Application FAQs

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Program FAQs

Why isn’t the application website open?
The application system is scheduled to go live at 9am Eastern on February 7, 2024. To get started, you may gather your transcripts, identify those three people you would like to supply confidential reference reports, and use the information on the “Apply” page to prepare your statements and scientific proposal. The only things you will not be able to do until the site opens are register with the site, answer questions about yourself and your education, invite referees online, and upload documents. Please email us at amfdp@indiana.edu if you have any questions.

What is the difference between the Minority Medical Faculty Development Program (MMFDP) and the Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program (AMFDP)?
The MMFDP was the precursor to the AMFDP.  The MMFDP started in 1983 and selected its last cohort in 2003.

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Eligibility

I have a green card and expect to apply for U.S. citizenship within a year. Am I eligible for this program?
You must have U.S. citizenship or be a permanent resident at the time of the application deadline.

There is already an AMFDP Scholar at my institution. May I still apply?
Yes.

I have a Ph.D. and am engaged in biomedical research at a medical school. Am I eligible?
You must have an M.D., D.D.S., nursing doctorate (Ph.D. or D.N.S.), or equivalent to be eligible. Please see Links.

I am a nurse with a D.N.P. Am I eligible?
No.  Nurses must have a Ph.D. or D.N.S. to be eligible.

I have a K award. Am I eligible?
We have no restrictions on our applicants or awardees having K awards. However, the NIH may, depending on the Institute, disallow applications by AMFDP Scholars. If there is any doubt, please contact the specific Institute at NIH and the AMFDP National Program Office for guidance on the timing of your application and/or the start date of your grant.  Specific aims for the proposed AMFDP project may not overlap with those for the K award.

I am an Associate Professor. Am I eligible?
This program is intended for those just beginning their academic careers. In some cases, particularly in dentistry, those at this level may be eligible.  In most cases in medicine, those at the Associate Professor level are far enough along in their careers not to need the kind of mentored experience this program provides.  Please contact the National Program Office to discuss eligibility if you have any questions.

I am an Assistant Professor. Am I eligible?
If you have been at the Assistant Professor level for only a few years, you are still eligible for the program. If you have been at that level longer than three years, see the question above.

May I reapply if I have applied in the past?
Yes. All application materials will have to be new.  You will also need to upload a “Reapplicant Update” to let us know what has changed since your last application.

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The Application

Are there any changes from the last few years’ application processes?
There are a few changes to the Applicant Information Questions and the essays, but we ask for substantially the same information as in past years.  Changes made in recent years are still in effect: Letters of Reference will be submitted online only (however, only three per applicant are accepted); transcripts are submitted only online; dental medicine and nursing have been added to the program.  We now require an institutional letter of support, and reapplicants must give an update on their activities since the last application.  Also, CVs are now limited to 15 pages each.  You do not need to send hard copies of anything to the National Program Office unless we specifically request it.

How can I look at the application before deciding whether to register as an applicant?
Click for a preview of this year’s application: MFD24 Application Preview.  There are some differences for 2024 from previous years, but it remains substantially the same.

May I submit more than three letters of recommendation?
No.

May one of the letters of recommendation be from my mentor?
Letters of recommendation should come from those other than your mentor.

If I have identified two mentors, must both provide all of the information requested in the Letter to the Proposed Mentor?
Yes. They may either write separate letters, or collaborate on a single letter. If there are two letters, then both should be uploaded to the Application and Review system. It is necessary to provide a biosketch for each.

What is an example of a Supplemental Document that may be uploaded?
Use of the Supplemental Documents template is optional and only at the request of and with permission of the National Program Office, and we do not anticipate that many candidates will use it.  Please check with the National Program Office before you upload a Supplemental Document.  These are NOT Supplemental Documents: reprints, letters from collaborators, survey instruments, timelines.  If the review committee (NAC) or National Program Office requests additional information, this is where you will upload it.

What is the application deadline?
For 2024, the deadline for submission of electronic applications is 3pm EDT on March 19th. THERE WILL BE NO TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR THE WEBSITE AFTER 3PM EDT ON THAT DAY.  We strongly suggest that you complete all sections of the application and submit it at least several hours before the deadline.

We will repeat this: WE STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU COMPLETE ALL SECTIONS OF THE APPLICATION AND SUBMIT IT AT LEAST SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE THE DEADLINE.

