Young Investigators Research Forum

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!

Issue Date: September 8, 2025
Application Due Date: October 20, 2025 by 11:59 pm ET
Selection Notification: by January 16, 2026
Forum Dates: Virtual Kick-Off Meeting:
March 13, 2026

In-Person Meeting:
April 19-21, 2026
The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago
909 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Amount of Funding: Selected trainees will be provided a travel scholarship that includes travel and lodging funded by the AASM Foundation to the in-person Young Investigators Research Forum 2026.
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View the Application Form Outline
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The AASM Foundation is committed to growing and supporting the pipeline of sleep scientists by investing in the research careers of new investigators through mentorship and grantsmanship training opportunities.

The Young Investigators Research Forum is a research training program designed to aid the career development of promising early career investigators in circadian and sleep research by providing opportunities to network with senior sleep investigators, exposure funding agencies and sleep funding mechanisms, refine their research ideas, and guidance to thrive in an academic sleep research career.

View the 2025 Program

About the Young Investigators Research Forum

The Young Investigators Research Forum 2026 will have a kick-off virtual meeting in March 2026 and an in-person meeting on April 19-21, 2026 in Chicago, IL.

The program will provide accepted applicants the guidance, tactics, and strategies to better position early career investigators for a successful career in circadian and sleep research by:

  • Understanding how to build a successful career in sleep research, including how to foster collaborations and develop mentorship relationships.
  • Understanding the policies and various mechanisms for sleep research funding.
  • Gain insight on the grant peer review structure and process.
  • Further develop specific aims for a grant proposal.

The Young Investigators Research Forum will provide an opportunity for collegial interaction among early career investigators and established senior investigators across the broad spectrum of basic, translational, clinical and population sleep and circadian science, as well as with scientific and program officers from various funding agencies.

The AASM Foundation provides a travel scholarship that includes travel and lodging coordinated and funded by the AASM Foundation to the in-person Young Investigators Research Forum 2026 in Chicago, IL.

The Young Investigators Research Forum 2026 is sponsored in part by ResMed. Additional support is provided by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society Foundation.

The following individuals are eligible to apply:

  • Individuals with an MD, DO, DDS, DMD, DNP, DNSc, PharmD, PhD, or equivalent professional degree.
  • Individuals within 10 years of their terminal degree, post-doctoral training, or clinical training.

The following individuals are NOT eligible to apply:

  • Individuals who have received a federal career development grant (NIH K grant, VA Career Development Grant, or equivalent), or independent research funding (NIH R01 or equivalent) at the time of application.
  • Individuals who are at an institution outside of the United States.
  • Current AASM and AASM Foundation Board of Directors members cannot be listed as a mentor on an application during their term on the Board and for one year after their term ends.
  • Current Young Investigator Research Forum Planning Committee members cannot apply during their term on the committee.

The AASM Foundation Young Investigators Research Forum Planning Committee will evaluate and score all submitted applications, and make final selections of accepted applicants to the program. Factors that will be taken into consideration include:

  1. Contribution to Science: Clear commitment to an academic sleep research career based on training to date, research activities, scholarly productivity, and institutional commitment towards a research career.
  2. Specific Aims: Well-articulated research question in the sleep or circadian field that addresses a major gap in current evidence.
  3. Career Plan: Strong short-term and long-term career goals in sleep research. Clear justification for how the candidate will benefit from participating in the Young Investigators Research Forum and enhance the applicant’s career trajectory in circadian and sleep research.

Step 1: AASM Foundation Grant Request registration

To apply for the Young Investigators Research Forum, you must register on AASM Foundation Online Portal. Please refer to the AASM Foundation Application User Guide for guidance on creating an account.

 Step 2: Complete application

 ACCESS THE YOUNG INVESTIGATORS RESEARCH FORUM 2026 APPLICATION

 Applications must be completed and submitted through the AASM Foundation Online Portal. Instructions for required forms are available via the online submission system. For an overview of the information that is requested on the application form, please download the Young Investigators Research Forum 2026 Application Outline.

We encourage potential applicants to contact us early in the application process with questions. Eligibility questions may need to be reviewed by a member of the AASM Foundation Executive Committee, so please allow for at least a 1-week response time for eligibility questions. For all other inquiries, please allow a minimum of two business days for a response. Please note that inquiries submitted two business days prior to an application deadline may not be answered in time.

Meet the 2025 Faculty and Trainees

Alumni & Faculty of the Young Investigators Research Forum

2024

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2023

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2022

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2021

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2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

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