HAIR Grant Program
The Academy is pleased to announce the 2021 inauguration of the AAD Hair Loss and Alopecia Initiative in Research (HAIR) Grant Program. HAIR research grants will be offered to dermatologists, researchers, and trainees in the United States for the completion of basic, translational, and/or clinical research projects that address gaps in hair disorders research, with a particular emphasis on hair disorders in diverse populations.
This one-time grant program will offer one $200,000 grant (funded at $100,000 per year for two years) specifically for research on central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), as well as one $100,000 grant, three $50,000 grants, one $25,000 grant, and one $10,000 grant. Priority for the $10,000 – $100,000 grants will be given to research on CCCA, hair disorders in skin of color, racial differences or disparities in care, androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in women, frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), lichen planopilaris (LPP), the role of nutrition in hair loss, and environmental/genetic factors in hair loss.
Applications for the program are open through Aug. 31. Please review the application packet before completing the online application form. Review the tabs below to learn more about eligibility criteria, the application and selection process, and how grant recipients will be recognized.
The Workgroup that developed this grant program is available to answer questions from potential applicants. Please direct inquiries to Allen McMillen at amcmillen@aad.org.
Eligible candidates must meet the following criteria:
Dermatologist members of the Academy
Non-dermatologist researchers *
Dermatology residents and fellows *
Medical students *
* Requires a member dermatologist as a co-investigator
Due to the paucity of experts in this field and prioritization of grants for research on hair disorders in skin of color, investigators who are already well-funded are encouraged to collaborate with junior investigators. Individuals from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
Eligible candidates may apply directly through the online submission process. Applicants should note the following:
Applicants must indicate the value of the grant for which they are applying.
If any portion of the grant is to be used to cover indirect expenses, the percentage of grant funds that will be used to cover indirect costs must be specified and may not exceed 10%.
The criteria for judging applicants are:
Relevance to the request for grant applications and identified research gaps
Strength of proposed research project and soundness of research design
Feasibility of research project (may include environment to support research project)
Innovation (may include expansion of knowledge from a pilot project)
Impact to dermatology and Academy members
Overall assessment
Each criterion will be evaluated on a numerical, 1 to 5 basis, with 1 being outstanding and 5 being poor. The numerical rankings will be used by a 20-member Review Group to determine the grant recipients.
In addition to the grant funds, recipients will be recognized at the Academy’s Annual Meeting and in various Academy publications. Grantees will be required to:
Present their findings via poster/oral presentations and/or educational sessions at Annual Meeting/Innovation Academy
Submit a final report to the Review Group
Submit their research findings to JAAD or another relevant journal within 12 months of project completion
Additional Academy resources
Explore the HAIR Grant Program through an interview with two of the dermatologists who helped create it.
