Fellowship Grants

Fellowship Grants is sponsored by PKD Foundation. The PKD Foundation's fellowship grant program supports early-career scientists with achievements and potential in PKD research. The fellowships aim to attract promising trainees to gain significant research experience and pursue long, productive careers in PKD research.

At the PKD Foundation, our mission is to give hope. We fund research, advocate for patients, and build a community for all impacted by PKD. We support investigator-initiated research across the research continuum, including basic, translational, and clinical research.

We’re also committed to supporting a robust pipeline of junior investigators interested in a career in PKD through our fellowship and Young Investigator Award programs. The main goal of our research grant program is to develop clinical interventions for treating PKD.

This program funds basic laboratory research aimed at increasing understanding of the genetic and pathological processes involved in PKD as well as research with an obvious or direct potential to accelerate the development of potential therapies. Epidemiologic research proposals utilizing existing data resources to develop new statistical methodologies or to test hypotheses are also welcome. Applicants must have an M.

D. , Ph. D.

, or equivalent degree and hold a faculty appointment at the institution where the research will be conducted. Applicants need not be United States citizens. Requests for grant pre-applications are released in June, and invitations for full applications are released in October with an ultimate proposal deadline of mid-January.

Each grant recipient receives $120,000 per year for two years. After the first year of funding, grant recipients submit updates on the progress of their research. After the final year of funding, grant recipients submit the results of their studies in a final report.

An optional third year of support will be available to one of more young investigators. The recipient(s) will be selected from deserving grant applications to support the transition of a junior scientist to an independent investigator. Interested applicants will need to clearly outline their interest, eligibility, and scope of research for this third year of funding.

The PKD Foundation strives to be transparent in our decision-making processes. We rely on our grant review committees, who develop recommendations for funding, as well as the processes we use as a foundation to make funding decisions. Learn more here .

Research Grant Information Our fellowship grant program recognizes early-career scientists whose achievements and potential identify them as rising stars— the next generation of scientific leaders in PKD research. Our fellowships aim to attract promising trainees who will obtain significant research experience as they initiate and – we hope – spend long, productive careers in PKD research.

Requests for applications for fellowships are released in October with a January deadline. Recipients are notified in May, and the grant cycle begins on July 1 of the same year. Each recipient receives $70,000 a year for two years.

Applicants must have a Ph. D. or M.

D. degree. This application is for a training position and requires a mentor who is knowledgeable about PKD and the project.

Applicants must describe a clear career path and explain how this project is relevant to that path. A mentor may sponsor only one applicant. Applicants are evaluated by our Grants Review Committee, comprised of members of the Scientific Advisory Panel.

Applications are given a priority score based on the scientific merit of the project, its relevance to PKD research, and the training potential of the applicant. Award funding is based on the priority score, the recommendations of the Grants Review Committee and the availability of funds.

Fellowship Grant Information In March of 2023, we held a webinar with a member of the CDMRP staff to talk about what the application process looks like. You can also access slides shared in the webinar here .

ASN Foundation for Kidney Research A Career Development Grants Program provides funding for young faculty to foster evolution to an independent research career and a successful application for a National Institutes of Health (NIH) full R01 grant or equivalent. By the end of the grant period, a recipient will have an independent research career and be eligible for federal and nonfederal funding. For details, click here .

ASN Jared Grantham Research Fellowship To learn more, click here . PKD-RRC Pilot and Feasibility Grant To learn more, click here .