Research Scholar Program
Criteria for Review
Applicant
The Applicant's achievements (as reflected by awards, honors, previous funding, etc.) should indicate his or her potential for success as a urology researcher.
The Applicant's stated career goals, and the letters of recommendation should provide indications of his or her commitment to pursuing urology disease research throughout his or her career.
Mentor
The Mentor's letter of support should emphasize the Applicant's potential for an independent career in urology research and include a realistic time frame for the Applicant's career path.
It should be very clear that the Applicant's Mentor is strongly supportive of both the research project and the Applicant. In addition, the Mentor should have the required expertise to provide sufficient scientific guidance and oversight and should be an independent investigator with a track record of success in research publication, grant funding and development of trainees who have achieved academic success.
It also should be readily apparent that the Mentor has adequately reviewed the application before submission. While the Mentor may assist with preparation of the application, it should be readily apparent that the Applicant performed a significant portion of the work in preparing the application package. The Mentor is required to state such on the Application Agreement Form.
Proposal
The major consideration for the Proposal is it sufficient to provide the Scholar with a rigorous and meaningful research training experience.
The experimental plan should be thoughtfully laid out. Expected results, likely obstacles and potential alternative strategies should be discussed. Space limitations are not considered an adequate reason for an incomplete research plan. Often, Applicants provide a sufficient rationale and review of the literature but then go on to inadequately describe exactly what the Applicant hopes to accomplish and what specific strategies will be employed.
Applications which demonstrate the Applicant's own expertise in an area, either technical or conceptual (e.g., the project is the Applicant's own idea), are often rated higher than projects that appear to be extensions of the ongoing work in the Mentor's lab.
The application should be well organized and the proposal design should suggest the Applicant's ability to think clearly and to present an argument in a logical, compelling way.
Figures should be designed to be easily interpreted with clear legends and labels and should be of sufficient size so that photocopying does not obscure any of the data or labeling. Abbreviations should be used infrequently and should be defined when used. Reviewers often look to the figures for important controls that support the Applicant's interpretation of the data shown.
Projects that will help the Scholar transition into an independent academic position are often rated higher than projects that, although interesting, appear to be less likely to move the Applicant's career ahead in a substantial way.
Another consideration is how likely it will be to achieve the project's specific aims within the proposed time frame.
Selection Procedures
Other than choosing a one-year or two-year award, applicants cannot designate the award for which they are applying (Segura, Dornier, AUA Section Award, ect.). Selections are based on the review of all submitted information by a group of experts. All applications will be reviewed, scored, ranked, and as many proposals as possible will be matched to the appropriate award. This allows the greatest flexibility and possibility for funding. Proposals for research that will be conducted outside of the boundaries of the AUA sections will be considered only for the Joseph Segura Research Scholar Award in Endourology and Stone Management.
Awardees will be notified in writing in December 2011. An initial communication will advise the Applicant of whether his/her proposal will be funded. Subsequently, each applicant, regardless of funding status, will be provided with a summary statement of his/her grant review. Results will not be given over the phone. Please wait for notification by mail.
