The ASCI Council Young Physician-Scientist Awards (YPSA) recognize physician-scientists who are early in their first faculty appointment and have made notable achievements in their research. With these awards, the ASCI seeks to encourage and inspire early-career physician-scientists through participation in the AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting, and virtual community activities throughout the year.
These awards recognize up to 50 physician-scientists annually who are within 1-5 years of their first faculty appointment and have made notable achievements in their research.
Nominations for the 2026 YPSAs will open in late summer 2025.
An eligible YPSA nominee:
- has an MD, MD/PhD or equivalent degree
- possesses a K08 or equivalent Career Development Award
- is within 1-5 years of their first faculty appointment (this timeframe is flexible, taking into account extenuating circumstances)
- does not yet have an R01 or equivalent award (though one may have a favorable score on an R01 or equivalent, just no NOA at the time of nomination) – DP5 recipients are not excluded
The typical YPSA recipient:
- demonstrates consistent productivity through first and/or last author publications that have built an exciting body of work
- has extramural grants and awards, including NIH K08 or equivalent career awards
- is active in and beyond their academic communities, and have demonstrated leadership and collaboration within their specialty and the greater scientific community
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Early-Career Award nomination process:
- Early-Career Award nomination cycles are annual and typically begin in late summer/early fall.
- YPSAs are nominated by an ASCI member – this individual does not have to be from the nominee’s institution. The searchable ASCI Directory is linked here (one may search by institution, specialty, etc.).
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Award Benefits include:
- Complementary registration to the AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting
- A $500 honorarium meant to offset the travel expenses associated with the Joint Meeting
- One (1) first-round submission per year to JCI Insight may be designated for guaranteed external peer review by any YPSA recipient in the last 5 years who is not an ASCI member
- Access to 2 years of Early-Career Award programming detailed here:
Joint Meeting In-Person Programming and Events
In addition to AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting program access, Early-Career Awardees are invited to participate in the following activities at the Joint Meeting:
- Leadership Development Workshop on Networking led by Rangaraj Ramanujam, PhD, Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management
- Early-Career Award Reception
- Small Group Dinners (multidisciplinary/multi-career stage/multi-institution groups)
- ASCI Dinner and New Member Induction Ceremony
- Food & Science Evening – awardees may present a poster during this celebration of the intersection of fine cuisine and science
Virtual Programming
- ASCI Committee Consulting Membership – 2-year commitment, limited availability
- Virtual Leadership Development Workshops led by Rangaraj Ramanujam, PhD, Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management
- Focus Groups to inform the direction of early-career programming
- Physician-Scientist Pathway Series – exemplary ASCI members engage in informal discussion about the personal and scientific experiences that got them to where they are today
- Scientific Sessions – a monthly spotlight on distinguished investigators and their contributions to the field of biomedical research
- Summer Discussion Series with a panel of ASCI members experienced in relevant to topics such as “Insights on Funding,” “Publishing,” and “Running a Research Program”
- Peer Review Groups to discuss with and advise peers on upcoming grant and publication submissions
- Presidential Office Hours with past, present, and future ASCI Presidents, during which they answer questions about the physician-scientist career path
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Contact
For information or questions, contact us at programs@the-asci.org.