Fellowships & Early Career Awards

Nearly 10 million people worldwide live with Parkinson's, with numbers expected to increase by 20% by 2030. The need to solve PD is acute and requires a continued influx of talented scientists dedicated to PD research. The Parkinson's Foundation identifies and supports talented postdoctoral fellows who have demonstrated a vision to help us solve, treat, and end PD to ensure the PD community has the ideas and people necessary to address the causes, symptom progression, consequences and treatments of this disease. The Foundation aims to help these young scientists transition and succeed in independent careers to maximize their impact in PD research.

The Launch Award will cultivate a strong cohort of new and talented independent investigators dedicated to PD research. The award will provide research support to outstanding postdoctoral researchers that will enable them to complete needed mentored training and transition promptly to independent research careers in the PD field. This award is a two-stage program consisting of a Mentored Stage (1-2 years) and an Independent Stage (up to 2 years). The strongest applicants will propose a well-conceived plan for 1-2 years of mentored research training and career development to help them become competitive candidates for independent faculty positions, preparing them to launch robust, separate research programs studying PD.

The Launch Award seeks to attract the best and brightest individuals conducting research in the U.S. or internationally. At the end of the funding period, it is expected that awardees will become independent research leaders with their own research space and research team.

The Launch Award is a two-stage program that tracks the awardee's career stage, providing a total of $400,000 for up to 4 years. The support during the two stages is as follows:

• Mentored Stage. The Mentored Stage is intended to last a minimum of 12 months and no more than 2 years. The funds available for this stage are capped at $80,000 per year, including approximately $20,000 per year for research support. During the Mentored Stage, salary support will be commensurate with the institution's pay scale of up to $60,000. An expected 75% of the applicant's time is to be dedicated to research. The remaining 25% effort is for additional training, postdoctoral projects, and publishing of results. There is no provision for the fringe benefits or deduction of indirect cost during the Mentored Stage of the award. Funds are awarded for two years, subject to annual review of progress.
• Independent Stage. The Independent Stage provides up to 2 years of support contingent upon securing an independent research position at an independent academic or research institution and follows directly after the Mentored Stage of the award. The Independent Stage phase of the award has a total cost limit of $120,000 per year. Applicant salary support is permitted up to 40% of awarded funds, including fringe benefits. Deduction of indirect costs, not exceeding 10 percent of direct costs, from the total is allowed. As in the Mentored Stage, funds are awarded for two years — subject to annual progress reviews. Applicants may not hold concurrent research awards from the Foundation but are encouraged to leverage Launch Award funding for additional grant support. Ideally, the applicant will be ready to submit an NIH R01 or equivalent grant by the conclusion of a Launch Award.

Applicant must possess a PhD, MD, or equivalent degree and be within 18 months to 6 years of completing that degree or clinical training at the time of application, including resubmission. Applicant must currently be in a postdoctoral or other mentored position and must name and provide a letter of support from an established investigator who will serve as the mentor and supervisor. Applicants requiring less than 12 months of mentored research training and career development are not eligible for this award. Applicants may not have their own lab or equivalent. US citizenship or permanent resident status are not required – international applicants are welcome.

Transition to the Independent Stage of the award is not automatic and will be subject to progress review. The successful transition depends upon the applicant obtaining a full-time independent researcher position at the US or international institution, as recognized by their respective institutions. This position would make the awardee eligible to apply for an NIH R01 or equivalent grant as a PI and lead an independent research team. The Foundation will evaluate the evidence of independence and institutional support based on individual institutions’ regulations.

Applicants from groups that have been historically underrepresented or excluded in the scientific workforce, including but not limited to racial and ethnic groups, sexual orientation and gender identities, individuals with mental/physical disabilities, and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, are especially encouraged.

We encourage Launch Award applications in all areas of Parkinson's Disease research. The Parkinson's Foundation application process is highly competitive. To make the process more efficient for both applicants and reviewers, we require a two-step application. Initially, we ask applicants to send a Letter of Intent (LOI). The Parkinson's Foundation will only consider applicants who submit complete LOIs by the specified deadline. If selected, the applicant will be invited to submit a full-length proposal. All components of the application must be submitted online through ProposalCentral, the Foundation’s grant portal.

Launch Award is offered every other year. For current application dates visit Award Deadlines.

If this program is currently open, click on Apply Now to enter ProposalCentral, where you will find additional documents and details regarding the application process, the LOI guideliness, and the list of required components.

