CLEAR-AD U19 Diversity Scholars Program
Host Institutions:
Mayo Clinic – Jacksonville, FL
Indiana University – Indianapolis, IN, US
The Centrally-linked Longitudinal pEripheral biomARkers of AD (CLEAR-AD) program is seeking applicants for its Diversity Scholars Program. This program is designed to increase representation of Black/African American (B/AA) and Hispanic/Latino American (H/L) scientists in the field of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research, based on the fact that despite having higher risk of developing AD, individuals from these populations remain underrepresented in AD research teams. The overall goal of CLEAR-AD is to discover and validate precision medicine biomarkers of AD in multi-ethnic populations, including B/AA and H/L populations. The program bridges from cellular and molecular biology of AD to multimodal neuroimaging and cognitive phenotypes in the context of moving toward precision medicine in AD.
CLEAR-AD U19 Diversity Scholars is a 2-year program for early-career scientists from groups underrepresented in biomedical research. Each awardee will receive $25,000/year to facilitate their participation in this program. Recent college graduates, graduate students, postdoctoral/clinical fellows, and early-stage faculty are encouraged to apply. Mayo Clinic and Indiana University will each be accepting one U19 Diversity Scholar. Scholars will have access to a rich curriculum, along with formal mentorship. Scholars will also be integrated into a project within the CLEAR-AD U19 and participate in program meetings.
CLEAR-AD U19 Diversity Scholars will be matched with U19 investigators who have extensive mentorship experience along with multi-disciplinary expertise in research areas including clinical and translational medicine, neuroimaging, computational biology, single cell biology, and multi-omics. Scholars will learn about and publish in key research areas in AD and gain career networking experience, including the opportunity to present their work at local and national meetings.
Potential research topics:
- Single cell/single nucleus biology
- Computational and systems biology
- Data Analytics: bioinformatics, biostatistics, AI/machine learning, data harmonization
- Multi-omics: transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, DNA methylation
- Neuroimaging: Basic and advanced MRI modalities; amyloid PET and tau PET
- Molecular biology
- Social-cultural, multi-ethnic factors and Social Determinates of Health in multiomics
research
Application materials:
- NIH Biosketch
- 2-page research plan
- 1-page description of applicant’s career goals and how this award would contribute to those goals.
- Letter of support from a mentor that speaks to the excellence of the applicant, existing support and resources relevant to conducting their research plan, and how the candidate’s career would benefit from this award.
Application is closed and will reopen in spring 2025.
Award Details:
- Start date: May 1, 2024
- Two candidates selected per year (one Mayo Clinic Scholar and one Indiana University Scholar)
- Annual award of $25,000 per year per candidate
- Timeframe: 2-year period
To learn more about this grant, visit clear-ad.org
Eligibility Requirements:
- Recent college graduate, graduate student, post-doctoral/clinical fellows, or early-stage faculty investigator
- Applicants must be affiliated with a university or institution in the United States