Institutional Research Fellowship Grant

The Institutional Research Fellowship Grant (IRF) program provides outstanding opportunities for early-career physicians to conduct investigation on dermatologic conditions that need more scientific research in skin of color and to prepare for leadership roles in clinical care, public policy, health services research, and biomedical research.

The Institutional Research Fellowship (IRF) is a groundbreaking initiative that provides valuable opportunities to physicians in support of critical research on dermatologic diseases in skin of color. SOCS aims to address unmet dermatologic health needs by increasing the number of investigators who can deliver evidence-based care in communities that experience disproportionate disease burden.

This award will grant up to $40,000 to support a researcher who has an interest in skin of color dermatology and/or health equity research.

Application Open!

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Application Deadline: November 7, 2025; 11:59pm CT

Requirements

Research Focus

The IRF intends to support institution-based fellowship opportunities with a research focus on dermatologic diseases in skin of color, particularly in areas where further clinical, translational, and observational/ prospective research is needed.

Prospective Fellows

• Institution must affirm its commitment to offer the fellowship opportunity to an early-career physicians in support of critical research on dermatologic diseases in skin of color and to prepare for leadership roles in clinical care, public policy, health services research, and biomedical research.
• Institution must ensure that any fellow that will receive grant funds must be a U.S. Worker (U.S. citizen, permanent resident, refugee, or asylee), or hold an appropriate non-immigrant visa status authorizing employment in the U.S.

Budget

1. Funding will be awarded to the institution, not an individual.
2. Each institution may apply for funding to support one fellow for up to one year at a cost of up to $40,000 USD. The budget can only include salary and benefit support for the fellow.
3. Grant funds cannot be used for overhead or indirect costs. Overhead costs include rent, utilities, insurance, office equipment or supplies.
4. Fellow time spent in the clinical setting that is supported through grant funds must not be billed as patient care.