Research Award FAQ

Student Research Awards require that applicants be in good standing at an accredited medical or graduate school, or residency program in North America (United States, Canada, or Mexico). 

Early Career Research Awards require that applicants have an MD, Ph.D., and/or equivalent degree (e.g., MBChB, MBBS, DO) and a full-time faculty or equivalent position at an institution in North America (United States, Canada, or Mexico). Examples of faculty-equivalent positions include research associate, research scientist, and research investigator. 

• If the applicant is an MD (or equivalent), no more than ten years shall have elapsed following the completion of clinical training (GI fellowship or its equivalent) and the start date of the award. 
• If the applicant is a Ph.D. (or equivalent), no more than ten years shall have elapsed following the awarding of the Ph.D. degree and the start date of the award. 

The CDF-SSCD Improving Health Equity in Celiac Disease Through Disparities Research award requires that applicants have a medical or postdoctoral degree (MD, Ph.D., or equivalent), an advanced nursing degree (BSN with MS/Ph.D.), or a degree in Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Dietetics/Nutrition, or Social Work. SSCD membership is required at the time of application and throughout the term of the award. 

When you are ready to apply, you can access the award application on CDF’s Research Awards Management System. Select the award you are interested in to read the specific requirements and limitations. All submissions are completed online through CDF’s Research Awards Management System; hard copies and email attachments are not accepted. 

A sponsor takes responsibility for the quality assessment of the proposed research, the quality of the research environment the project will be conducted in, and the credentials of the principal investigator and other key researchers/staff involved in the project.

A mentor supervises the principal investigator’s research activities. In the Personal Statement section of their Biosketch, the mentor should note their relationship with the Principal Investigator and the proposed research project.

The research plan should include three distinct sections: Significance, Innovation and Approach (including preliminary data). The research plan should include sufficient information needed for evaluation of the project independent of any other document. Be specific, informative, and succinct. 

Yes. The specific aims, research plan, references, career development plan (if applicable), Biosketches, and budget justification should all follow these guidelines: 

FILE TYPES 

• All supporting materials uploaded with your application must be in PDF format. 

DOCUMENT LAYOUT 

• Uploaded documents must be standard letter size, measuring 8.5 by 11 inches (21.59 x 27.94 cm), and in portrait orientation. 
• Margins must be 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) or larger. 
• Avoid use of footers and page numbers. Avoid use of headers except for labeling separate application uploads with their category and your last name (e.g., LastName_Specific_Aims, LastName_Research_Plan). 

FONT TYPE 

• Use Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, or Helvetica fonts. 
• Font size must be 11 points or larger in the main text. Smaller font sizes are allowable in tables, figures, diagrams or other supporting information, but must be no smaller than 8 points. Any smaller fonts must be legible when the page is viewed at 100 percent zoom. 

REFERENCES 

• No specific citation format is required. 

Certain awards require letters of support from a mentor, Division Chief, or Department Chair. If applicable, the letters will be outlined in the specific research award requirements. 

Yes. You may download it here.

Yes. For all awards, indirect costs and costs for mentors/sponsors are not allowed.

Yes. You may enter the information all at once or enter it in stages and save your progress.

No. Once an application is submitted, you cannot alter its contents. Please thoroughly review your application materials to ensure it is correct before submitting.

Members of the SSCD Health Equity Leadership Council review applications for the CDF-SSCD Improving Health Equity in Celiac Disease Through Disparities Research award and select award recipients. 

Members of the Celiac Disease Foundation Research Committee review all other applications and select research award recipients.

All applicants will be notified whether or not they have been chosen to receive funding within three months of the application deadline.