How to Apply
Please read through all of the descriptions and document upload needs before starting the application process.
Application Upload Needs (will open Fall 2025)
- Letter from Training Program Director (sponsor)
- Letter from Research Mentor (individual supervising the research project)
- Goals for Fellowship Training (up to 1 page)
- NIH Biosketch
- Research Plan (see award description for more details)
- Budget and Budget Justification
Purpose:
To support the final year of research training in a pediatric endocrinology fellowship for highly qualified individuals preparing for a career in academic pediatric endocrinology. Both clinical and basic research projects are eligible for support.
Description and Qualifications of the Candidate:
Applicants must provide institutional documentation of fellowship status at the time of the application. US citizenship or green card status is NOT required. Those with career plans in North America are favored. Further, the PES is committed to a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and encourages applicants who reflect and celebrate the diversity of people and cultures among our membership.
Research Fellowship Grants may be used to support research projects related to any endocrine topic, however one RFG each year, the Human Growth Foundation Research Fellowship Grant, is selected from those proposals focused on growth, bone, and rare general endocrine disorders, and is supported by the Human Growth Foundation.
A candidate may apply if he or she:
- Has either an MD, DO or equivalent degree.
- Will be in the final year of fellowship and will not have a faculty appointment at the time of funding (July 1 of the year following application and review).
Awardees are required to acknowledge PES/Human Growth Foundation Research Fellowship Grant funding in all manuscripts generated as a result of work supported by PES grant funding. If requested, awardees will provide information regarding subsequent academic appointments and grant awards.
Sponsor/Mentor
Two letters of support are required and should be submitted with the application. One must be from the Training Program Director (Sponsor) and the other from the Research Mentor (individual supervising the research project). The latter should be an established investigator with a record of extramural research support. If one individual plays both roles, the second letter should be from the Head of the applicant’s Scholarship Oversight Committee (Co-Sponsor) or the Chief of the Division.
Funding
The award may be up to a maximum of $30,000 total costs for one year. However, the amount is often less. The exact amount of funding for each review cycle will be determined by PES and may vary depending on multiple factors including the available funds at the time of review of the application.
The expectation is that funding should be primarily directed to project expenses, including salary of technical support Salary for the applicant may be considered in special circumstances, which should be detailed in an accompanying letter and/or budget justification. Institutions may not use more than 10% of the total funds for indirect or overhead expenses. Concomitant funding for the project from other grants is permitted if budget overlap does not occur. Should the candidate have other forms of extramural research support, he/she must submit his/her specific aims, hypotheses and budget with justification to identify and reconcile potential overlaps in funding.
General Instructions for Application
Applications must be submitted online through the PES website. An applicant must be a member of the PES (dues paid for the current year) in order to access the application. The application must include the following:
- Applicant Goals for Fellowship Training section (1 page). This section should discuss the career trajectory of the applicant and any prior research experience, training goals and objectives, activities planned under the award, and justify the need for the requested period of support.
- The applicant’s NIH Biosketch.
- The Research Plan (up to 5 pages not including the Bibliography) must have intrinsic research importance and must be formatted as follows: Specific Aims, Significance, Innovation and Approach (including preliminary data, study design, methods, analytical plan with a power/sample size statement if appropriate, pitfalls and alternative strategies).
- Budget and Budget Justification: A complete budget form must be data driven and provide specific information for each requested item. Should the candidate have other forms of extramural research support, they must identify and reconcile potential overlaps in funding as described above.
The application should be in Arial 11 font with at least 0.5 inch margins.
An application not compliant with these guidelines or received after the due date will be returned to the applicant and not reviewed.
If the application includes the use of human subjects or animals, Human Subjects or IACUC approval must be provided before an award can be made to the institution.
General Scoring of Applications
Applications will be reviewed by the PES as well as by expert external reviewers. Reviewers will use the NIH grant application 9-point scale scoring system for the Overall Impact Score and Individual Scores for four core criteria: mentor-mentoring plan and mentor support/funding; significance; innovation-approach and appropriateness of the project for the fellow; and local environment.
Applicant Document Uploads
Goals and Objectives
Applicant Biosketch
Research Training Plan (sections a-d below have a 5-page limit)
- Specific Aims and Hypothesis
- Significance
- Innovation
- Approach
- References
- Human Subjects Research, including training in ethical conduct of human research. If human subjects are to be used in the research project, the applicant must submit a letter of approval from their Institutional Review Board before the award is made on July 1.
