2023-2024 Sanford Research Fellowship

Apply to be a Sanford Research Fellow!

Applications for the 2023-2024 academic year open December 9.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Through the Sanford Research Fellows program, the Center aims to support students, trainees, and early-career researchers with an interest in empathy and compassion research. The award provides research funding to fellows under the guidance of a faculty mentor for their basic or applied empathy and compassion-related research projects. In addition to financial support, Fellows are welcomed into the Sanford Institute community and provided with opportunities for fellowship, knowledge sharing, and professional development. Fellows and mentors are encouraged to take an active role in Institute life and to interact with the broader community engaged in research related to empathy and compassion. Fellows will present their findings at the conclusion of each award period.

Read about our 2022-2023 Sanford Research Fellows: Awarded Fellows

AWARD

Support will be provided for up to two years for Fellows. Renewal for a second year requires submission and approval of a progress report covering the first year. The full cost of stipend/salary will be covered for all Fellows. Tuition and fees will be covered for pre-doctoral Fellows; up to $5,000 will be allowed to support their supplies/reagents. For postdoctoral Scholars up to $15,000 will be provided for supplies/reagents.

ELIGIBILITY

Any full-time UC San Diego medical student, graduate student, or postdoctoral scholar interested in conducting research related to empathy and compassion is encouraged to apply. We welcome applications for basic and applied research projects. Applicants are required to identify a UCSD faculty mentor to develop the research project collaboratively. The program welcomes as mentor all members of the UCSD faculty, including Adjunct members whose primary affiliation is through the Salk Institute, The Scripps Research Institute, or the Sanford/Burnham/Prebys Institute.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

First-Stage Application: Letter of Intent (LOI)

Applicants will provide an overview of their proposed project in a brief (~500 word) abstract within our applicant portal.

The submission form will include:

Project Title
Research Question
Relevance of project outcomes to the goals of the Sanford Institute
Proposed Methodologies
Target participants
Research team members and roles
Please include a NIH or equivalent biosketch for both fellows and mentors

During initial review, projects will be evaluated for their relevance to the Center’s mission, methodology, and potential for scientific impact.

Applicants selected to proceed to the second stage will receive an invitation to submit a formal proposal.

DEADLINES

Applications open December 9, 2022.

First-Stage Applications close January 9, 2023 at 5 p.m. (PST).

Instructions and deadlines for second-stage applications will be provided via email.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications must be submitted to our application portal.

Please note, not all of the Institute’s programs use the same application portal. Applicants should ensure they use the link provided above.

ACCOUNT SETUP

First-time Applicants:

Provide your email. This will be the primary point of contact for your application. UCSD applicants, please use your institutional email ending in @ucsd.edu
Set password and complete your profile

Returning Applicants:

If you receive the message that your email is already in use, select “Forgot your password?”
Follow the emailed instructions to set your password and establish your account

LETTER OF INTENT APPLICATION

Select “Get Started”
Next to “Letter of Intent”, select “Open”
Select "2023 Fellows Program" in the program drop down menu
When you are ready to submit, select “Submit” at the end of the application and again in green
When your application has successfully been submitted, you will receive a thank you message

PORTAL NAVIGATION

Each project will be listed on your home page
Outstanding tasks will appear in orange

QUESTIONS?

Please direct all inquiries to Catherine Christian at cchristian@health.ucsd.edu.