Nina Schooler Early Career Research Award

Funding Pilot Research in Human Clinical Psychopharmacology.

ASCP Announces $7,500 Nina Schooler Early Career Research Award

Nina Schooler, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Trained as a social psychologist, Dr. Schooler has been conducting research on schizophrenia treatment and course for many decades. Dr. Schooler has been an integral educator in the field of psychopharmacology and continues to further her personal goal of the development of early career clinical trialists through leadership on the ASCP New Investigator Award Committee. Her passion for educating the next generation of clinical psychopharmacologists has inspired many of her past mentees to become educators.

Psychiatry residents, fellows, physicians who are currently in psychiatry residency or fellowship programs, and doctoral-level psychologists/pharmacists (i.e., PhD, PsyD, PharmD) who are currently involved in clinical internships, externships or fellowships who are interested in or are beginning to engage in clinical psychopharmacology research are eligible to apply and are invited to submit applications for the 2026-2027 ASCP Nina Schooler Early Career Research Award. All applicants are required to be ASCP members. (Please note Society membership for residents and trainees is at no cost.) No prior research experience is required.

Funds may be used to assist with costs directly related to start-up or pilot research projects. This may include, but is not limited to, travel to research-related scientific meetings, relevant coursework, statistical consultation, or material project costs (e.g. supplies). Please note that awards will not include salary support nor payment of additional indirect costs to the awardee's institution. Mentorship by an ASCP senior investigator will also be available to the successful recipient.

Any project related to human clinical psychopharmacology may be considered for submission; basic science or animal research is not within the scope of this award.

How to Apply

Applicants should submit the following:

1. Current CV
2. One page letter of support from an on-site faculty mentor. The on-site faculty mentor is not required to be an ASCP member.
3. Funding proposal to support a research project. The proposal should be no more than 1,000 words, strictly enforced. For research proposals, please outline as follows:

i. Background and Significance
ii. Aims and Hypotheses
iii. Study Procedures
iv. Data Analytic Plan
v. Clearly define the candidate’s role in the project (For example, the roles outlined in authorship by the ICMJE at https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html)
vi. Budget, including if the budget is going to contribute to a larger project that gets additional funding elsewhere

One award will be given in 2026. The ASCP review committee will judge submissions on the basis of qualifications of the applicant and the merits, originality and feasibility of the proposed project. The successful awardee will be recognized and share their research at the 2027 ASCP Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The deadline to submit an application is January 28, 2026.

**Projects must be initiated within 6 months of the award and conclude within 18 months of the award. Please note that awards will not include payment of additional indirect costs to the awardee's institution.

PAST ASCP NINA SCHOOLER AWARDEES

Year	Awardee	Affiliation
2026	Adam Fijtman, M.D., Ph.D.	National Institute of Mental Health
2025	Brian Sweis M.D., Ph.D.	Icahn School of Medicine At Mount Sinai
2024	David Adamowicz M.D., Ph.D.	Mass General Brigham
2023	David Liebers, M.D.	New York University School of Medicine
2022	Nithya Ramakrishnan M.S.	Baylor College of Medicine, The Menninger Clinic
2021	Jonathan Young M.D.	Duke University School of Medicine
2020	Reilly Kayser M.D.	Columbia University; New York State Psychiatric Institute
2019	Sunny Tang M.D.	Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
2018	Yash Joshi, M.D., Ph.D.	University of California, San Diego
2017	Virginie-Anne Chouinard M.D.	Harvard Medical School; McLean Hospital