The American Diabetes Associations's (ADA) vision is to create a pathway to launch the next generation of trailblazers in diabetes research. They aim to build a human pathway to tackle the toughest questions in diabetes by driving research innovations through 1:1 mentorship and creating a brain trust in diabetes.
Pathway to Stop Diabetes has a simple, yet revolutionary goal: to find scientists at the peak of their creativity and provide them with the flexibility and resources they need on the road to breakthrough discoveries. We attract and retain brilliant scientists in diabetes. Our three areas of focus—awarding research grants, providing access to scientific and career mentoring from leading diabetes researchers, and creating a diabetes think tank—are each key components of a unique formula to cultivate the next generation of leaders, whose discoveries will stop diabetes and all of its burdens once and for all.
To accelerate the research needed to stop this deadly disease, the American Diabetes Association’s bold transformational initiative, Pathway to Stop Diabetes, is inspiring a new generation of diabetes researchers. Pathway provides crucial support to individuals focusing on innovative ideas and transformational approaches that will lead to ground-breaking discoveries in diabetes prevention, management and cures. We are building a human pathway to tackle the toughest questions in diabetes by driving research innovations through 1:1 mentorship and the creation of a brain trust in diabetes.
This call for nominations will prioritize translational applications that move knowledge and discovery gained from basic research to its eventual translation into patient and population benefit. The ideal applicant will propose innovative research that will be an important step towards the eventual goal of improving the lives of people at risk of diabetes or living with the disease - and the pathway to this impact is clear. Our vision is to create a pathway to launch the next generation of trailblazers in diabetes research.
This initiative enables scientists to advance not only their research, but also their careers. Pathway scientists have access to the Mentor Advisory Group, an annual Pathway symposia, select speaking opportunities, and innovative technologies, all designed to foster interactions and collaboration that will enable them to accelerate their research progress.
Pathway seeks to bring new investigators and new perspectives to diabetes research. Supporting scientists with different backgrounds and experience is critical to achieving that objective. Pathway accepts nominations for exceptional investigators with medical and scientific backgrounds who propose innovative basic, clinical, translational, behavioral, epidemiological and health services research relevant to any type of diabetes, diabetes-related disease state or complication. Pathway solicits nominations for candidates in all disciplines as applied to diabetes including medicine, biology, chemistry, computing, physics, mathematics and engineering. In addition, nomination of scientists from diverse backgrounds, including minority groups that are underrepresented in biomedical research, is strongly encouraged.
Learn more about the Pathway To Stop Diabetes program: https://professional.diabetes.org/content-page/current-funding-opportuni...
Each institution is allowed a maximum of one nomination. The nomination can be in one of the two available Pathway award types:
- Initiator Award (INI): (for researchers in postdoctoral training)
- Description: This two-phased award is designed to support the transition of scientists from mentored training to independent research faculty.
- Eligibility: Eligible applicants must currently be in research training positions (post-doctoral fellow, research fellowship) and have no more than seven years of research training following terminal doctoral degree. Applicants cannot concurrently hold an NIH K99/R00 grant. Candidates must be identified through institutional nomination; applications will be accepted only from individuals with the appropriate institution support.
- Support: Awards provide two distinct phases of research support: Phase 1 provides up to two years of support for mentored training at a maximum of $100,000 per year (including 10% indirect costs), Phase 2 provides up to five years of support for independent research at a maximum of $325,000 per year (including 30% indirect costs). Maximum combined support for Phase 1 and Phase 2 is $1,625,000.
- Project % Effort Required: 75-100% effort in Phase 1, 50-75% effort in Phase 2
- Accelerator Award (ACE) (for early-career diabetes investigators)
- Description: This award is designed to support exceptional, independent early-career researchers who have distinguished themselves as promising investigators and are in the beginning stages of establishing successful, sustainable diabetes research programs.
- Eligibility: Awards are available to early-career diabetes investigators proposing innovative and ambitious diabetes-related research programs. Applicants must hold faculty positions and have demonstrated independent productivity in diabetes research. Applicants may currently hold independent NIH funding (K, U or R awards, including an initial R01/U01) but must not have applied for (regardless of outcome), or received, an R01/U01 renewal or a second R01/U01 award. Candidates must be identified through institutional nomination; applications will be accepted only from individuals with the appropriate institution support.
- Support: Awards provide five years of research support at a maximum of $325,000 per year (including 30% indirect costs), for a total of $1,625,000.
- Project % Effort Required: 25-50% effort
Award Information: https://professional.diabetes.org/content-page/current-funding-opportunities-pathway-stop-diabetes
Interested applicants should upload the following documents in sequence in one PDF (File name: Last name_PathwaysDiabetes_2023.pdf) no later than 4:00 p.m. on the internal submission deadline:
1. Cover Letter (1 page, pdf):
- Descriptive title of proposed activity
- PI name, departmental affiliations(s) and contact information
- Co-PI's and practitioner names and departmental affiliation(s)
- Names of other key personnel
- Participating institution(s)
- Title of this funding opportunity
- Award mechanism (Initiator or Accelerator)
2. PI Biosketch (NIH Format 5-page maximum)
3. Research Strategy - (4-page maximum)
4. Essay Questions – (1 page total)
- Initiator and Accelerator Awards:
- a) What makes your research strategy particularly innovative and important for people with diabetes? What makes it uniquely suited for this program rather than a traditional research grant program?
- b) Describe your most significant research accomplishments to date and the personal qualities/characteristics that were required for these accomplishments. For example, provide evidence of innovation and creativity, the ability to challenge paradigms, identify opportunities and take intellectual risks, establish collaborations, integrate diverse sources of information, or develop novel alternative approaches when new challenges or opportunities arose.
- c) What are your future career plans and how will this award further those objectives? What is your long-term commitment to diabetes research?search strategy particularly innovative and important for people with diabetes? What makes it uniquely suited for this program rather than a traditional research grant program
5. Please fill in the required information in the appropriate attached Institutional Nomination Letter document and then have your Department Chair sign confirming her or his willingness to write the required letter of support.
The Office of Foundation Relations is available to consult on proposal narrative elements and answer other foundation-related questions. Applicants should please contact Brady Lucas, Assistant Director, Foundation Relations (blucas1@pennstatehealth.psu.edu) for additional support.
Questions concerning the limited submissions process may be submitted to limitedsubs@psu.edu.