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2007 Investigator Competition in Patient-Oriented Research
Howard Hughes Medical Institute is pleased to announce a national competition for the appointment of outstanding physician-scientists as HHMI investigators. This focused competition reflects the Institute’s longstanding interest in supporting physician-scientists who connect the insights gained through interaction with patients to rigorous programs of laboratory research that generate new approaches to the treatment of human disease.
Highly creative researchers who bridge the gap between clinical medicine and basic science are in a unique position to exploit our knowledge of the human genome and other recent advances to make discoveries that will improve human health.
From this competition, HHMI wishes to appoint approximately 15 new investigators who lead patient-oriented research programs and whose scientific work is influenced by their interaction with patients. HHMI anticipates initiating a separate general competition for HHMI investigators in 2007 that will be open to an expanded list of eligible institutions and have other eligibility criteria.
In 2002, the Institute completed its first competition dedicated to physician-scientists who conduct patient-oriented research. In that competition, 12 new HHMI investigators were selected. These physician scientists have identified new drug targets, developed new therapeutic agents, and improved our understanding of the genetic basis of disease. Review their research summaries here.
This patient-oriented competition differs from all previous competitions in two crucial ways. HHMI will place no restrictions on the number of applications from any of the 121 eligible institutions. Second, researchers with faculty appointments will apply directly; prior institutional approval will not be required.
We anticipate the competition for these appointments will be extremely keen. Those candidates with outstanding records who have shown evidence of significant originality and productivity are encouraged to apply. HHMI welcomes applications from outstanding women and minorities underrepresented in the sciences.
Who Should Apply?
Applicants must:
- have an M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degree or the equivalent;
- have a current license to practice medicine in the United States;
- be a tenured or tenure-track or the equivalent faculty member at an eligible host institution on the date of submission of the application;
- have between 4 and 16 years of faculty experience (i.e., assumed your first faculty appointment as an assistant professor or equivalent rank no earlier than January 1991 and no later than January 2003);
- be engaged in the conduct of patient-oriented research;
- be the principal investigator on an active R01 grant or a project leader on an active P01 grant.
Exclusions:
- HHMI investigators are required to devote at least 75% of their total effort to the direct conduct of biomedical research. Faculty members with administrative responsibilities or other duties inconsistent with this time commitment should not apply.
- Appointees cannot retain research support from for-profit entities.
- Appointees become employees of HHMI and cannot be federal employees.
- The investigatorship must be awarded at the institution from which the application is submitted; an investigator may not transfer to another institution during the first award period and maintain investigator status.
Additional information:
Our eligibility requirements are strict. You must first determine your eligibility before submitting your application materials.
The Application Process
Applications will be accepted beginning January 2, 2007. The final deadline for all applications is January 18, 2007, at 3:00 p.m. (EST). All applications must be submitted electronically. See additional guidelines below for document format and file types.
The application must contain the following components:
- A curriculum vitae, bibliography, and list of current research support. Applicants should use the NIH PHS 398 biographical sketch format, but may exceed the three-page limit in order to provide a complete bibliography.
- A 250-word summary of the major achievements of the applicant as an independent investigator.
- A summary of the ongoing and planned research program, limited to 3,000 words for the text. Applicants may include up to one page of figures. Figures and references are not included in the 3,000-word limit.
- Five selected publications that document the applicant’s most important scientific contributions, and a paragraph of 300 words maximum for each publication summarizing the importance of the selected publication.
Additional guidelines:
All documents, including publications, are to be submitted electronically. Word, PDF, or RTF formats are acceptable.
No reference letters are to be supplied with the initial application. Three references will be required from semifinalists.
Selection of Investigators
HHMI will utilize a three-stage review process. Applications will be evaluated by distinguished scientists specifically appointed as reviewers, including current and past members of the Institute's Medical Advisory and Scientific Review Boards, HHMI investigators, and HHMI's scientific staff.
Only those applicants with outstanding records who have shown evidence of exceptional originality and productivity will be considered.
It is anticipated that the semifinalists will be named in June 2007, and announcement of those selected for appointment as HHMI investigators will be made by fall 2007.
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