Funder: Dermatology Foundation
Due Dates: December 1, 2026 (Applications) | January 1, 2027 (Renewals)
Funding Amounts: $100,000 annually for up to three years (2026 award terms)
Summary: Supports early-career investigators conducting innovative basic, clinical, or translational research on inflammatory skin disorders.
Key Information: Applicants need at least one year of DF CDA or similar funding, or must have returned a DF CDA after receiving federal funding.
Description
The Dermatology Foundation’s Early Career Innovator Award, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, supports outstanding early-career investigators developing a track record of excellence in basic, clinical, or translational science. Funded projects address dermatological issues associated with inflammatory skin disorders and are expected to generate innovative findings that deepen understanding of these conditions.
The award is intended to strengthen investigators’ research and academic careers in dermatology. The 2026 instructions describe hypothesis-driven, three-year projects and emphasize helping investigators with prior DF Career Development Award (CDA) support compete for NIH R01 funding. The Foundation also encourages applications from minority populations and research concerning health issues affecting racial minorities, sexual and gender/LGBTQ minorities, and underserved or disadvantaged populations.
