Yesterday, the International Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (IACFS/ME) announced that the NIH awarded them a R13 conference grant by the National Institutes of Health for their international conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, October 27 – 30, 2016.

The grant will fund conference registration, travel and hotel expenses for up to 10 early stage investigators (ESIs) interested in pursuing a research career in ME/CFS. ESIs are defined as those who have not been awarded a major NIH-supported research project other than early stage or small research grants or for training, infrastructure, and career awards. We also encourage applications from investigators who are new to this field, women, and from groups underrepresented in the sciences, as defined by the NIH.

Candidates will be selected by the planning committee based on the scientific merit of their submitted abstracts to the conference and/or a written statement explaining their potential interest in the field. The brief written statement (single spaced, one inch margins, 12 point font, up to 300 words) should describe what you are working on and why you want to study ME/CFS. Title your statement: Travel Award Application. Also, please attach a CV.

Selection criteria will include the quality of the candidate’s research, geographical location, and potential commitment to ME/CFS research. International applicants are welcome.

Submission deadline is June 17th at 6:00PM Eastern Daylight Time.

To learn more about the NIH’s definition of a ‘new investigator’, click here.

To submit an abstract to qualify for the grant, click here. Ensure that you click the box to state that you are a new researcher!

To learn more about the conference, click here.