A major part of ADST work involves collaborations with disease foundations. This approach expands on a collaborative model that began in 2008 with the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA). In that agreement, a foundation-supported postdoctoral investigator pursued assay development for a specific subtype of CMT. Since then, ADST program staff have expanded the model to include work on additional CMT subtypes as well as replicated the model with three other disease foundations: Hannah’s Hope Fund, The Alpha 1 Project and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
Postdoctoral Recruitment and Training
Within ADST’s “project champion” model, the sponsoring foundation’s scientific advisory board and NCATS evaluate and select postdoctoral candidates, who then commit to a two- to three-year residency with the possibility of extension beyond the original term.
Project Support
The primary mechanism of funding for ADST projects is through conditional gifts to NIH. Learn more about contributing to NCATS-funded research.
Collaborative Project Execution
ADST program staff work with disease foundations to establish specific projects for a dedicated postdoctoral researcher. These collaborative arrangements involve:
- Establishing an agreement on assay design concepts.
- Exchange of reagents.
- Regular conference calls and face-to-face meetings with foundation scientists to review data and obtain feedback on progress.