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Junior Investigators are early career researchers who have recently moved or are set to transition to fully independent positions as investigators, faculty members, and/or clinician scientists. They focus on establishing themselves as the experts in their fields.
Career Development Awards (CDAs) are mentored grants that are designed to provide further training for the applicant and direct research support to enable the transition to an independent research career. Applications for these awards therefore involve a parallel research and training plans which are weighted equally in the review process. The research proposal should provide a platform for supporting the applicant’s training goals, which should be sufficiently robust to require a 4-5 year learning (and funding) timeline. Strong applications have well-integrated research and training plans and a logical progression of activities in each arm over the course of the award.
Please review the PDFs together with your mentor, for Semel-specific CDA Guidance.
As a next step, please complete this CDA Intake Form. Consult with the Pre-Award Office and take advantage of some of the opportunities below:
There are several mechanisms for CDA awards (e.g., NIMH, NIDA, VA), each with its own application timeline and funding. It is important to familiarize yourself with the specific structure and requirements of your proposed mechanism. Moreover, because CDA applications are larger and more complex, they require a significantly longer timeline to prepare than smaller grants. Applicants should prepare to devote a minimum of one year (typically longer) to developing a CDA. This process includes (a) publishing with the proposed mentor, (b) collecting pilot data in direct support of the application; (c) developing research and training aims that logically link and support each other; (d) meeting with program officers at the relevant funding agency for feedback; and (e) meeting with the Semel CDA committee for feedback.
The U.S. National Science Foundation offers grants and supplemental funding to early-career researchers working across a wide range of research areas. Early-career researchers are also eligible (and encouraged) to compete for NSF's core grants, special initiatives and other funding mechanisms. Explore these opportunities on NSF's Funding Search page.
The Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation awards fellowship grants annually to outstanding post-doctoral candidates who are investigating the causes, prevention, and treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD or depression, especially those from low-income families and under-resourced communities, or other marginalized populations that may have limited supports and resources.
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund's financial support is channeled primarily through competitive peer-reviewed award programs. BWF makes grants primarily to degree-granting institutions on behalf of individual researchers.
The FNIH funds and facilitates innovative training programs, often in partnership with NIH, that aim to attract the best minds research. The Deeda Blair Research Initiative For Disorders Of The Brain is one of search programs created to improve the diagnosis and treatment of severe mental illness, including mood disorders, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and psychotic disorders.
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) Young Investigator Grants provide each scientist with up to $35,000 per year for two years totaling $70,000 to enable promising investigators to either extend research fellowship training or begin careers as independent research faculty.
The Harvey L. and Maud C. Sorensen Foundation award supports either clinician-scientists as they transition from their fellowship training to junior faculty positions or junior faculty in their first three years who are seeking permanent, tenure-track positions at accredited medical schools in California.
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