- Budget and Budget Justification
Training Program Director/Sponsor Document Uploads
A letter of support on institutional letterhead describing the following:
- Training plan, research environment and facilities
- Applicant’s qualifications and potential for an academic career
- Specify amount of protected time for research
Research Mentor Document Uploads
A letter of support on institutional letterhead describing the following:
- Training plan, research environment and facilities
- Applicant’s qualifications and potential for an academic career
Award Winners
2025-2026
Bassem Shoucri, Investigating TSC22D2 in adipose tissue plasticity and type 2 diabetes, UCLA
2023-2024
Aristides Diamant, MD, PhD - The interactome and subcellular localization of melanocortin-4 receptor
Despoina Galetaki, MD - Collagen X as a Biomarker to Predict Response to Growth Hormone Therapy
Jonathan Steinman, MD, PhD - Dissecting the role of Notch receptors in obesity-driven metabolic disease
2022-2023
Imen Becetti, MD - A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Effects of Oxytocin on Glucose Homeostasis in Youth with Obesity
2021-2022
Kristie Aamodt, MD, PhD - Hepatic ALKBH5 Regulation of metabolic disease
Batoul Hammoud, MD - Effects of polyamide depletion by N1, N11-Diethylnorspermine in Mouse models of Type 1 Diabetes.
Isabella Niu, MD - Novel Implications of Naturally Occurring Human Mutation in Circadian Rhythm Genes on Adipose Biology
2020-2021
Lindsey Gaston - Suppression and Recovery of the Murine Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis after Long-Term Glucocorticoids
Elizabeth Greene - The role of metformin on influenza outcomes: from animal model to human studies
Stephanie Hanke - Investigating the hepatotoxic effects of in utero PFOA exposure on developing fetal hepatocytes
Jennifer Ladd, MD- The Effect of Socioeconomic Status and Glycemic Control on Technology Uptake Among Canadian Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: Findings from the CAPACIty Consortium
Jia Zhu, MD - Dissecting PCOS Physiology by Defining Phenotypes Associated with PCOS Genetic Risk Factors in Men and Children
2019 - 2020
Jennifer Ikle - Generation and analysis of a zebrafish model of KATP-dependent congenital hyperinsulinism
Rebecca Harris - Chromosomal and Hormonal Contributions to Sexually Dimorphic Human Disease
Alyssa Huang - Dietary Cholesterol and Neuropeptide Agouti Related Peptide Act in Concert to Regulate Food Seeking Behavior
Liya Kerem - The neurobiological underpinnings of avoidant/restrictive eating behavior by weight
2017 - 2018
Shai Fuchs - Role of glucagon-like peptides in the regulation of hepatic steatosis
Margaret Stefater - Splanchnic amino acid sequestration as a key mechanism for metabolic improvement after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery
2016 - 2017
Mireille El Bejjani, MD - The role of soluble lipid transport proteins in modulating the metabolic effects of LRH-1
Nora Renthal, MD, PhD - Exploring transient receptor potential melastatin 6 (TRPM6) as a channel-kinase regulator of mineral metabolism
2015 - 2016
Stephen Stone, MD - The role of regenerating protein in β cell endoplasmic reticulum stress
Kim Shams, MD - A Mechanistic examination of dietary composition on metabolic fuel availability
Leslie Kimura, MD - Humanin: pro-differentiation effects and cytoprotection against oxidative stress in myoblasts
2014 - 2015
Christine Ferrara, MD - Fgfr1 signaling regulates pancreatic islet function
David Sparling, MD - The role of notch in adipose function
Risa Wolf, MD - Determining the role of CTRP3 in human and rodent metabolism
2013 - 2014
Melanie Cree Green, MD - Impact of obesity and androgens on cardiovascular function and organ specific insulin sensitivity in youth with PCOS
Michelle Van Name, MD - Changes in appetite related gut peptides and associated brain regulation of satiety measured by fMRI after lifestyle modification in obese insulin resistant adolescents. Jeffrey Roizen, MD, PhD - CYP2R1 polymorphisms determine serum [25(OH)D]
Youn Hee Jee, MD - The role of heparin-binding growth factors in childhood growth and growth disorders
2012 - 2013
Bharti Balhara M.D. - Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Dissect the Impact of Genetic Insulin Resistance on Cellular Metabolism
