Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program Application
2027 Grant Rules Available Now
Purpose
The goal of the Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program is to fund nephrology fellows to conduct original, meritorious research projects. This program will foster the training of fellows, under the direction of a sponsor, who are highly motivated to make contributions to the understanding of kidney biology and disease. This Fellowship serves to establish the beginnings of an independent research career.
Applicants interested in clinical and basic science may submit a proposal that examines any aspect of the entire spectrum of kidney biology and disease.
Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program grants are not renewable and previous recipients are not eligible for a second grant. Applicants may only submit one application during a cycle.
KidneyCure invites applications from individuals whose personal backgrounds or life experiences may contribute valuable perspectives to nephrology, particularly those who have encountered barriers to entry in the field.
2027 Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Application Instructions
Eligibility
Please note that the eligibility criteria have been updated.
KidneyCure grants are available to non-US Citizens so long as they are working in North or Central America, or the Caribbean during the grant term.
To apply for a Research Fellowship, a candidate:
- Must hold an MD, DO, PhD, or equivalent degree.
- Must be an active member of ASN (Membership Type: Fellow/Trainee) when the application cycle closes on Thursday, November 19, 2026. The sponsor and all co-sponsors of the candidate must also be active members of ASN by that date.
- May not be more than five years from earning an MD, DO, MD, or equivalent (excluding residency, fellowship, and any time spent earning a Masters in Clinical Research) at the time of activation of award on July 1, 2027. Note that the eligibility window excludes residency and clinical fellowship training years. Over 70% of time should be spent on clinical training for a year to be considered "clinical fellowship training".
- For applicants without a medical degree, may not be more than three years from earning a PhD at the time of the activation of the award, July 1, 2027.
- Cannot have or have had at any time a nephrology-related or basic science faculty position at any academic institution; instructor-level positions are permitted.
- Must complete research under the direction and mentorship of a sponsor. However, the research objectives proposed by the candidate must clearly be different than the research of the sponsor/mentor/principal investigator.
- Cannot hold another full individual fellowship award such as another foundation fellowship or grant, or a post-doctoral research fellowship from the National Institutes of Health at the time of award activation (July 1, 2027). However, a candidate's institution may supplement the support provided by KidneyCure.
- Must be working in North or Central America, or the Caribbean during the fellowship period.
- Must commit a minimum of 75% time to research during the fellowship period.
- Must not exceed the maximum number of two applications from a single sponsor/mentor/principal investigator during any given application cycle.
Named Fellowships
The Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program funds 10 fellows at $50,000 a year for up to two years to conduct original, meritorious research projects including:
- Five Ben J. Lipps Research Fellows, named for Fresenius Medical Care's former CEO and Chairman of the Management Board*
- One Sharon Anderson Research Fellow, named by the American Society of Nephrology for ASN's first female president*
- One Joseph A. Carlucci Research Fellow, named by the American Renal Patient Care Foundation, Inc. for the former Chairman and CEO of American Renal Associates*
- One Jared J. Grantham Research Fellow, named by the PKD Foundation and the American Society of Nephrology for the co-founder of the PKD Foundation and the founding Editor-in-Chief of JASN*
- One Dimitrios G. Oreopoulos Research Fellow, named by Vantive in honor of a physician, researcher, and pioneer in peritoneal dialysis innovation
- One George B. Rathmann Research Fellow, named by Amgen in honor of its founding CEO
- One Donald E. Wesson Research Fellow, named by the American Society of Nephrology for a leading clinician, researcher, educator, and mentor*
- One KidneyCure Research Fellow*
*will be funded in 2026
Corporate Support
The Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program is fully endowed by contributions provided by Fresenius Medical Care, ASN, the American Renal Patient Care Foundation, Inc., Amgen, Vantive, and the PKD Foundation.
AI Use Policy
The submission of images created by artificial intelligence, machine learning tools, or similar technologies is discouraged, unless part of formal research design or methods, and is not permitted without clear description of the content that was created and the name of the model or tool, version and extension numbers, and manufacturer. If large language models (LLM)/artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, are used to create content or assist with writing or application preparation, applicants must take responsibility for the integrity of the content generated by these tools. Applicants should report the use of artificial intelligence, language models, machine learning, or similar technologies to create content or assist with writing or editing of manuscripts in the Citations section if these tools are used in part of formal research design or methods. These citations should include a description of the content that was created or edited and the name of the language model or tool, version and extension numbers, manufacturer, date(s) of use, and confirmation that the authors take responsibility for the integrity of the content generated. Note: this does not include basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, references, etc.
Contact
Please contact KidneyCure with any questions at grants@asn-online.org.