The Hope Center for Neurological Disorders is pleased to announce the Hope Center Fellowship Award program. This competitive program provides supplemental funding support for highly qualified postdoctoral scientists (PhDs and MDs) to obtain advanced research training at Washington University, under the mentorship of Hope Center Faculty Members. The Hope Center is an interdisciplinary, interdepartmental research unit which fosters innovation and collaboration in translational neuroscience. Hope Center Fellows are expected to develop research projects which
lead to understanding and treatment of neurodegeneration in nervous system diseases.

Click here to learn how to apply for the Hope Center Fellowship Award program.

Hope Center Fellowship Award Winners

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2008

John Kauwe, PhD, for his project entitled, “Identification of functional alleles that influence cerebrospinal fluid
levels of Aβ and risk for Alzheimer's disease”, to be carried out in the laboratory of Alison Goate.

Ann Stowe, PhD, for her project entitled, “Ischemic tolerance and endothelial protection following stroke”, to be carried out in the laboratory of Jeff Gidday.

Eligibility

Hope Center Fellowship Awards are open to recent recipients of an MD, PhD, or equivalent degree. Degree candidacy requirements must be completed at the time of application, and the doctoral degree must be awarded prior to inception of the Fellowship. Applicants must have completed no more than three years of postdoctoral training prior to beginning the fellowship (not including clinical residency or fellowship training). Additionally, applications will not be considered if the applicant has begun work in the proposed mentor's laboratory.

Candidates need not be citizens of the United States.

Fellowships will be completed in the laboratory of a Hope Center Faculty Member. The project should address a question of translational neuroscience, and further the mission of the Hope Center. Acceptance to join the laboratory should not be contingent on the award of a Fellowship. For a list of Hope Center Faculty Members and descriptions of their research, click here.

A Hope Center Faculty Member may gain only one new Hope Center Fellow in his/her laboratory in a 12-month cycle, and may advise no more than two at any one time.

Review Procedure

Criteria to evaluate applications will include:

• Qualifications of the applicant and his/her potential to make a significant contribution to translational neuroscience;
• Qualification of the Hope Center Faculty Member and the training environment of the research laboratory; and
• Quality of the research proposal and its relevance to Hope Center research goals.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Award recipients can begin their Fellowships up to nine months from the award announcement.

Awards

Hope Center Fellows will receive the following levels of funding:

year 1: $53,000

year 2: $55,000

year 3: $57,000

In addition, a $5000 Expense Allowance will be provided each year. This Allowance can be used for educational or scientific expenses, or to defray the cost of health insurance. The Fellow can determine how these funds will be spent, with authorization from the Hope Center Faculty Member. These funds are not to be used for institutional overhead.

Terms of award

Hope Center Fellows are expected to devote 100% of their effort to the funded project. Clinicians are expected to devote no less than 80% of their effort, with the remainder devoted to clinical responsibilities. Fellows also are required to attend quarterly Hope Center Faculty meetings, and to submit an annual summary of research progress.

The Hope Center Faculty Member is responsible for the NIH-recommended base to be provided to the fellow. The Hope Center will supplement that amount to reach the target salary/stipend, and will provide the Expense Allowance.

Progress Reports

This is a three-year fellowship, contingent on satisfactory progress reports. Progress reports are due 12 and 24 months from initiation of the fellowship.

Publications and acknowledgements

Publications, presentations at scientific meetings and abstracts resulting from work supported by the Hope Center must include the following acknowledgement:

"[Name] is a Hope Center Fellow supported by the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders."

How to apply

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. To apply, the applicant should:

1. Complete an application form (click here to download).
2. Provide a description of scientific accomplishments to-date (template included with application form). This description should be no more than two pages in 12-point font.
3. Provide a description of the proposed project and its goals (template included with application form). This description should be no more than one page in 12-point font.
4. Curriculum vitae.

In addition, it is the applicant’s responsibility to coordinate submission of the following:

• The sponsoring Hope Center Faculty Member should provide a letter of commitment and support (click here to download), as well as an Other Support page.
• Three letters of recommendation. These should be in pdf format (to show signature) and forwarded directly to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

All materials should be sent electronically to Anneliese Schaefer, Deputy Director of the Hope Center: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

The application will be considered complete when all application materials from the applicant, the Hope Center Faculty Member and referees have been received.

Questions?

Please direct any questions regarding the Hope Center Fellowship Awards to Anneliese Schaefer, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

For general information regarding current and prospective postdocs at Washington University, click here to visit the Office of Post Graduate Affairs.