We are inviting supervisors who identify as belonging to an underrepresented group in Parkinson’s disease (PD) research to apply for funding for a trainee who is also from an underrepresented group to pursue a PhD in the genetics of PD or a related subject. Applications may be submitted with or without a potential trainee having already been identified. Overseas training (where possible) and cross-institutional collaboration with other GP2 member laboratories during the studentship is strongly recommended in order to maximize the benefit to GP2 and additional funds can be made available.

Details

The Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2; gp2.org) is an ambitious project supported by the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) initiative and executed in partnership with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease Research.

Supervisor and trainee specification

Supervisors must demonstrate the following:

• Experience training students to obtain a higher research degree and affiliation with an institution authorized to offer such training culminating in a degree.
• A background in PD research and preferably PD genetics.
• Commitment to collaboration and data-sharing as part of the wider GP2 program.
• Willingness for the student to gain experience at laboratories and centers in other countries as part of their training.

Trainees must meet the following specification. If a trainee has been identified then please include their information in the application form. If a trainee has not yet been identified then these criteria should be applied during the selection process undertaken by supervisors who are awarded funds. 

• Undergraduate degree (as a minimum) in a relevant discipline.
• Clear interest in developing an understanding of neurodegenerative disease genetics.
• Computer literate and understands the principles of data management and analysis.
• Committed to collaborative work, locally and globally.
• Good written and oral communication (sufficient to present work and write a thesis).

Funding notes

We will support the costs of a 3-year PhD studentship starting between October 2023 and May 2024. The award will cover: 

• A stipend or salary for the trainee that is commensurate with the usual costs of a PhD in the country where the training will take place.
• University fees that are directly related to training (i.e. student fees).
• Limited consumables with clear justification. 

The final funding decision and offer will be made by a panel of GP2 steering committee members in September 2023. The offer will be contingent on the trainee registering/enrolling between October 2023 and May 2024. The GP2 Training, Networking, and Communication Working Group and a panel of GP2 steering committee members should be involved in the review process when selecting candidates. The first payment installment will be released once the student has enrolled in the PhD program. The release of funds for years 2 and 3 will follow satisfactory progress outlined in an annual report.

Application Information

Deadline: September 8th, 2023

To apply, please register and complete the online application form within The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease Research grants portal.

To be considered for funding for this GP2 PhD studentship, you must identify yourself as belonging to an underrepresented group in PD research.