Important Dates
Preliminary/Open Application Period: September 1 – November 30, 2008
Funding Notification Date: February 2, 2009
Fellowship Start Date: July 1, 2009

Overview
The Paul Janssen Fellowship is awarded to an outstanding young physician-investigator (must have M.D. degree) to conduct novel translational research in the field of neuroscience as it relates to psychiatric disease and medicine. The Paul Janssen Fellow will be assigned both a basic scientist mentor and a clinical investigator mentor from the faculty at Columbia University to serve as joint mentors. The fellow will take a basic observation made by the basic science mentor and apply it to the study of disease or treatment with the clinical research mentor.

Core Faculty (basic and clinical mentors)
Mentors are drawn from over 400 full-time faculty at Columbia
University working in Psychiatry and Neuroscience. Current active
mentors include:

Dr. John Mann
Dr. Victoria Arango
Dr. Ramin Parsey
Dr. Rene Hen
Dr. Holly Lisanby
Dr. Scott Small
Dr. Cheryl Corcoran
Dr. Timothy Walsh

Eligibility
Candidates from the international neuroscience community, holding an M.D. or M.D/Ph.D. degrees, and preferably having completed initial fellowship research training, are invited to apply. Fellows at Columbia University or the New York State Psychiatric Institute/RFMH are encouraged to submit applications.

Funding
The award provides a stipend, commensurate with experience, as well as some funding for research costs. The stipend provided may require supplemental funding by the mentors.

Length of Fellowship
Up to two years.

Preliminary Application Process (to be submitted by November 30, 2008):
The following should be provided in 12 point font (or larger) with a minimum of one-inch margins: 1) Face page letter identifying applicant and a brief description of your previous training in medical research, previous research interests, current position and future research interests. 2) Front two-pages of the NIH biosketch (sections A & B only). 3) Letters of support/reference from at least three current or previous mentors.
A COMPLETE PROJECT PROPOSAL IS NOT REQUIRED UNTIL NOTIFIED.

Preliminary applications should be submitted electronically or via mail to:
Renee Azima Heller, M.A.
Administrator, The Paul Janssen Fellowship in Translational Neuroscience Research
Department of Psychiatry / Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division
Columbia University
1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 42
New York, NY 10032
tel: (212) 543-5571 / fax: (212) 543-5652
e-mail: rla2117@columbia.edu

A COMPLETE PROJECT PROPOSAL IS NOT REQUIRED UNTIL NOTIFIED. THE DECISION ON FINALISTS WILL BE MADE BY DECEMBER 15, 2008. IF YOU ARE SELECTED AS A FINALIST YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED A BASIC AND CLINICAL MENTOR AND WILL WORK WITH THEM TO COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION BY SUBMITTING THE FOLLOWING (DUE BY JANUARY 12, 2009):

1) A 150-word summary of proposed project. 2) Budget page specifying how funding will be allocated and describing the need and rationale for support at this point in the applicant's career. 3) One-half page statement of mentorship arrangements and training goals. 4) "Other Support" of current and pending grant funding indicating percentage of effort and support level. 5) Research Plan (maximum of 5 pages): a. Goals; b. Background; c. Hypotheses; d. Experimental Design and Methods; e. Role of this study in awardee's plans for future research. 6) Letters of support from both mentors. 7) Signed statement by Department Chair demonstrating approval of project and responsibility for ensuring space, personnel, and facilities. IRB and/or IACUC approval for project must be provided before the Fellowship starts.