CatWalk Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship

Purpose

These fellowships are intended to provide personal support for postdoctoral researchers to undertake research aimed at advancing towards a cure for spinal cord injury.

Scope

Projects can be based at approved research institutions in New Zealand or internationally

Who can apply?

Those who have submitted or been awarded a PhD within the 8 years prior to the application closing date *(see Time Outside of Research)

What can be funded?

Up to two years of full-time salary support

What will not be funded?

* Fellows whose salary for the proposed project is already funded

* Equipment

* Working expenses

* Student stipends

Closing dates

_If the closing date falls on a weekend or holiday, it will be extended to the next working day_

* 1 October

Process

* The review process is managed by the Neurological Foundation. Contact the Catwalk Trust for an application form at catwalk.org.nz/research/funding-opportunities/

* Complete the application form, including signatures from your mentor and host institution. The Neurological Foundation will only accept applications sent by the host institution’s research office

* The budget requested should be in NZD. The CatWalk Trust will not award more than is requested in the budget and does not fund institutional overheads

* Supporting documentation:

· NZ Standard CVs for the applicant, using the template available at www.neurological.org.nz/apply-for-funding/

· A letter of support from the proposed primary mentor and their CV

* Selected applicants will be invited to attend an interview with the Foundation’s Personal Awards Committee, where you will describe your project and future plans

* Applicants will be advised of the outcome early in December

* Successful applicants will be informed of the conditions of the grant and asked for their formal acceptance of the research contract.

General Advice

Objectives

The key objectives of the CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust are:

* Support the scientific opinion that a cure for SCI can be found

* Promote and generate funding for research into a cure for paralysis

* Identify and assist in medical research and development into techniques designed for the regeneration of the effects of spinal cord injuries

* Monitor the research progress of all scientists funded by the Trust

* Provide targeted assistance to organisations working on projects that promote the purpose of the Trust.

* Disseminate information about research into SCI

* Foster cooperation between all disciplines engaged in central nervous system research, regeneration and direct relief

* Cooperate with international efforts in this field

The Trust will accept applications for research aligned with these objectives.

Assessment

The Neurological Foundation of NZ undertakes the evaluation of all applications to The CatWalk Trust on the basis of their scientific merit and relevance to the aims of the Trust.

The Neurological Foundation makes a recommendation to The CatWalk Trust on whether the application should, in their view be considered for funding. The final decision on funding is made by The CatWalk Board of Trustees.

Time Outside of Research

Exceptions will be considered for significant periods of time outside of research for reasons of illness, bereavement, caregiver or parental leave. Reduced FTEs are not considered as time outside of research. Other exceptions may be considered, please contact the CatWalk Trust prior to submission. You may be asked to provide evidence. For example, a research fellow who has taken one years’ parental leave will need to have submitted or been awarded their PhD within 9 years prior to the application closing date.

Resubmission

The Neurological Foundation’s Personal Awards Committee provides constructive feedback to applicants after each grant round. If unsuccessful, applicants can resubmit their proposal in a subsequent grant round. However, the Committee believes that a third submission of an unsuccessful project is not appropriate. Therefore, only one resubmission of a fellowship application will be accepted.

Research contracts

Successful applicants will be offered research contracts that outline the conditions of the grant, including the following:

* If required, ethics approval must be obtained prior to commencing the project

* A CatWalk Trust Fellowship cannot be held simultaneously with any other fellowship

* The host institution will administer the fellowship

* The fellowship will have a specific start date and end date

* The institution’s research programme may be rapidly evolving and the details of the research project may change after the application is made. The Fellow may be involved in several research projects that develop during the course of the fellowship. If the contractual details of the fellowship change a variation request will need to be submitted to the CatWalk Trust

* A final report will be required within 3 months of the fellowship end date

* Any presentations or publications resulting from the project will acknowledge the Trust’s support

Questions?

If you have any queries please contact the Trust’s General Manager for advice at [mailto:meg@catwalk.org.nz,meg@catwalk.org.nz]. If you need support with the application process, contact the Neurological Foundation at [mailto:research@neurological.org.nz,research@neurological.org.nz].

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