Early Stage Investigator (ESI) Grants

A key component of the ARLG Mentoring Program is the opportunity provided by Early Stage Investigator (ESI) Grants. The purpose of the ESI Grants is to allow trainees to generate preliminary data leading to additional external funding. ESI Grants can be used to support initial research in areas related to antibacterial resistance (AR) within the ARLG scope. In addition, funds that are part of the ESI Grants can be used to give ESIs access to isolates contained in the ARLG Virtual Biorepository Strain Catalogue.

There are two types of ESI Grants:

Early Faculty Seedling Award

The award provides 50% of current salary support per year for protected research for up to two years and up to $25,000 in direct costs for research over the two years. The applicant is required to provide confirmation for 25% of salary commitment from their institution of additional protected time for research above and beyond the 50% received as part of this award (Institutional Support Letter).

Individuals who are ID Fellows at the 4th or 5th year of fellowship, as well as MD or PhD (any discipline) with a faculty appointment of less than five years are eligible to apply. Applicants who work at a US domestic institution for the duration of the award irrespective of citizenship or visa status are eligible to apply. The clinical research project may be conducted in the US or internationally.

The Early Faculty Seedling Award program is currently full and applications are closed at this time. Applications may not re-open until 2026 due to the timing of the ARLG grant cycle. Please check this page periodically or subscribe to the ARLG newsletter to receive updates.

If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact us at ARLG_Network@dm.duke.edu.

Early Faculty Seedling Award Application and Selection Process

Applicants are required to submit the following:

Applicant’s NIH biosketch
Mentor’s NIH biosketch and letter of support
Letters of recommendation (2 are required)
Institutional Support Letter.
For applicants who are not US citizens or non-citizen nationals or lawfully admitted for permanent residence, a letter from the applicant’s institution determining and documenting that the candidate’s visa will allow him or her to remain in the US long enough to complete the award.

Candidate’s background, goals and objectives (1-2 pages, 1 Inch Margins; Font - Arial 11 pt; Double-Spaced)

1. - Describe the candidate's commitment to an academic career studying antibacterial resistance consistent with the ARLG mission and goals.
  - Provide evidence of the candidate's potential to develop into an independent investigator in antibacterial resistance.
  - Describe the candidate's short term and long term academic goals.

Candidate’s plan for career development (1-2 pages, 1 Inch Margins; Font - Arial 11 pt; Double-Spaced)

1. - The career development plan during the award period will depend greatly on the candidate’s background. We expect the plan to vary from application to application.
  - The candidate and the mentor are jointly responsible for the preparation of the career development plan. A timeline is often helpful. The mentor, in consultation with the applicant, may form a mentoring team (or an advisory committee) to assist with the development of the program of study or to monitor the candidate's progress through the career development program.
  - The didactic (if any) and the research aspects of the plan must be designed to develop the necessary knowledge and research skills in scientific areas relevant to the candidate's career goals. The candidate must demonstrate they have received training or will participate in courses that will help them achieve their short term and long term academic goals.

Comprehensive research proposal (3-4 pages, 1 Inch Margins; Font - Arial 11 pt; Double-Spaced)

1. - The comprehensive research proposal should address a U.S. antibacterial resistance problem consistent with the ARLG mission and scope. The clinical research proposal will include the following sections (as applicable): Study Title, Study Rationale, Hypothesis, Objectives and Endpoints, Study Centers (proposed), Study Population, Study Design, Intervention/Treatment Regimens, Sample Size Estimate, Timeline, New and/or Unique Assay/Technology, Limitations, External Support/ Collaboration, and References

Barbara E. Murray ARLG Early Stage Investigator Award

The Barbara E. Murray ARLG Early Stage Investigator (ESI) Award honors the contributions of Barbara E. Murray, MD who served as a founding member of the ARLG Mentoring Committee and as a member of the ARLG Gram Positive Committee. Dr. Murray made significant contributions to the field of infectious disease through her research, specifically in enterococcal diseases. Her dedication to antibiotic resistance research, mentoring, and collaboration serves as an inspiration to others.

The Barbara E. Murray ARLG ESI Award provides up to $50,000 in direct costs to recipients for one year of clinical research in areas related to antibiotic resistance. Individuals who are MD, PhD, or Pharm D students, graduate or post-graduate trainees, or those with a faculty appointment of less than five years are eligible to apply, regardless of citizenship or visa status. Applicants must work for a US institution for the duration of the award, although the research may be conducted in the US or internationally.

The Barbara E. Murray ARLG ESI Award program is currently full and applications are closed at this time. Applications may not re-open until 2026 due to the timing of the ARLG grant cycle. Please check this page periodically or subscribe to the ARLG newsletter to receive updates.

If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact us at ARLG_Network@dm.duke.edu.

Barbara E. Murray ARLG ESI Award Application and Selection Process

Applicants are required to submit the following:

Applicant’s NIH biosketch
Mentor’s NIH biosketch and letter of support.
For applicants who are not US citizens or non-citizen nationals or lawfully admitted for permanent residence, a letter from the applicant’s institution determining and documenting that the candidate’s visa will allow him or her to remain in the US long enough to complete the award.
Comprehensive research proposal (3-4 pages, 1 Inch Margins; Font - Arial 11 pt; Double-Spaced)
The comprehensive research proposal should address a U.S. antibacterial resistance problem consistent with the ARLG mission and scope. The clinical research proposal will include the following sections (as applicable):

- Study title
- Study rationale
- Hypothesis
- Objective(s) and endpoint(s)
- Study centers (proposed)
- Study population
- Study design
- Intervention/treatment
- Sample size estimate
- Timeline and length of participant follow-up
- New and/or unique assay
- Limitations/potential pitfalls of the proposed study
- External support/collaboration/funding
- Publication references
- Estimated costs in $ (direct)

“My primary mentor has been Vance Fowler, MD, and I have benefited tremendously from his leadership of the ARLG. I think this is the ultimate training ground for an early-career investigator with an interest in clinical trials that can address the crisis of antibacterial resistance.”

Thomas L. Holland, MD, MSc
Duke University

For additional ESI grant information, please refer to ARLG ESI Grants at a Glance.