Early Career Award

Early Career
Award

Purpose

The NBS Early Career Award is a program initiated in 2022 and organized by the Quality Improvement and Research Committee to support investigators with a focus on the fetal and neonatal brain.

Description

The Early Career Award supports early-career investigators conducting research on the fetal and neonatal brain. Each award provides $10,000 (no indirect costs allowed). We strongly encourage applications from individuals belonging to under-represented groups in medicine.

Eligible research topics include basic science, translational, clinical or quality improvement projects that advance fetal or neonatal brain care.

Awardees will be expected to present their completed work during an NBS Webinar. They will be strongly encouraged to present at the NBS, PAS or ESPR Annual Meetings.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

Be an NBS member
Hold one of the following degrees or credentials: MD, PhD, MD/PhD, RN, NNP, PT/OT, MPH, or be an allied health professional.
Be in training or within five years of completing their most recent training (e.g., clinical trainee, postdoctoral fellow, or junior faculty).

Applicants must NOT hold total current operating (non-salary) funding ≥ $100,000 US dollars.

Application Requirements

An approved Letter of Intent is required prior to the submission of a full application.

Letter of Support
Abstract
Grant/Research plan
Timeline
Impact on fetal or newborn brain care
Impact on career development
Budget and justification
Other Support
NIH style Biosketch

2026 Important Dates

Letter of Intent Deadline

August 1, 2026

Application Deadline

October 1, 2026

Award Announcement

December 15, 2026

Get Started

Frequently Asked Questions

May the grant also be used for salary costs? Yes, salary support is an eligible expense.
In the budget preparation, can we consider personnel costs of researchers already hired by the institution, in their proportion of the time dedicated to the project? Yes, personnel costs may be included in proportion to the time dedicated to the project.
Besides indirect costs, are there any other categories that are not eligible? Funds must be used for direct costs related to the conduct of the research project, with appropriate justification. Travel expenses are limited to a maximum of $2000 and must be used to present results from this project.
In the application requirements, “other funding sources with amounts” should be indicated. Are these funding sources considered for the calculation of the $100k/year limit in career development awards that the early stage researcher can have in other grants excluding salary? All funding sources should be disclosed, regardless of whether they support salary, research costs, or other research-related activities. Salary support is not counted towards the $100,000 limit. Funding may include start-up funds, industry support, or other types of non-grant research funding. Applicants must clearly demonstrate that there is no overlap between existing funding and the proposed project.
For the “percent time dedication to research” in the Letter of Support, is this percentage related to the effort of the team dedicated specifically to the project, or does this concern the institutional dedication to research activities? Ideally both should be reflected. However, the Letter of Support should specifically indicate the percentage of time that the applicant dedicates to research overall. This may exceed the time allocated to the proposed project. There is no minimum required percentage time for this award.
Are financial reports submitted in the end of the project? Yes, a financial report is required at the end of the project.
Should the application be novel research (as in a new addition) within an existing project? The project may be either a novel study or part of an ongoing project led by the applicant. However, it must represent an independent and clearly defined component driven by the applicant. The funds should not be used solely to complete a mentor’s project. The proposed work must be feasible within one year.
Are there any restrictions on what the grant can be used for? There are no restrictions on the type of research supported (e.g., basic, clinical, or quality Improvement).
Regarding the budget, could you give us a few examples of eligible and non-eligible expenses? Funds must be used for direct research costs necessary to conduct the project, and must be appropriately justified.
Are the funds managed by the institution for the candidate, or are they transferred directly to the candidate’s personal account? Funds are administered by the applicant’s institution and are not transferred to a personal account.