Funding-Limited Submission – Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease; September 11, 2012

Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) five-year awards provide $500,000 for opportunities for accomplished investigators at the assistant professor level to study pathogenesis, with a focus on the intersection of human and microbial biology. The program is intended to shed light on the overarching issues of how human hosts handle infectious challenge. The awards are intended to give recipients the freedom and flexibility to pursue new avenues of inquiry and higher-risk research projects that hold potential for advancing significantly the biochemical, pharmacological, immunological, and molecular biological understanding of how infectious agents and the human body interact. 

Areas of particular interest include:

• Cell/Pathogen interactions—studies of host responses at the cell surface, cell signaling in response to infection, microbial persistence in host cells, and other work.
• Host/Pathogen interactions—studies of how host genetics influences resistance and susceptibility to infection, innate and adaptive immune responses to microbes, pathogen modulation of the immune system, and other work.
• Novel routes to disease causation—studies of the role of infectious agents in the etiology of chronic, autoimmune, and immunologic diseases, and other work.

Candidates will generally have an M.D., D.V.M., or Ph.D. degree. They must have an established record of independent research and hold a tenure-track position as an assistant professor or equivalent (at the time of application) at a degree-granting institution. They must also be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Canada at the time of application.

BWF restricts each institution to a maximum of two candidates for this award. However, institutions that nominate a researcher who holds the DVM will be allowed three nominations. In addition, institutions may have a single additional nomination if they nominate a researcher working in pathogenic helminths, mycology, or reproductive science. The institution must submit a statement of nomination for each candidate. In this statement, BWF expects that the institution will tangibly demonstrate its commitment to support each candidate it nominates, including the protection of 75 percent of the grantee’s time for research.

Full information is available at http://www.bwfund.org/pages/105/Investigators-in-the-Pathogenesis-of-Infectious-Disease/

Because the sponsor limits the number of applications an institution may submit, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process. Eligible researchers who wish to be considered for this program should submit the following information electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to his or her Associate Dean for Research by Tuesday, September 11, 2012:

· Candidate’s Biosketch – use the current NIH format of 4 pages

· Scientific Abstract – one page

· Letter of Nomination – Include a letter from the candidate’s dean or department chair that verifies that the candidate meets the award’s eligibility requirements and has the required 75% protected time for research. The letter should describe the focus and direction of the institution’s research programs that are relevant to the proposed work and discuss how the applicant’s research fits into the organization.

The Vice President for Research will appoint a committee to review the material and make recommendations as to the University's nominee(s). All applicants will be notified of the results. The individual(s) selected will be given sufficient time to complete the full application by the November 1, 2012 deadline.

Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663.)