Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately, no. If you are associated with an institution outside of the USA we are unable to consider your application.

If you would like to be nominated but do not know anyone who might be able to nominate you, please send us an email at [email protected].

If you have been nominated, you will be receiving an email from us explaining the next steps. You will be required to provide us with the following documents: 1) your curriculum vitae, 2) a brief explanation of your research (2-page limit) and 3) your current NIH Biosketch. These three separate documents must be submitted before the specified deadline for that year. Once your application is submitted, , you will wait to hear if you are invited to attend CCAD.

No, references do not count towards the two-page limit.

After all nominees submit their applications, the CCAD Board reviews each one and selects the top fifteen to be invited to CCAD.  The board usually receives about fifty applications and takes a couple of months to carefully review each one before making a decision. Only nominees whose applications are selected are invited to attend CCAD.

When the CCAD board has reviewed all applications and made their final decisions, you will be notified by the CCAD program manager.

Yes, there is no limit to how many times you can be nominated and apply to the conference. Please note, you must be nominated anew every year that you wish to apply.

Yes, if you have a K99 or R00 you are still eligible to be nominated and to apply to CCAD. You are NOT eligible if you are the PI for an R01 grant, program grant or center grant by the date the conference will be held.

Once you have been invited to attend CCAD, you must formally accept or decline your invitation.  If you wish to accept, you must submit: 1) affirmation of your intent to submit a proposal and attend the entire conference. 2) a statement that your institution will accept the our policy  that no indirect costs will be provided and 3) a recent headshot photo for publication.  You will then have a minimum of three months to prepare a proposal to present and defend at the conference.

If you wish to decline your invitation, you must do so in writing (email) to the CCAD program manager. Please do this in a timely manner to ensure your spot can be offered to another investigator.

If you have submitted a grant to NIH and have not received a notice of award (NOA) with a start date prior to the meeting date, you are still eligible to attend. However, you must make sure your proposal is sufficiently distinct from the grant application. It can be related, but it must be distinct.

With your proposal, you may either submit a detailed budget or a modular budget.  There is no preference for one over the other. Your proposal should be submitted exactly as defined by NIH R03 grant format (PA-19-052).

The order of documents should follow the NIH R03 grant format (PA-19-052).

The total grant reward is $100,000. The annual budget follows the same guidelines as defined by NIH R03 grant format (PA-19-052). 

All attendees are given a biosketch/research booklet of their peers who are also attending the conference.  You may choose to collaborate with as many colleagues as you wish and present your proposal at the conference.  If you choose to do so, you and your collaborator(s) will submit one proposal and will have the same amount of time to present at the conference as any other proposal presented.

During your presentation you will be given a total of 25 minutes; 15 minutes to present and the remaining 10 minutes for Q&A.  You are encouraged to keep your presentation to 15 minutes as mentors and fellow attendees will have questions. You will be required to submit a PowerPoint, or Keynote, presentation the day before you present for your presentation visual.