HHMI initiated an open competition in March aimed at appointing 20 to 30 new investigators. These appointments will enable the Institute to strengthen its community of researchers and bring innovative approaches to the study of biological problems.

“HHMI has a very simple mission,” says HHMI President Robert Tjian. “We find the best original-thinking scientists and give them the resources to follow their instincts in discovering basic biological processes that will lead to better biomedical outcomes.”

The initiative represents an investment of approximately $200 million by HHMI over the next five years. The competition is open to scientists at more than 200 institutions who are involved in basic biomedical research and related areas, from evolutionary biology to patient-oriented research. Eligible researchers must hold a tenured or tenure-track position and have between five and 15 years of experience since appointment as an assistant professor or equivalent position. The deadline for applications is June 13.

A panel of distinguished biomedical researchers will evaluate the candidates’ applications, and all semifinalists will present their research at a scientific symposium at HHMI in April 2013. Finalists will be selected shortly after the symposium. Each new investigator will receive a five-year renewable appointment, worth about $1 million a year.

The HHMI Investigator Program currently supports approximately 340 scientists at more than 70 host institutions in the United States. Seventy-nine, or 23 percent, of these investigators are women. By appointing scientists as HHMI investigators—funding people rather than projects—the Institute provides long-term, flexible support that enables its researchers to pursue their scientific interests wherever they lead.

“We’re betting on the individual, not necessarily on the specific research that they’re conducting today,” says Jack E. Dixon, HHMI’s vice president and chief scientific officer.

What It Means to Be an
HHMI Investigator

HHMI investigators Eva Nogales, George Q. Daley, and Linda Buck share thoughts on their research and how HHMI advances science.

Illustration: VSA Partners

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