Proposals are subject to peer review and are competitively ranked based upon the candidate's accomplishments, scientific merit, the impact of proposed research upon Parkinson's disease, and alignment with the Foundation's mission.

Final decisions are expected by late May. The Foundation's funding year typically begins July 1 and ends June 30 the following year.

The Parkinson’s Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships are two-year fellowships for scientists fresh from their PhD training or neurology residence. The fellowships support training at major research institutions to help these scientists become independent Parkinson’s disease researchers. The Parkinson’s Foundation seeks research proposals from promising early career scientists that will directly impact the understanding of Parkinson’s disease or its treatment. Applicants must name an individual who will serve as their research mentor and supervisor. Please include a clear indication of mentor involvement in the proposed project. 

The program offers two different levels of support for basic research scientists and clinical neurologists. The program grants $134,000 over two years to Basic Scientists, including $62,000 for the postdoctoral fellowship salary stipend and an annual $5,000 research allowance. The program grants $150,000 over two years to Clinical Neurologists, including $70,000 in annual salary support and a $5,000 annual research allowance.

The Postdoctoral Fellowship salary stipend may be supplemented by your mentor from other sources to match the current NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Stipend or your institutional pay scale levels, but never decreased. The $5,000 research allowance may be used at the discretion of the fellow, with the approval of the mentor, to pay for items such as books, training courses, travel costs, or a computer.

This award does not provide for a provision for the deduction of fringe benefits, postdoctoral taxes, institutional or administrative costs, or other fees. Healthcare expenses remain an issue for the research community and many costs are being born as out-of-pocket expenses for Fellows. Therefore, if requested in writing to the Foundation prior to the start of the award, the fellow can apply up to $1,000 of their research allowance per annum to defray the Fellow’s out-of-pocket costs for their health insurance premium (this does not apply to Fellows who have their health insurance premiums fully covered by their institution).

The Basic Scientists applicants must be within five years of receiving their Ph.D. at the time the award starts (i.e., on or after August 1, 2020). The Clinical Neurologists must possess an M.D. or equivalent and be within three years of having completed a residency in neurology at the time the award starts (i.e., on or after August 1, 2022). The Foundation has a policy of extending an applicant’s eligibility for postdoctoral fellowships due to formal periods of leave (e.g., maternity, paternity, adoptive, family care, military, or extended sick leave). The maximum period that a nominee’s eligibility may be extended is two (2) years. This program is open to both national and international applicants. If awarded, a Postdoctoral Fellow must commit 80% of their effort to the Parkinson's Foundation-funded project. Additionally, fellows may not concurrently hold an overlapping award from another source.

Applications from groups that have been historically underrepresented or excluded in the scientific workforce, including but not limited to racial and ethnic groups, sexual orientation and gender identities, individuals with mental/physical disabilities, and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, are especially encouraged.

We encourage proposals from all areas of Parkinson's disease research. The application process is highly competitive. To make the process more efficient for both applicants and reviewers, the application is in two-steps. The first step is a Letter of Intent (LOI). The Parkinson's Foundation will only consider applicants who submit complete LOIs by the specified deadline. If selected after review, the applicant will then be invited to submit a full-length proposal. An applicant may apply to only one program per funding cycle. In addition, an applicant may not submit multiple LOIs (with different projects) to the same program during the same funding cycle. Applications from multiple individuals within the same lab or under the same mentor are permitted, but only one fellowship per lab may be awarded. Similarly, only one fellowship per institution may be awarded per year.

All components of the application must be submitted online through the Foundation's grant portal, ProposalCentral, where the LOI guidelines and the list of required components can be found (Apply Now).

For current application dates visit Award Deadlines.

LOIs and full proposals are subject to peer review and are competitively ranked based upon the candidate’s accomplishments, scientific merit, potential to develop into an independent scientist, impact of proposed research upon Parkinson's disease, and alignment with the Foundation’s mission. Final decisions are expected in June. The Foundation’s funding year typically begins August 1 and ends July 31 the following year.

The Summer Student Fellowships Program supports students, specifically advanced undergraduates and medical students, in their pursuit of Parkinson's-related summer research projects. The goal of the Parkinson's Foundation Summer Student Fellowships is to cultivate students' early interest in helping to solve, treat and end Parkinson's and providing the tools they need to transition into leaders in the field.

Fellows work under the close supervision of a sponsor who is an expert in the Parkinson's community and oversees the project.

