Frommeyer Fellowship in Investigative Medicine Award

UABArchives Frommeyer Walter B. Frommeyer, Jr., M.D. Photo courtesy of UABArchives.The Walter B. Frommeyer, Jr., Fellowship in Investigative Medicine is an annual research award supported by the UAB Department of Medicine and the DREAM Council. This fellowship is designed to foster the development of outstanding physician-scientists by supporting a two-year intensive, mentored research experience.

Dr. Frommeyer was a Distinguished Professor of the University of Alabama and a Professor of Medicine in the School of Medicine. He served as a teacher, investigator, clinician, and administrator at UAB for more than two decades. In 1968, after eleven years as the third Chairman of the Department of Medicine, he stepped down from the role to devote more time to serving as President of the American Heart Association.

2025 Deadlines

Applications Due: Submit to domresearch@uabmc.edu on Monday, January 6, 2025, by 5:00 p.m.
Progress Report (Year 2): due Thursday, February 11, 2025
Award Notificaton: Thursday, March 19, 2025
Start of Funding: Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Research Progress Summary: February 2026

Eligibility

Candidate must have a clinical doctoral degree (e.g. M.D. or D.O.).
Must be enrolled in a clinical training program in the DOM or junior faculty (Instructor or Assistant Professor) with less than or equal to two years at rank at time of award (leaves of absence will be taken into consideration).
Must have completed at least one year of post-residency training at time of award activation.
Candidates currently funded by Research Training Grants may apply but must confirm eligibility with their mentor and Training Grant Principal Investigator.
Non-U.S. citizens or permanent residents must demonstrate that their visa or immigration status allows them to complete research training and pursue an academic career in the U.S.
Must be able to identify a Faculty Research Mentor with extensive research experience.
Must be willing to spend a minimum of 75% of full-time professional effort performing research and research career development.
Applicants who had or currently have an NIH K award are not eligible for the Frommeyer Award.

Note: Applicants may self-nominate and more than one person within a division are eligible to apply.

Submission Requirements

Submit the application as a single PDF.
Include a letter of support from the Division Director.
Provide a letter of recommendation from the Faculty Research Mentor.
Optionally, submit reprints of relevant published articles.
No additional materials (including appendices) are needed.
If applicable, unsuccessful NIH K08 Award applicants should submit a copy of their application and summary statement for the Frommeyer Fellowship.
Submit applications to domresearch@uabmc.edu on Monday, January 6, 2025, by 5:00 p.m.

Award Evaluation Considerations

Candidate: Must show clear intent to pursue a biomedical research career in academia.
Health Equity Statement: Describe how experiences, research, or scholarship promote health equity.
Research Program: Must provide a research plan starting with a detailed learning experience in basic or clinical investigation, leading to a research project under a qualified UAB Research Mentor.

Application Format

Face Page.
Career Development Plan (limited to two pages).
- Primary career intention.
- Outline short-term goals that contribute to long-term interests and key challenges that must be overcome to achieve these goals.
- Timeline and 2-3 metrics that will define success in reaching each goal.
- Describe training or experiences that will be developed to ensure successful achievement of long-term goals.
- Identify skills, knowledge, or experience needed for current or future roles and plan on how to acquire them.
- Health Equity Statement may be included here.
Proposed Research Plan [(a) - (e) limited to six pages - not including bibliography]
- Specific Aims
  - Provide a clear, concise summary of the aims of the work proposed and its relationship to goals. State the hypothesis to be tested.
- Background and Significance
  - Summarize key results in the field, critically evaluate existing knowledge, and identify gaps this project aims to fill.
  - In a clear, concise way, state the importance and relevance of the research.
- Preliminary Studies
  - Summarize previous relevant work demonstrating competence for the proposed project. Include pilot studies, if available; if none, state so.
- Research Design and Methods
  - Provide a clear, detailed description of proposed tests, methods, and procedures, including new methodologies and their advantages over existing ones.
  - Outline the study's overall design, focusing on statistical approaches, control adequacy, sample size, and result analysis. Mention any collaborative arrangements.
  - Address potential challenges, limitations, and alternative approaches to meet the study's objectives.
Budget and Budget Justification
Biosketches (NIH format—5 pages maximum) for applicant and faculty research mentor
Letters of Support from faculty research mentor and the division director
Reprints of Articles by applicant that are pertinent to the application

Letters of Support

The candidate must select a UAB Faculty Research Mentor who is an accomplished investigator in basic or translational research, experienced in training independent investigators, and able to guide the research plan. Both the Research Mentor and Division Director must submit detailed letters of support, which should include:

Evaluation of the candidate's potential for a research career in academic medicine.
Summary of the candidate’s training support, including plans for applications to NIH, NSF, or foundations.
Career development plan for the candidate as an independent physician-scientist.
The Research Mentor's commitment to providing laboratory resources (space, supplies, equipment).
The Division Director’s commitment to 75% protected time during the fellowship.
Statement of cost-share support if needed.

Duration and Effort

This is a two-year award with second-year funding contingent on sufficient research progress.
Candidate must devote at least 75% effort to research and the training program, with a maximum of one month of attending duties per year or 1/2 day per week in an outpatient clinic.
The remaining time can be spent on clinical or teaching duties aligned with developing as an independent physician-scientist.

Allowable Costs

Total Award: Provides two years of support, including up to $50,000 per year for fellows' salary and up to $75,000 for junior faculty (plus fringe benefits). Additionally, up to $10,000 annually is available for research-related supplies and equipment.

Salary and Related Benefits: The Department of Medicine will provide up to $50,000 per year (plus fringe benefits) for fellows' salary, based on the NIH postdoctoral pay scale, and up to $75,000 per year (plus fringe benefits) for junior faculty. Additional salary support may be offered at the Division Director's discretion.

Note: Individuals whose salary would be covered by a Training Grant in the year of activation of the Frommeyer Award will receive a maximum of $10,000 in supply money, subject to budget approval.

Evaluation

Candidates will be evaluated on their potential to pursue an academic career in research.
Research projects will be reviewed for scientific and technical merit by the Department of Medicine's DREAM Council and appropriate secondary reviewers.