the four-page limit for the Appendix.

   Human Studies Approval: Studies involving human materials must be approved and governed by the sponsoring institution and funding for human studies will not be released until this is obtained. We therefore encourage applicants to obtain approval from their Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Committee on Human Research (CHR) in advance, but this approval is not required at the time of application nor is it required for review. If the approval is available at the time of application, include a copy with the application.

Assemble the application in the following order:

1. Application Cover Sheet for 2013 AAF Scholar Award (form page), including Applicant's and institutional signatures
2. Abstract
3. Biographical Sketch (for Applicant and for each Co-Investigator named on the Application Cover Sheet)
4. Research Narrative (limit 7 pages, excluding references cited)
5. References Cited
6. Appendix (optional), limit 4 pages
7. Co-Investigator letters (required if Co-investigators are named on Application Cover Sheet)
8. Collaborator letters (optional)
9. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for human research, if applicable and available. (This may be submitted later, but is required before funding for human studies will be released.)

Do not include: reprints, pre-prints of manuscripts, IRB approvals of animal care protocols, Biosketches for Collaborators, or a budget. (A budget is required only from successful applicants.)

No supplementary material or updates, including additional preliminary data and new publications, will be accepted after the application deadline. The only exceptions are IRB approvals for human research and missing documentation requested by the Research Program staff.

Submission.

The application must be uploaded as a PDF on this website by Wednesday, February 6, 2013, 5:00 PM, Pacific Standard Time. Applications will not be accepted by email or fax, or as hard copy.

Submission of PDF

Combine all sections of the application (items a.-i. above) into a single PDF file. Name your file using the following convention:

Lastname_Firstname_Middle.pdf (e.g.,Dougherty_Valerie_J.pdf)

When you are ready to submit, use the button below to upload your file.





Notification of Receipt. Upon successfully uploading your file, you will receive a message in your web browser confirming the date and time of the submission.

Further information is available from the Program Manager, Valerie Dougherty at:

Email: vdougherty@americanasthma.org
Telephone: 415-514-0730
Fax: 415-514-0734




Updated 1/24/2013.