Mid-Career Award
Guidelines for Submission
The ACDS Mid-Career Development Award provides financial support for ACDS members to defray the cost of acquiring specific skills and knowledge to enhance their professional development in some aspect of contact dermatitis and/or occupational dermatology.
The goal of this Program is to provide ACDS members opportunities to enhance their career development through participating in "hands-on" training or other educational activities.
The applications are due by 11:59pm CST on April 15 and October 15 of each year. To apply for this award, please click here.
The Criteria
- Awards will be made for specific educational programs to individual members.
- Applicant must be at least six (6) years out of residency and a member in good standing of the ACDS at the time of application.
- Awards will be designated for acquiring academic, clinical or research skills in some aspect of contact dermatitis including but not limited to patch testing, occupational dermatology, teaching of contact dermatitis, etc.
- Criteria for awards will include the merit of the proposal, as well as the perceived need of the applicant to improve his or her skills in this area. Two letters of reference should be provided; one from potential Peer Expert that defines the content of the program with the beginning and ending dates (or letter of reference with documentation of the course) and a letter of recommendation from an ACDS Member.
- If the applicant and mentor are employed or affiliated at the same institution, the applicant must provide adequate justification for the necessity of the award.
- Applicants should identify the specific skill(s) they wish to acquire and define an educational program designed to meet the special needs.
- Up to $10,000 in grants will be awarded each year. Preference will be given to budgets of $4,000 or less.
- Awardees may request reasonable travel expenses, necessary tuition, and appropriate housing expenses but requests for the purchase of equipment, meeting registration fees and books are typically not funded. No indirect costs will be allowed.
Requirements
- If an approved proposal cannot be completed as originally submitted, the awardee must immediately contact the ACDS office. Arrangements will be made to return the award if already received or change to an alternative program approved by the Committee.
- Sixty days prior to the start of the mentoring program, the applicant is to reaffirm the dates of the mentoring program with the ACDS Office and request their award check indicating the address for mailing.
- Once the applicant has completed the approved program, the mentee is required to submit a written progress report and financial report summarizing the skills or knowledge acquired from this experience. Any unused funds must be returned to ACDS.
- Applications must be complete to receive full consideration from the review committee.
Note: The applicant must be able to complete the research in their own institution’s settings while abiding by any COVID restrictions that are currently in place.