Yung-Ping Chin M.D. - Humanin: A novel endocrine treatment for diabetes-related neuronal damage
Monica Grover M.D. - Dissecting the Role of Osteoblast Derived Nitric Oxide in Bone Remodeling
Christina Jacobsen M.D., Ph.D. - Treatment of Severe Osteogenesis Imperfecta By Increasing LRP5 Signaling
Grace Kim M.D. - Nutrigenetics study of fatty liver disease in obese youth
2011-2012
Jennifer Danzig , M.D. - Energy expenditure and body composition in Pseudohypoparathyroidism 1a
Bethany Freedman, M.D. - Adrenal lineage development: role of the zona glomerulosa
Shana McCormack , M.D. - Effects of exercise training on insulin resistance in children and adolescents
Jennifer Rehm , M.D. - Early detection and significance of fatty liver disease in adolescent girls with polycystic ovary disease
Durga Singer , M.D. - Stress and obesity: the role of neuropeptide Y in adipose tissue inflammation
Jenise Wong , M.D. - Metabolic effects of inherited short sleep mutations
2010-2011
Andrew Calabria, M.D. - Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 and post-prandial hypoglycemia after fundoplication
Nursen Gurtunca, M.D. - IL-7 transduced dendritic cells as regulators of autoimmunity of diabetes mellitus
Belinda Lennerz, M.D. - Effects of dietary glycemic index on brain function
Jeanie Tryggestad, M.D. - Vascular compliance and endothelial function in children with obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
Jonathon Wasserman, M.D. - The Role of p53 mutation and structural genomic variation in pediatric arenocortical carcinoma
Yun Yan, M.D. - IGF-1 promotes mesenchymal stem cell bone formation in fracture healing
2009-2010
Brigid Gregg, M.D. - What is the role of protein kinase C delta in beta-cell function, growth and death and its relationship to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes?
Melinda Penn, M.D. - The microRNA expression profile of the human pancreatic beta-cell
Jennifer Sherr, M.D. Lisa Gallo, M.D. - "The Chromosome 8 contribution to Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) resistance"
Natalie Shaw, M.D. - The effect of sleep apnea on nocturnal GnRH/LH secretion in children in early puberty
2008-2009
Cem Demirci, M.D. Siri Atma Greeley, M.D. - Diagnosis and treatment of neonatal diabetes mellitus
Dorit Koren, M.D. Ali Mohamadi, M.D. - Mutation analysis of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in familial isolated growth hormone deficiency type IB
Rachana Shah, M.D. - Identification of novel human adipocytokines through evoked inflammation of adipose in vivo
2007-2008
Brian Bordini, M.D. - Hormone rhythms in early pubertal obese girls with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Christine M. Burt-Soloranzo, M.D. - Perinatal nutrition and the maturation of glucose metabolism and hypothalmic feeding circuits in mice
Yee-Ming Chan, M.D. - Identifying pubertal regulators of Kiss1 expression
Ann-Marie Francisco, M.D. - Adipose tissue expression of Icam1 correlates with macrophage content, adiposity and insulin resistance
Elvira Isganaitis, M.D. Nina Jain, M.D. - Cell-Specific IGF-I and IGFI-R expression during cuprizone-induced demyelinating brain injury
2006-2007
Vaneeta Bamba, M.D.
Jacalyn M. Bishop, M.D.
Scott M. Blackman, M.D., Ph.D.
Clement C. Cheung, M.D., Ph.D.
Brian J. Feldman, M.D., Ph.D.
Sara Pinney, M.D.
Ruvdeep S. Randhawa, M.D.
2005-2006 Mark DeBoer, M.D. Nina Ham, M.D. Olga Hardy, M.D. Michael Stalvey, M.D. Joshua Yang, M.D.
2004-2005 Tandy Aye, M.D. Stephanie Drobac, M.D. David Olson, M.D., Ph.D.
2003-2004 Deanna Adkins, M.D. Dennis J. Chia, M.D. Mina Kim, M.D.
2002-2003 David Breault, M.D. Alexander Maret, M.D. Weizhen Xu, M.D.
2001-2002 Michael S. D. Agus, M.D. Andrea Haqq, M.D. Diva Ng, M.D.
2000-2001 Andrea Kelly, M.D. Lawrence Wetterau, M.D.
1999-2000 Robert Ferry, M.D. Jake A. Kushner, M.D.
1998-1999 Dionisios Chrysis, M.D. Adda Grimberg, M.D.
1997-1998 Stuart A. Weinzimer, M.D. Marjorie Zakaria, M.D.
1996-1997 Ruben Diaz, M.D., Ph.D. David Geller, M.D.
1995-1996 Alan A. Herschenfeld, M.D. Lorraine E. Levitt Katz, M.D.
1994-1995 David Ludwig, M.D.
1993-1994 Alan B. Cortez, M.D.
1992-1993 David W. Cooke, M.D.
1991-1992 Pinchas Cohen, M.D.
1990-1991 Ying Tai Chang, M.D.