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FAQs for Grant Seekers

Q. Can any amount of the budget be applied to salary?
A. Salary cannot be included in your budget in ANY grant category.

Q. What if I need a no cost extension?
A. No cost extensions will NOT be granted.

Q. Do I need to report my progress?
A. Yes. You must submit a progress report (in layman’s terms) and an expenditure report at the six-month and at the end of the award period.

Q. Can any amount of the budget be applied to travel?
A. Travel expenses cannot be included in your budget in ANY grant category.

Q. What is the grant period?
A. All grants are funded for one year.

Q. Can I accept funding from other sources for the research project I am applying to ASA for?
A. All sources of funding must be disclosed by the applicant. The goal of the ASA is to further the careers of junior investigators. These awards are not intended for established investigators with a major award such as an NIH R01. We recognize that many career development awards from other sources, such as the NIH, Dermatology Foundation, American Cancer Society, Melanoma Research Alliance, etc., fund the PIs salary only and/or allocate a small portion for other expenses, i.e., supplies or staff. In this case, the applicant should justify the rationale for receiving the ASA award and retaining the other award that they have received. If the ASA award and the other award significantly overlap in budget, the awardee must choose between it and this research award. If the other award is pending and subsequently chosen, the applicant must inform the ASA immediately to determine if any remaining installments of funding from ASA are forfeited.

Q. Can I work on multiple research projects simultaneously?
A. Please be sure commitments do not overlap. Your time or the time of project-supported personnel cannot be committed more than 100 percent.

Q. Do I need to acknowledgement ASA's support?
A. You must agree to acknowledge ASA’s support in all presentations and publications related to the funded research and inform ASA of current and future dates of presentations and/or publications.

Q. Can credit be given to multiple researchers who collaborate on a grant?
A. While collaboration is welcome, only one researcher can be named the grant awardee. Publications that result from this research can name all authors who contributed to the project, but in ASA announcements of awards, only the official grant awardee will be mentioned.

Q. Who writes my letter of recommendation?
A. The Chair of Dermatology of your institution. If you are not working in the dermatology department, then a letter from your Mentor is acceptable if the Chair of Dermatology co-signs the endorsement letter.

Q. How many applicants can my Chairman of Dermatology endorse?
A.Chair of Dermatology departments may only endorse one candidate in each grant category per grant cycle, i.e. only one research scholar candidate overall. A Chair may endorse only ONE medical student application in each area per year.

Q. May I apply for a grant if I am working in another department conducting research related to dermatology?
A. Yes, however the Chair of Dermatology at your institution must co-sign the endorsement letter.

Q. Can I apply for an ASA grant if I am already being funded or am soon to be funded by another organization?
A. All sources of funding must be disclosed by the awardee. If an awardee has received, or is soon to receive, a career development award or other comparable research award from the NIH, Dermatology Foundation, American Cancer Society, Melanoma Research Alliance, or a similar organization, the awardee must choose between it and the ASA award. If the other award is chosen, any remaining installments of funding from ASA are forfeited.

Q. If my lab is outside the U.S., am I eligible for funding?
A. No. ASA will only consider and fund research conducted in the U.S.

Q. As a medical student, am I eligible to receive a Research Grant from ASA?
A. No. Applicants must hold a MD or PhD to be eligible for all ASA Grant offerings, except in the case of Medical Student Grants.

Q. Are international (non-U.S. citizen, non-permanent resident) medical students attending U.S. medical schools eligible to apply for the Medical Student Grant?
A. Yes, international (non-U.S. citizen, non-permanent resident) medical students attending U.S. medical schools are eligible to apply for the Medical Student Grant.

Q. Are PhD students eligible for the Medical Student Grant?
A. Students in a combined MD/PhD program are eligible, but not students solely in PhD programs.

Q. May I apply for a grant at an institution where there is no department/division of dermatology, but I am pursuing active research in dermatology?
A. Yes. While preference will be given to individuals working in a department of dermatology, applicants with a close working relationship to such a department are also eligible. The application must include a letter of support/endorsement from the Chair of Dermatology with whom you are collaborating.

Q. Is the Board certification requirement for the Research Scholar Award necessary at the time of application or the time of award?
A. It is required by the time of award.

Q. Does approval from the institution for human and animal use need to be in place at the time of the application?
A. No. However, proper documentation must be submitted with the application showing that the approval is pending.

Q. Can more than one application be submitted?
A. One application may be submitted by a candidate in each of the grant categories, provided the Chair of Dermatology endorses each one. However, only one grant/award will be given to any individual.

Q. When writing my research proposal for application, are my references included in the two-page limit?
A. Yes, research proposals should be no more than two pages including references and prepared by the candidate detailing the title, purpose, materials, methods, and projected results. Proposals must be typed in Arial 11 pt. type with 1-inch margins.

Q. Section 7 of the medical student grant application asks for a summary of ALL past, current and pending applications. Should I list only my applications or my mentor’s as well?
A. Please submit only the applicant’s previous support, current and pending applications.

Q. Do I need to submit previous funding or current funding of the lab where I am currently working?
A. Prior and current funding, as well as pending applications for funding, must be listed if they have supported or will support your salary and supplies. The information should specify whether you or another individual is the named recipient of the funding.

Q. How do I get other questions answered?
A. Any additional questions should be put in writing and emailed to grants@americanskin.org.

Please note: Late submission will not be accepted.