All applicants must have completed two semesters of graduate level education and be enrolled in a masters in public health program, or equivalent at a school within the United States. Unfortunately, medical and PhD students and are not eligible to apply this cycle.

The 2009-2010 application is now available through this website. In preparation for the application, students should prepare responses standard to grant proposals including:

• Background information (peer reviewed literature and studies that place your work in context)
• Significance – Will your project address an important problem? Will it help create new knowledge not contained in the previously addressed literature? **These are important questions to answer, as one of our review criteria includes whether an applicant’s research question has already been covered in previously published research, and whether the results of this study would be useful.
• Approach – Your study methodology, sample size calculations, and alternative study preparations for anticipated problems
• Investigator – What are your particular qualifications that make you well suited to carry out this work? Will you have appropriate institutional and faculty support?
• Environment – Why have you chosen your particular site for research? Does it provide any benefits with subject populations, institutional support? Are there any potential problems associated with the study location you can anticipate?

Students should also be prepared to submit between 3-5 letters of recommendation. Applicants are encouraged to select a range of individuals who can comment on different facets of the applicant’s ability such as a former employer and professors from different academic departments. In addition, applicants must submit a letter from an individual who has been chosen to serve as a mentor. This person will guide the applicant through the research process by providing ongoing feedback as the fellow initiates and conducts his or her research and prepares the findings for publication. This individual may be among, or in addition to, one of the individuals who will write a letter of reference. In this letter, the mentor should be able to directly comment on the strengths of your research proposal, their judgment of your preparation for this project, and their role in supporting your work.

Finally, applicants must submit a letter from an individual who has been chosen to serve as a supervisor at the site of research. This individual may be the same as, or in addition to, the individual who will serve as a mentor. The site supervisor must confirm that your are expected, and are welcome to conduct your proposed research.

IMPORTANT: All projects that use human subjects must meet approval by the IRB at the student’s university, as well as a local IRB at the research site if applicable. Proof of IRB approval will be required before NEWAID will distribute stipends. While proof of approval is not required from applicants at the time they submit the application, it is expected that individuals be able to immediately provide this proof once they are approved for funding in May, 2010. Failure to submit this documentation when requested will result in forfeiture of the award. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to submit paperwork for IRB approval as soon as possible.

Finalists (to be named in May, 2010) may be required to submit official Graduate School transcripts and IRB approval by mail immediately upon being named a finalist. Applicants should have these items on hand.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to insure that all parts of the applications are submitted at the time they are required to be submitted. Only complete applications will be evaluated.