The William H. Gates Sr. Fellowship from the AD Data Initiative
Helpful Facts and Questions (FAQs)
General
What fields of research are supported by the fellowship?
The program will support data science research in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).
What makes this fellowship unique?
This fellowship will provide financial assistance to non-tenured, early- to mid-career researchers who are employed by an organization but are seeking funding to support their ADRD research. Other support may include opportunities to develop professional networks, identify mentors, present findings at relevant conferences or other events, assist with publications, and more.
Is this fellowship new and why was it started?
The William H. Gates Sr. Fellowship from the AD Data Initiative will engage its first (Year 1) cohort this year. The program seeks to support researchers from around the world to be bold, creative, and innovative in their data analysis approach to find new discoveries in ADRD, while also demonstrating the value of re-using high quality datasets. Named after William H. Gates Sr., this fellowship honors his legacy of advocacy and philanthropy. In 2020, he passed away from Alzheimer’s disease.
Duration
Can I renew my fellowship after two years?
No, fellowships are not renewable unless there are extraordinary circumstances.
What if my research extends beyond the two-year program?
Fellows are encouraged to continue their data science research after the program ends. We hope that the opportunities (networks, conference presentations, publications) gained during the program will assist fellows in identifying and securing additional funding.
What circumstances could cause the early termination of my fellowship?
A fellowship may be terminated if a fellow engages in scientific misconduct, makes unsatisfactory efforts to complete the research described in their application, or breaches the terms of their Fellowship agreement.
Location
Where will I work or be located?
The fellowship does not have a residency requirement.
Do I have to be a United States citizen or resident?
No, we encourage applicants from all over the world to apply (please see our Fellowship Rules for certain excluded countries). It would be ideal if you are eligible to travel to the United States, if needed.
Technology
Will you provide technology or systems to help me conduct my research?
The AD Workbench is a cloud-based data discovery and analysis platform that is secure, accessible to researchers around the world, and available at no cost to users. All the tools and resources on the AD Workbench are available to fellows.
My research proposal will require significant compute resources. Will the associated costs be paid for by the program?
Fellows will have access to standard AD Workbench workspaces, which are equipped with Windows or Linux virtual machines (VMs) that include 4 vCPUs, 16 GB memory, 28 GB temporary storage. Workspaces offer 5 TB of storage that is accessible by all VMs. Additional compute and storage can be made available on a case-by-case basis.
Financial Award
Is the financial award fixed?
The program provides each fellow a financial award of up to $100,000 USD. The amount will be divided and distributed over the course of the two-year program.
Can I receive the second year’s award in the first year?
No, unless there are extraordinary circumstances.
Can I receive funding from other sources during my fellowship?
Fellows will not be ADDI employees and as such, the program does not prohibit you from receiving funding from other sources. Please ensure that your home organization allows you to receive outside funds.
Are there restrictions on how the award can be used?
Fellowship funds must be used for research-specific purposes. Please follow any expenditure requirements from your home organization.
Eligibility
Must I hold a doctoral degree?
Yes, and it should be relevant to the focus of this fellowship.
What if I hold a medical degree, can I still apply?
Yes, applicants holding a medical degree (MD or DO) will be considered if they also meet the other requirements of this fellowship.
What if I have less than five or more than ten years of relevant work experience since receiving my doctoral degree, can I still apply?
If you have a novel data analysis or statistical approach to ADRD research, have work experience that can support your research, and meet the other requirements of this fellowship, please consider applying. Reviewers will consider the totality of your application.
During the fellowship, can I work with industry?
Yes, our program places no restrictions on industry collaboration. Please check with the organization to ensure being a fellow is permissible.
Must I have experience applying for research funding?
No, we do not require applicants to have prior experience with acquiring funding for their research.
Proposed Research
Do I have to use the AD Workbench to perform my analyses?
Yes, fellows must do as much of their proposed analyses on the AD Workbench. Exceptions may be made for extenuating circumstances.
Can I propose to use my own data in my analyses?
Yes, applicants are encouraged to include their own data, including data from multiple studies or sources. We also encourage you to explore the datasets available on the AD Workbench. A summary of those datasets can be found on AD Connect.
My hypothesis does not address any of the suggested research questions, should I still apply?
Yes, the suggested questions are provided as examples and applicants are encouraged to address their own questions in the ADRD field.
Am I required to publish my results in a peer-reviewed journal?
To support open science, we encourage fellows to share their results with the scientific community. This may include publishing in a peer-reviewed journal. Other activities may include sharing code, posting on AD Connect, presenting findings at a conference, and more.
Applications
When are applications due and how do I submit?
Applications will be accepted until 11:00 PDT (18:00 GMT) on Sunday, June 11, 2023. Only information and materials submitted through our application portal will be considered.
Can I send updates to my application once submitted?
No, all application information and materials must be submitted together and prior to the application deadline.
Review Process
How long will it take to review and decide on my application?
Applications will be reviewed once received and decisions are expected to be made by July 2023. All decisions will be final.
Who will review my application?
Applications will be reviewed by experts identified by the AD Data Initiative. They may include scientific advisors and leadership from our partner organizations and other leaders in the field.
Will applicants who are not selected be provided with review notes, scores, or reasons for the decision?
No, applicants will be informed of final decisions but not be provided with additional details.