ISRHML
The International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation
ISRHML
The International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation
ISRHML’s Trainee Expansion Program (TEP) is the first program tailored for trainees and early career academics interested in human milk and lactation research.
TEP provides merit-based funding up to USD $100,000 for two types of projects:
Visit the TBF and TTF pages for eligibility and selection criteria.
How much funding is awarded? Why does it say “up to…”? What happens if a recipient has more than one source of funding for their proposed project?
It says “up to” which means you will not be awarded more than USD $100,000. Therefore, additional funding to run samples would potentially be necessary or the host institution may provide this in-kind. This is important to address as reviewers will be judging feasibility of the project. However, one cannot claim twice for the same expenses i.e., on the TEP grant and the other source of funding. Any leftover money must be transferred back to ISRHML.
Shall I include my salary in the budget?
Yes, there is a dedicated line in the budget form for salaries. Make sure to align your salary with your host and the host institution’s usual Postdoc salaries and norms.
Shall I include health insurance in the budget?
Yes, there is a dedicated line in the budget form for medical health insurance.
Shall I include accommodation in the budget?
No, accommodation should be part of your salary.
What can be included in the budget in terms of “basic supplies connected to the proposed research activities”?
Anything within reason – we have not approved requests for mobile phones or computers. Ensure telecommunication costs are reasonable bearing in mind you will have access to Wi-Fi at the host university or institution.
What about publication costs?
Normally, some money will be withheld for (a) future publication(s).
Can or should you transfer out of your field of expertise?
We encourage you to do so. Nevertheless, the project should be placed within human milk / breastfeeding research and your proposed mentor should be an expert in the field.
Is it possible to use a methodology you developed during your PhD and then apply it to a different study set-up (e.g., cohort-study)?
Yes, this is possible. Your proposed project should help you become an independent researcher and it is critical that your research is different to that of your PhD or current research.
Should I submit my application after my PhD?
This depends on your time schedule and if you would like your TBF project to start directly after your PhD. Due to the single deadlines and differences in PhD finish dates you are also encouraged to apply shortly after your PhD if appropriate. Please be aware that there is only one application period per year.
What is the minimum/maximum duration of the placement?
The project should be achievable within one year. It is highly unusual to be less than a year given that this is a track to independence.
Do you have to start on April 1st or can you also start a couple of months later?
Start date is flexible and dependent upon both the recipient and host institutions – justification is usually required in these cases.
Is it necessary to travel to another university or can you also just change the lab/team within your current university?
It is critical your research is different to that of your PhD or current research. We encourage to explain why it makes sense for you to stay at your university but transition to another lab to become an independent researcher.
Does your proposed mentor have to be an ISRHML member?
No, your proposed mentor doesn’t have to be an ISRHML member. But it’s important that she/he is an expert in the field you are planning to do your project in.
Does this depend on the number of papers published or amount of time?
Amount of time is more relevant to this award as publications notoriously take a longer time than expected.
How much funding is awarded? Why does it say “up to…”? What happens if a recipient has more than one source of funding for their proposed project?
It says “up to” which means you will not be awarded more than USD $10,000. Therefore, additional funding to run samples would potentially be necessary or the host institution may provide this in-kind. This is important to address as reviewers will be judging feasibility of the project. However, you cannot claim twice for the same expenses i.e., on the TEP grant and the other source of funding. Any leftover money must be transferred back to ISRHML.
What can be included in the budget in terms of “basic supplies connected to the proposed research activities”?
Anything within reason – we have not approved requests for mobile phones or computers. Ensure telecommunication costs are reasonable bearing in mind you will have access to Wi-Fi at the host university or institution.
Shall I include health insurance in the budget?
Yes, there is a dedicated line in the budget form for medical health insurance, but this depends on the country you would like to travel to, as every country has its own regulation regarding health insurance coverage for visiting students
Shall I include accommodation in the budget?
Yes, there is a dedicated line in the budget form for accommodation.
How much money can be allocated for accommodation?
This is individual and depends on the place you would like to travel to. We are aware that some places are more expensive than others and will take this into consideration. We recommend speaking with your host about accommodation, as some universities offer cheaper accommodation for visiting students.
Shipping of samples take up a large proportion of the budget. How do you manage that?
It is best to discuss the best practice for shipping samples with your host universities. Cost of expenses can change over time.
What about publication costs?
This is project dependent, and it will be discussed if a publication is feasible within three months and if the publication fees should be budgeted in. If this is the case, money will be withheld for this and paid at the time of publication submission.
Is it necessary to travel to another university or can you also just change the lab/team within your current university?
The TTF is specifically to travel to learn a skill not available at your university. This is capacity building (you get to take the skill back to your lab) – it is not a grant to run samples in another lab. So, the answer is no in this case.
What is the minimum / maximum duration of the placement?
The project should be achievable within three months. Reduced time must be justified, i.e., it must be a reasonable time to carry out the training or experiments. It is usually considered that 4 weeks is an average minimal time to learn a new skill.
Do you have to start on April 1st or can you also start a couple of months later?
Start date is flexible and dependent upon both the recipient and host institutions – justification is usually required in these cases.
Does your proposed mentor have to be an ISRHML member?
No, your proposed mentor doesn’t have to be an ISRHML member. But it’s important that she/he is an expert in the field you are planning to do your project in.
Can you apply for a TTF first and then apply again for a TBF?
Yes – you can but you cannot apply for both at the same time. Alexandra George is a good example of a TTF and a TBF recipient.
Based on the grant you are applying for, you will be able to upload required and optional documents.
IMPORTANT! Both Trainee Bridge Fund (TBF) and Trainee Travel Fund (TTF) applications utilize pre-defined templates provided by ISRHML (see below). When submitting required documents, i.e., Budget Form and Type of Training, the pre-defined templates MUST BE USED. Documents will not be accepted in any other format or the application may NOT be reviewed.
*Please note, for the ‘Upload Documents’ step, only required and optional files are supported by the online system.
The following file types may be uploaded: PDF document (*.pdf), Word document (*.doc/*.docx), XLS file (*.xls/xlsx), JPEG image (*.jpg), GIF image (*.gif), or PNG image (*.png). Specific required documents may be restricted to a specific file type(s).
For additional information regarding required documentation (including the Budget Form), please contact us at tep@isrhml.com
Please download and complete this XLS template (*.xls/xlsx) before starting your submission.
Please download and use this PDF template (*.pdf) before starting your submission.
Please download and complete this XLS template (*.xls/xlsx) before starting your submission.
Please download and use this PDF template (*.pdf) before starting your submission.
For more information or questions about the ISRHML – Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Trainee Expansion Program (TEP), please contact the TEP administrative office at tep@isrhml.com