Program Description:
UAMS strives to maintain an outstanding training environment and our commitment to excellence in research training is crucial to the institution’s success. One measure of research training success is the number of external fellowships awarded to postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. Several federal funding agencies and foundations have excellent opportunities for trainees to gain recognition for outstanding research activity. Many UAMS trainees are promising candidates for individual fellowships, but many who are eligible – and competitive – do not apply. The FIRE program is designed to encourage UAMS trainees from all Colleges to apply for extramural fellowships. These include fellowships from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, and the Department of Defense.
Program Goals:
To encourage a culture where our trainees and their mentors prepare and submit competitive applications for national programs, as well as to underscore the value of these fellowships, we are pleased to offer the FIRE program to all postdoctoral fellows and graduate students in UAMS training programs. The primary goals of this program are:
- Increase the number of submitted fellowship applications.
- Increase the quality of fellowship applications through an internal review process.
- Increase the number of successful fellowship applications.
- Attract talented trainees to UAMS programs.
Eligibility Criteria:
The FIRE program is available to all UAMS postdoctoral fellows and graduate students in which extramural individual fellowship funding is available. To be eligible for the FIRE program:
- Fellowship award must provide more than 75% of the current base salary/stipend. Applications for and receipt of travel and other small grants are not eligible for an award under this program.
- Fellowship awards must be in the trainee’s name, be from a source outside of UAMS, and must be related to the research area of the trainee.
Eligible Funding Mechanisms Include but not limited to:
- NIH Kirschstein Individual Predoctoral NRSA
- NIH R36
- NIH K99/R00
- National Science Foundation
- American Heart Association
- Ford Foundation Fellowship Program
- Other funding mechanisms will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Fellowships associated with a UAMS-based NIH training program are not eligible (e.g., T32, TL1)
One-time award for submission:
Trainees who apply for an individual fellowship (e.g., NSF, NIH NRSA, or other) will be awarded up to $500 from the FIRE Fund as a reward for applying. To qualify for this award, the application must be reviewed by the primary mentor prior to submission, who must provide written confirmation that the application is competitive. After submission of the grant application, the trainee will provide a PDF of the application to the FIRE program, and the award will be authorized when the trainee provides evidence that the application has been received by the granting agency. Submission awards are capped at $500 total. The granting of awards will be contingent upon an evaluation by the program manager in the Division of Research and Innovation, with the purpose of confirming that submissions meet the competitive standards required.
Scholarship for Awarded Applications:
The FIRE program offers a one-time $5000 scholarship payment to trainees who are awarded an extramural fellowship. The scholarship funds will be provided by the FIRE Fund and can only be received once even if multiple fellowships are awarded.
Application process:
- Compose your fellowship grant application.
- Obtain formal feedback from your primary mentor.
- Submit your fellowship application to the granting agency.
- Submit a PDF of the application to the FIRE portal.
- Receive your one-time submission award within 4 weeks.
- After receiving an eligible award, submit a copy of the Notice of Award through the FIRE portal.
- Paperwork to receive the FIRE scholarship will be initiated.
Inquiries about the FIRE program: If you have any questions about the FIRE program, please contact the FIRE program administrator: Dr. Mohamed Elasri, Division of Research and Innovation @ Fellowshipinitiative_FIRE@uams.edu