We will repeat this again: WE STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU COMPLETE ALL SECTIONS OF THE APPLICATION AND SUBMIT IT AT LEAST SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE THE DEADLINE.

The deadline is in the EASTERN time zone.

Are late applications accepted?
No, and there will be no exceptions.  This applies to letters of reference as well.  If all three letters are not uploaded by the deadline, the application will be disqualified.  It is up to the applicant to ensure that all portions of the application are completed and all letters are received, and the application is submitted before the 3:00:00 EST deadline.

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The Institution

May there be multiple applicants from the same institution?
Yes.

Can the award be used at an institution overseas?
No. Research institutions must be based in the United States or its territories.

Is there a specific list of institutions at which the award may be used?
No.

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Mentors

Must a mentor be a U.S. citizen?
No.

Must a mentor have an M.D., D.D.S. or Ph.D. in nursing?
No.

Must a mentor be from a historically marginalized background?
No.

Must a mentor be located at my institution?
In most cases, yes. Mentors should be close enough to ensure regular interaction and supervision. Please call the National Program Office at 317-278-0500 with specific questions.

Is it possible to have more than one mentor?
Yes, in cases where there is a compelling scientific or career reason to have two mentors.

I don’t have a mentor. Will the National Program Office assist me in finding one?
No.

What happens if a mentor leaves an institution during the course of the award?
If the Scholar is not moving with the mentor, the Scholar must find a suitable mentor at the current institution. If the Scholar is moving, then an application must be made for the transfer of the grant. In either case, continued funding is not guaranteed.

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The Award

What is the duration of the award?
Four years.

What is the maximum support for four years?
$420,000. This includes an annual $75,000 stipend, plus $30,000 per year for research support.

May I change institutions during the course of the award?
The award is portable; however, a new application must be made with the new mentor and institution. Continued funding is not guaranteed.

May I interrupt the award for my final year of clinical training?
No. You must have completed clinical training by the time you begin the award.

How much of my time must be devoted to my project?
You must be engaged in research activities for at least 70% of your time.

Are awardees permitted to have outside funding, for example, from the National Institutes of Health or another foundation?
Yes.

May the award be used in part to support work done at an institution outside of the U.S. or its territories?
No.

What is the indirect rate for the grants?
For grants funded by RWJF, the indirect rate is up to 15% of direct costs, which must be included in the $30,000 per year allotted for research costs.  The indirect rates for partner grants vary from 0% to 10%.  Please contact the National Program Office for more information.

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Timetable

What happens after the initial application is submitted?
All applications are reviewed for completeness and eligibility, and then sent to a number of reviewers drawn from the National Advisory Committee and a panel of outside evaluators. Up to 26 applicants are selected as semifinalists to be interviewed. Up to ten candidates will be identified after the interviews as finalists for the award, and additional candidates will be recommended to our partners for support.

When are applicants notified of the results of the initial review of applications?
All applicants are notified by late June.

When and where are the interviews?
For 2024, July 10-12 in Chicago, assuming that there are no COVID or other health restrictions in place.

What happens if I can’t come to the interview?
Normally, we will ask you to reapply the following year.  Because of the uncertainty of potential travel restrictions for this year future years, we will reconsider this policy as we get closer to offering interviews.

When are finalists notified?
By August of 2024.

What happens after finalists are notified?
Finalists are given the opportunity to submit Finalist Documentation (online) to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (or to the National Program Office in the case of partner grants), consisting of a research proposal, four-year budget, curriculum vitae, institutional letters, and a photograph.

When may I start if I am selected as a Scholar?
Awards start in November of the year of selection.

If I am not selected, may I reapply?
Yes. Letters of reference, mentor’s information, and the proposal must be new for each year.

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Interviews

Does my mentor come to the interview?
No, but your mentor should help you prepare your presentation.

Who pays for the trip to the interview?
The room and meals at the hotel will be paid, and economy travel will be reimbursed, by the National Program Office.

What is the format of the interview?
Approximately half of the candidates will arrive in time for a reception and dinner on Wednesday evening and will be interviewed on Wednesday or Thursday. The rest will arrive on Thursday in time for a reception and dinner, and will be interviewed on Friday. Candidates are asked to make 15-minute presentations about their research, which will be followed by 10 minutes of questions and discussion. Candidates are free to leave after their presentations.

May I use audio-visual aids as part of my presentation?
Yes. However, if you use a PowerPoint presentation, it is preferred that you email it to the National Program Office in advance of the interview to ensure that it runs on our equipment.

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