Patient Directed Investigation Grant

Patient Directed Investigation Grant is sponsored by Dermatology Foundation (DF). Supports translational studies that have the potential to directly benefit patients and enhance the career development of patient-oriented clinical investigators in the early stages of their career.

Patient Directed Investigation Grant - Dermatology Foundation Patient Directed Investigation Grant Impact Patient Care with a Research Grant The Patient Directed Investigation Grant exists to support translational studies that have the potential to benefit patients directly.

Such studies may concern medical dermatology, dermatologic surgery, procedural dermatology, pediatric dermatology, or other aspects of the specialty that impact patient care. The annual award of $25,000 in funding is intended to enhance the career development of patient-oriented clinical investigators in the early stages of their career development.

All Foundation-funded research must be conducted in the U.S. under the sponsorship of a department/division of dermatology that is ACGME-approved for training in dermatology. Applicants must meet the DF’s general eligibility requirements, in addition to award-specific requirements presented on or before the time of funding. Applicants from minority populations are encouraged to apply.

The DF encourages applications concerning health issues impacting applicants from minority populations, including, but not limited to, racial minorities, sexual ¬ gender/LGBTQ minorities, and underserved/disadvantaged populations. How do I apply for the Patient Directed Investigation Grant?

Starting July 2026, the DF will be accepting new applications for career development awards, fellowships and research grants via our CDAFG Research Award Application Portal . The Applicant Instructions provided below include essential information potential applicants need to know to evaluate the various award opportunities and develop a successful application and research proposal.

Interested individuals are strongly encouraged to read sections II and III before assembling their application. The DF has also prepared a Quick Reference Guide to enable users to quickly acclimate to the online application system.

Application deadline: October 15, 2026 CDAFG Applicant Instructions [PDF] CDAFG Portal Quick Reference [PDF] Cell Signaling Changes Induced by Surgical Debulking May Improve Response to Smoothened Inhibitor Therapy Smoothened (SMO) inhibitors, such as vismodegib, are effective treatments for locally advanced basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). However, recurrences are frequent upon treatment discontinuation.

Our clinical observations suggest long-term remission for patients undergoing surgical debulking of exophytic BCCs prior to SMO inhibitor therapy. This study intends to correlate key oncogenic signaling pathways induced by surgical debulking with improved patient outcomes with SMO inhibitors.

Pennsylvania State University Patient Directed Investigation Grant Award Recipients | Patient Directed Investigation Grant 2024 Award Recipients | Patient Directed Investigation Grant In Vitro Investigation of Cinacalcet as a Non-Immunosuppressive Therapy for Pemphigus Vulgaris Changing a Paradigm in Prurigo Nodularis - Protective Role of Facial Skin Commensals 2023 Award Recipients | Patient Directed Investigation Grant Harvard University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Spatial Transcriptomic Profiling of Skin to Discern Dermatomyositis Versus Lupus Erythematosus 2021 Award Recipients | Patient Directed Investigation Grant Pennsylvania State University Cell Signaling Changes Induced by Surgical Debulk May Improve Response to Smoothened Inhibitor Therapy 2020 Award Recipients | Patient Directed Investigation Grant Neuropathic Sensory Phenotyping in Pruritus: A Mechanistic Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment