Review this information before contacting Research Program staff. 

Note that we are a small staff and cannot give guidance on individual projects. We encourage applicants to use resources such as mentors, grant officers, and peers.

If your question is not answered here, email us.

About the Grant Program

• What areas does the ATS Research Program fund?
• What projects are currently supported?
• When does the grant cycle open?
• How much funding will ATS provide for my research?
• What are this year's application deadlines?
• What percent of applications are funded?
• Should I apply if I think my area of research is atypical for Research Program grantmaking?
• Can I submit a proposal that falls outside the current grant offerings?

Grant Eligibility

• What are the grant eligibility requirements?
• May I apply if I am not an ATS Member?
• May I apply if I am not a US Citizen?
• What qualifies as an early-stage investigator?
• May I apply if there are gaps in my work history?
• Are there any grants for established investigators?
• May I apply for a Research Program grant if I received one in the past?
• May I re-submit a proposal?
• May I hold grants from other organizations?
• Can I apply if I have a K award?

Application Forms and Process

• How do I access the letter of intent/full application forms?
• I missed the letter of intent may I submit a full application?
• I've been invited to submit a full application but I'm having trouble accessing the form.
• May I apply for more than one of the ATS Research Program awards?
• If I am eligible for multiple categories, which do you recommend I submit to?
• May an institution/department/lab submit multiple applications?
• For key personnel, how is "percent effort" defined?
• Can overhead and/or indirect expenses be allocated from the ATS Research Program grants?
• Who constitutes as a "signing official"?
• How many letters of reference/support will I need?
• Where can I find the necessary application forms?
• What documents/uploads does the letter of intent application require?
• What documents/uploads does the full application require?
• Will I receive scores or written comments?
• Are staff members available to discuss my application before or after submission?
  
• If my question was not addressed who do I contact?
  
  

About the Grant Program

What areas does the ATS Research Program fund?

• ATS Research Program funds research in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. We encourage applications in basic, translational, and clinical science, pediatric and adult medicine, and patient-oriented and public health topics.
• Refer to Grant Opportunities for details on specific grants available.

What projects are currently supported?

• Visit Grant Opportunities section for details on grants currently available.
• You can see the list of our current and previous ATS grant recipients here.

When does the grant cycle open?

• This year's cycle begins July 15, 2024.

• Funding varies by grant type. For the current cycle, unrestricted and diversity grants are one-year grants of $40,000. 
• Refer to Grant Opportunities for specific information on funding levels.

What are this year's application deadlines?

• Letters of intent are due Tuesday, September 16, 2024, 11:59 PM ET for unrestricted and diversity grants only.
• Full applications for partner grants (no LOI required) and unrestricted/unrestricted diversity grants (by invitation only) are due December 16, 2024, 11:59 PM ET.  

What percent of applications are funded?

• The Research Program is highly competitive. In 2024, approximately 20 percent of applications were funded.

Should I apply if I think my area of research is atypical for Research Program grantmaking?

• Yes, please consider applying. The diversity of research among our awardees may surprise you.
• Grants are offered in all three pillars of the ATS: pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.
• Grants are offered for basic, translational, and clinical science.
• Grants are offered in pediatric and adult medicine.
• Grants are available to international applicants.
• Grants are encouraged in basic, patient-oriented, and public health topics.

 Can I submit a proposal that falls outside the current grant offerings?

• No, the Research Program currently does not make grants outside our funding mechanisms.
  
  

Grant Eligibility

What are the grant eligibility requirements?

• All Research Program grants must meet the eligibility requirements. However, additional eligibility requirements vary by award type. 

May I apply if I am not an ATS Member?

• Yes. However, at least one of the key personnel must be an ATS member at the time of application, and the principal investigator must be an ATS member when the grant is awarded (July 2025). 

I work outside the United States. May I apply for a grant?

• International applicants are welcome to apply for unrestricted and diversity grants.
• Review the partner grant descriptions for additional eligibility requirements by grant type. 

What qualifies as an early-stage investigator?

• within 12 years of terminal degree (e.g. MD, PhD). For the grant cycle launching in 2024, this means that you must have received your terminal degree no later than 2012.
• this requirement is not inclusive of sub-specialty training (e.g. fellowships). For example, if you received your MD in 2011 and completed your sub-specialty training in 2016, you would not be eligible for this award.

• • exceptions may be considered for extenuating circumstances such as military service or parental leave.
  • if you have extenuating circumstances not related to sub-specialty training, contact us before beginning a letter of intent or application.

May I apply if there are gaps in my work history?

• Yes, if you have extenuating circumstances not related to sub-specialty training, contact us before beginning a letter of intent or application.
• Extenuating circumstances include factors such as family care responsibilities, illness, disability, and active-duty military service.

Are there any grants for established investigators?

