The AD Data Initiative is a coalition of leading academic, government, industry, and non-profit organizations that recognizes the need for dementia researchers to find easier ways to share unpublished data, analytical tools, and scientific findings. These partners are working together to accelerate progress towards new diagnostics, treatments, and cures in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). In 2020, the AD Data Initiative publicly launched a non-profit organization, referred to as ADDI to help achieve its goals.

The Fellowship

The AD Data Initiative is creating new possibilities for over 55 million people worldwide living with Alzheimer’s or related dementia. To accelerate novel discoveries in ADRD, the William H. Gates Sr. Fellowship from the AD Data Initiative will support approximately five fellows during our two-year program to engage in research, share their findings, and grow the dementia data sharing community spearheaded by the AD Data Initiative.

Fellows may also be asked to collaborate with the AD Data Initiative on data analysis activities, use and promote analytic tools available on the AD Workbench (ADDI’s online data sharing and analysis platform), help identify and develop new tools, data, and capabilities, and engage in community forums such as AD Connect (ADDI’s online community).

Successful fellows will use human or human-derived anonymized data that is accessed, with permission, on the AD Workbench or from other sources. They will conduct their analyses on the AD Workbench and address a question in the ADRD field. The question may, but is not required to include one or more of those suggested by the AD Data Initiative:

Can we combine existing and new data to track aging and disease progression?
- Can we predict and delay the conversion of mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease?
- Do diverse genetic and environmental backgrounds change the risk of onset or progression of Alzheimer’s disease?

Can we identify biological pathways that might be:
- Targets for intervention?
- Signatures of pathology, which could facilitate clinical trials that are agnostic to existing clinical diagnostic categories?
- Used to stratify patients?

Can we optimize how to stratify patients for clinical trials?
- Can we redefine Alzheimer’s disease (go beyond stratification)?

How can we rapidly, repeatedly, and consistently measure cognitive function?

Can we assess the validity and reliability of proposed novel biomarkers and diagnostics?
- Can we extract meaning from less structured data (such as speech) using artificial intelligence, machine learning, or other methods?

Are there lifestyle or behavioral changes that will pause or delay Alzheimer’s disease symptoms?

This fellowship is not intended to address hypotheses outside the dementia field, collect new data, recruit new subjects as part of a new or existing clinical study, involve non-human derived data, or prepare data for broader sharing without specific analyses.

Fellows will continue to work at their home organization and not be employed by ADDI. However, our fellows will not work alone. The program will consult with each fellow to identify mentors, provide opportunities to engage with other fellows and AD Data Initiative partners, support conference participation and publications, and more.

Eligibility

Approximately five fellows will be selected for our two-year program. Preferably, applicants have a doctoral degree relevant to this program and approximately five to ten years of relevant work experience after receiving their highest degree. Applicants must be researchers currently employed by an academic (non-tenured position), government, industry, or non-profit organization. Applicants should have expertise in computational, machine learning, statistical, or other data science methods, and a demonstrated interest in brain research, neuroscience, or other relevant fields.

We believe high-quality science needs to include different perspectives, so we are building a diverse and inclusive environment. We encourage people from all cultural, geographical, and technical backgrounds to apply, including those who are from underrepresented backgrounds in their field.

Benefits

Each fellow in our Year 1 cohort will receive a financial award of up to $100,000 USD, to be used to support their research. The award will be divided and distributed over the course of the two-year program. Fellows will be offered opportunities to develop their professional networks within the ADRD field, including identifying mentors. The program will also provide fellows with financial assistance to attend and present findings at relevant scientific conferences and publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and other publications.

There will also be opportunities for the fellows to connect with their peers on AD Connect by leading discussions, answering questions, or offering expertise. Finally, as the inaugural cohort, the 2023 Gates Sr. AD Fellows will have the unique experience of helping shape this program for future participants.

Application Materials

Profile details (as requested in the online application)
Brief resume or curriculum vitae, including links to any relevant publications (maximum 2 pages).
Personal statement describing how receiving this fellowship would help the applicant accelerate new discoveries in the diagnosis, treatment, or cure of ADRD (maximum 1 page).
Research statement answering these questions (maximum 2 pages):
- What question in the ADRD field will you address?
- What is your hypothesis?
- What human or human-derived anonymized data will you use, including data that is discoverable on the AD Workbench or from other sources?
- What data analysis tools will you use? Confirm that you will do your analyses on the AD Workbench. If not, please explain.
- What is your schedule of activities and anticipated research milestones?

Fellowship Rules

Visit AD Connect, our online community, to review our Fellowship Rules.

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First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone *

Resume/CV *

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1. ELIGIBILITY: Are you currently employed by an academic, government, industry, or nonprofit organization? *

Our fellowship aims to support researchers who are currently employed by an organization and seeking financial and other assistance to advance their work.

If you answer No to the below question, unfortunately you are not eligible to apply to this program and should not proceed with this application.

2. ELIGIBILITY: Are you a tenured faculty member of an academic institution (tenure is defined as an indefinite academic appointment that can only be terminated for cause)? *

Our fellowship aims to support early- and mid-career researchers, including those who are non-tenured faculty members at an academic institution.

If you answer Yes to the below question, unfortunately you are not eligible to apply and should not proceed with this application.

3. ELIGIBILITY: What is your country of residence? *

If you reside in a country that is subject to United States financial restrictions (see Fellowship Rules for a complete list), you are unfortunately not eligible to apply to this program and should not proceed with this application.

4. ELIGIBILITY: What is the location (country) of your current employer? *

If you currently work for an organization located in a country that is subject to United States financial restrictions (see Fellowship Rules for a complete list), you are unfortunately not eligible to apply to this program and should not proceed with this application.

5. EDUCATION: Do you hold a doctoral degree relevant to this program? *

6. EDUCATION: What is the name of the institution and department that awarded your highest degree? *

7. EDUCATION: When (year) did you receive your highest degree? *

8. EMPLOYMENT: What is the name, address, and website of your current employer? *

9. EMPLOYMENT: What is your current job title? *

10. EMPLOYMENT: Briefly describe your current job responsibilities (maximum 50 words). *

Please include any details that are relevant to this program.

11. EXPERIENCE: How many years of relevant work experience do you have since receiving your highest degree? *

12. EXPERIENCE: Briefly describe your experience with computational, machine learning, statistical, or other data science or analytics methods (maximum 100 words). *

13. EXPERIENCE: Briefly describe your interest or background in brain research, neuroscience, or other relevant fields (maximum 100 words). *

14. PERSONAL STATEMENT: Provide a personal statement (maximum 1 page). *

Describe how receiving this fellowship will help you accelerate new discoveries in the diagnosis, treatment, or cure of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Dropbox Google Drive

(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)

15. RESEARCH STATEMENT: Provide a research statement (maximum 2 pages). *

Briefly answer these questions:

What question in the ADRD field do you want to address?
What is your hypothesis?
What human or human-derived anonymized data will you use? This may include datasets that are discoverable on the AD Workbench or from other sources.
What data analysis tools will you use? Confirm that you will do your analyses on the AD Workbench. If not, please explain.
What is your schedule of activities and anticipated research milestones?

Dropbox Google Drive

(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)

By selecting "Yes," I state that I understand the Fellowship Rules. *

Applicants must acknowledge that they understand the Fellowship Rules.

If you answer No to the question below, your application will not be reviewed.

How did you hear about this fellowship program?

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The William H. Gates Sr. Fellowship from the AD Data Initiative

The Fellowship

Eligibility

Benefits

Application Materials

Fellowship Rules

Apply for this Job