Early Career Faculty Research Award
NEC Society Early Career Faculty Research Award
The NEC Society’s mission is to build a world without necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) by advancing research, education, and advocacy. The NEC Society is excited to announce the 2025 $5,000 Research Award opportunity for early career faculty physician-scientists whose primary research aligns with the NEC Research Priorities.
Primary Objectives
- Advance the NEC Research Priorities
- Increase future funding opportunities for NEC research
- Encourage timely dissemination of NEC research
Applications Due: March 31, 2025 5:00 PM ET
Award Announcement: April 26, 2025 *Award will be presented at PAS during the NEC Networking Breakout on Saturday, April 26th, 8:50 AM HST
Eligibility Criteria and Requirements
Eligibility:
- Early career physician-scientists within 5 years of fellowship completion
- Member of the NEC Society Research Incubator. Join here
- Reference from someone in the NEC research field
Requirements:
- Research must align with one or more of the NEC Research Priorities.
- Awardee will share at least one photo and project update for the NEC Society to feature on NECsociety.org and virtual platforms.
- Awardee will contact their institution’s PR/communications team to inform them about the award and ask their institution to feature their NEC research.
- Awardee agrees to register for, participate in, and submit an abstract focused on their research at the NEC Symposium in Chicago, September 7 – 10, 2025.
Project Description
The project description should be no more than 3 pages (not including references), and submitted as a PDF included in the Google Form.
Applications Due: March 31, 2025 5:00 PM ET
Award Announcement: April 26, 2025 *Award will be presented at PAS during the NEC Networking Breakout on Saturday, April 26th, 8:50 AM HST
Highlighting the 2024 Awardee
Lauren is a neonatologist-scientist and NEC researcher at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill. She witnesses the devastating impact of NEC daily.
Lauren used her background in immunology and neonatology to propose a project surrounding the improvement of NEC diagnostic tools through the research and identification of potential biomarkers.
Scoring
The NEC Society’s staff and Scientific Advisory Council will review each application using the scoring rubric below. After the award winner is announced, the NEC Society will set up an introductory virtual meeting with the winner. Award funds will be paid to the awardee’s institution (no indirect funding). Awardees will provide written project updates at regular intervals to be determined, depending on the scope of the project.
The following scale will be used (highest score = 24):
Not At All = 0 points; Very Little = 1 point; Somewhat = 2 points; Most Definitely = 3 points
- Significance
- Does it relate to one or more of the NEC Research Priorities?
- Does the project fill a current research gap?
- Is there an established commitment to the field of NEC research?
- Has the applicant shown initiative towards engagement and long-term commitment to the NEC Society
- Feasibility
- Does the project appear to be feasible and achievable?
- Has the applicant demonstrated they have or will collaborate with others in our field?
- Approach
- Is the proposal clear and well-written?
- Is the evidence provided adequate and directly related to the project?