• While the mission of the ATS is to support early-stage investigators, some of the partner grants may be open to investigators at any stage in their career. Review the partner grant descriptions here. 

May I apply for a Research Program grant if I received one in the past?

• Yes, you may apply but only if you are not a current Research Program grantee.
• Individuals who have received two Research Program grants are not eligible.

May I re-submit a proposal?

• Yes, if you meet the eligibility requirements, you may resubmit your proposal. If you received written comments, be sure to address them in the application.

May I hold grants from other organizations?

• Simultaneous submission of grants with scientific overlap to other funding agencies is allowed.
• However, if multiple grants are funded, then the applicant must notify the ATS within one month of formal  award notification.
• A subcommittee of the Scientific Grant Review Committee (SGRC) will assess the degree of overlap. In the case of significant scientific overlap, the applicant will have to choose between the Research Program grant and the other grant.
• Budgetary overlap is not allowed.
  
  

Can I apply if I have a K award?

• Applicants who hold active career development grants (e.g. K award) are eligible to receive ATS funding, but the projects must be scientifically distinct.

Application Forms and Process

How do I access the letter of intent/full application forms?

• For all Research Program grants, applicants must first complete an eligibility quiz to gain access to the letter of intent form (unrestricted and diversity grants only) or the full application (partner grants).
• Access to the eligibility quizzes are via the links on the unrestricted, diversity, and partner grant pages. 

I missed the letter of intent. May I submit a full application?

• No, for the unrestricted and diversity grants you must submit a letter of intent and be invited to submit a full application.
• Letters of intent are not required for partner grants. 

I have been invited to submit a full application but I am having trouble accessing the full application form.

• To access the full application form on the Foundant website, you will need to use the same login and password that you used for your letter of intent submission. 

May I apply for more than one Research Program grant?

• Applicants may submit multiple scientifically distinct letters of intent. However, ATS will extend only one invitation to submit a full grant application per each applicant. We highly recommend you limit your number of submissions to focus on one quality, well-prepared grant proposal.
• You may not submit the same application to multiple categories. In choosing a category for your submission,  review the criteria for each award and pick the category most appropriate to your budget and timeline.
• If you are eligible for a partner grant that is appropriate to your budget, we recommend you apply to that category over the unrestricted grants, which receive most applications. 

If I am eligible for multiple categories, which do you recommend I submit to?

• If you are eligible for a partner grant that is appropriate to your budget, we recommend you apply to that category over the unrestricted grants which receive most applications.
• In choosing a category for your submission, please review the criteria for each award and pick the category most appropriate to your budget and timeline.

May an institution/department/lab submit multiple applications?

• Yes, we do not limit the number of applications by institution/department/lab.

For key personnel, how is “percent effort” defined?

• “Percent effort” may be defined by percent of participation on the project, percent of salary support, or a combination of both. Make sure that you are clearly stating how you are defining it.

Are overhead and/or indirect expenses an allowable cost?

• No, overhead and indirect costs are not allowed.

Who constitutes as a “signing official”?

• A signing official is any individual at your institution that has the authority to sign contracts.

How many letters of reference/support will I need?

• The letter of intent does not require any letters of reference/support.
• The full application requires two letters of support and allows the ability to upload letters from collaborators.

Where can I find the necessary application forms?

• All forms can be found in the Application Documents Section.
• They are also downloadable from within the application website itself.

What documents/uploads does the letter of intent application require?

• The letter of intent requires:
  • Certification of Faculty Employment
  • PI Biosketch
  • Key Personnel Biosketches
  • All forms can be found in the Application Documents section.
  • For more detailed instructions refer to the LOI Instructions page.

What documents does the full application require?

• The full application requires:
  • PI Biosketch
  • Mentor Biosketch 
  • Co-investigator Biosketches (up to two)
  • Research Plans
  • Literature Cited
  • Budget Form
  • Lab Resources and Equipment
  • Two letters of reference/support
  • Signature Form
• Certification of Faculty Employment (for applications without an LOI stage only)
• All forms can be found in the Application Documents section.
• For more detailed instructions refer to the Full Application Instructions page.

Will I receive scores or written comments?

• Due to the high volume of proposals at the letter of intent stage, we are unable to provide scores, written comments, or customized feedback to applicants.
• Applicants who submit a full application will receive their scores after the award cycle has concluded.

Are staff members available to discuss my application before or after submission?

• We are unable to discuss individual projects prior to or after the submission of an application. We encourage investigators to use the resources available to them, including mentors, grant officers, and peers.
• The ATS Scientific Grant Review Committee (SGRC) leads a rigorous, NIH-style review process to identify the most impactful research proposals that the ATS Research Program receives. Please consider the NIH “How to Apply” section a resource for strengthening your application.

If my question was not addressed who do I contact?

• If your question was not answered here, email researchprogram@thoracic.org.