We offer summer fellowships for 10 weeks of clinical or laboratory work with a $4,000 award. We invite fellows to apply for up to $1,000 in travel funds to attend a related scientific conference to present their research upon project completion. The award supports the student's summer research, defraying tuition costs of research credits or supplementing living or housing costs.

This award may be taxable; the Parkinson's Foundation sends an IRS form 1099 to the recipient at the end of the calendar year.

Undergraduate students and medical students are eligible for summer fellowships. Each applicant must show a mentor with whom he or she will conduct the proposed project. This program is open to national and international applicants.

Submit applications online. The application period typically opens in October and closes in early December. Please see our grants deadline page for current dates. We typically notify successful applicants in mid-March.

For current application dates visit Award Deadlines.

A complete application must consist of the following five items:

1. Brief two-page proposal written by the applicant in conjunction with mentor describing the research plan
2. Copy of applicant's academic transcript (unofficial is acceptable)
3. Applicant statement describing why he or she is interested in conducting Parkinson's research, qualifications and the research relevance to future career or research interests
4. Mentor-written support letter discussing student qualifications, affirming available facilities and materials and agreeing to actively guide the student's work. Mentors must send this letter separately to grants@parkinson.org with "Summer Fellowship" in the subject line. All letters must be submitted by application deadline
5. Completed application.

Note: We will reject incorrect or incomplete applications without comment.

The Parkinson's Foundation judges applications based on the feasibility of the applicant's project, the applicant's background and the appropriateness of the mentor. We typically make final decisions in mid-March and will contact all candidates at that time. Successful applicant funding may begin as early as June 1.

The goal of the Parkinson's Foundation Visiting Scholar Award is to provide graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with opportunities for expanding their existing skillset to benefit their Parkinson's research. Gone are the days when research is done in silos. Collaboration and learning from one another are key aspects of research conducted today, regardless of the field. The Visiting Scholar Program provides this opportunity so that future Parkinson's research continues to be innovative, creative, and multi-disciplinary.

This award provides a $4,000 stipend to support the travel and housing of scholar while visiting a host laboratory to learn new techniques that will benefit their Parkinson's research. Examples include microscopy, molecular biology, surgical techniques, computer modeling, and others. While the goal is to learn a new technique, it should not be done in isolation. A small project incorporating the new technique is required, ideally incorporating the Scholars's current research project. Scholars will work under the close supervision of the principal investigator of the host laboratory who will oversee the project. The award is to be used at the Scholar's discretion to supplement research costs or to supplement travel and housing costs while visiting the host laboratory.

Upon completion of their project, Scholars are invited to apply for up to $1,000 in travel funds to attend a related scientific conference to present their research.

Note: this award may be taxable; an IRS form 1099 will be sent to the recipient at the end of the calendar year.

PhD students and postdoctoral fellows conducting Parkinson's research for their thesis are eligible for this program. This program is open to applicants regardless of nationality or location. Each applicant must identify a mentor with whom he or she will conduct the proposed project. Students must be in their second year or later, and have an expected graduate date no sooner than 6 months after the end of the summer project.

Host mentors and their laboratory are not required to conduct Parkinson's research, but the technique learned must be applicable to Parkinson's research. The host laboratory must be a significant distance from the Fellow's institution and must not be an affiliate of the Fellow's Institution.

All applications must be submitted online through our website at Parkinson.org/Grants; no paper copies will be accepted. The application period typically opens in October and closes in early December.

Please see Award Deadlines for current dates.

Briefly, a complete application will consist of the following six items:

1. Brief, two-page proposal describing the research plan (written by applicant in conjunction with both the current and host mentors)
2. Statement by the applicant, describing how his or her Parkinson's research will benefit from learning the new technique described in the research proposal
3. Copy of the scholar's academic transcript (unofficial is acceptable)
4. Letter of support, written by the current mentor discussing qualifications of the student;
5. Letter of support, written by the principal investigator of the host laboratory under whom the applicant plans to work, affirming that facilities and materials will be available and agreeing to actively guide the scholar's work
6. Application form, completed.

Note: Incorrect or incomplete applications will be rejected without comment.

Applications are judged based on the relevance of the technique to be learned to advance an applicant's PD research, the overall feasibility of the applicant's project, the background of the applicant, and the appropriateness of the host mentor.

Successful applicants are typically notified in mid-March. The Parkinson's Foundation will contact all candidates. Funding for successful applicants may commence as early as May 1.