Howard Hughes Medical Institute launches open competition for new investigators

Howard Hughes Medical Institute launches open competition for new investigators

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) recently announced a new national competition for biomedical investigators. HHMI plans to name up to 50 new researchers by the spring of 2008, and award at least $600 million for basic biomedical research.

The 2008 Investigator Competition is open to early-career scientists at approximately 200 eligible institutions, including the Medical University of South Carolina. This competition differs from previous competitions in several crucial ways. HHMI is putting no limitation on the number of applications from any eligible institution. Second, researchers with faculty appointments may apply directly. Prior institutional endorsement will not be part of the initial application process. This represents the first time the institute has opened up a general competition to the direct application process.

HHMI is seeking applicants studying biomedical problems in a broad array of disciplines, including biology, medicine, and related areas of chemistry, physics, engineering, and computational biology. Candidates are expected to demonstrate exceptional research capabilities as well as a combination of other attributes that distinguish them from other highly competent scientists in their field. Selected researchers will be encouraged to extend the boundaries of science and will have the freedom to change direction in their research. Eligibility criteria include the following:

Doctoral degree.
Tenured or tenure-track position as assistant professor or higher academic rank at one of the eligible institutions. Federal government employees are not eligible.
From four and ten years of experience since first appointed as an assistant professor or equivalent position.
Status as Principal Investigator on one or more active, national, peer-reviewed research grants that provide at least three years of support, such as an NIH R01 award. Mentored awards or training grants do not qualify.

The deadline for applications is June 13, 2007 at 3 PM. All applications must be submitted electronically. The initial application is brief and includes no letters of nomination or recommendation. HHMI‘s review process will utilize a panel of distinguished scientists to evaluate applications, leading to the selection of semifinalists by late fall 2007. Additional materials, including three references, will be required from semifinalists. Following further review, finalists will be announced by the spring of 2008.

For more information about the competition, visit the 2008 Investigator Competition page on the HHMI web site.

Source: HHMI e-mail announcement