Funding-Limited Submission – Burroughs Wellcome Fund – Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease; November 3, 2014

This award provides $500,000 over a period of five years to support accomplished investigators at the assistant professor level to study pathogenesis, with a focus on the interplay between human and microbial biology, shedding light on how human and microbial systems are affected by their encounters. 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 significantly advancing the biochemical, pharmacological, immunological, and molecular biological understanding of how microbes 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 must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Canada, and will generally have an M.D., D.V.M., or Ph.D. 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.

Institutional Limit: BWF restricts each institution to a maximum of two candidates for this award. However, institutions that nominate a researcher who holds the D.V.M. 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 the institution will tangibly demonstrate its commitment to support each candidate it nominates, including the protection of 75% of the grantee’s time for research.

Full information is available at http://www.bwfund.org/grant-programs/infectious-diseases-0

Internal Competition: Because BWF limits the number of proposals submitted per organization, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process. Prospective applicants interested in responding to this program should send the following information to the Office of the Vice President for Research at limitedsubmissions@uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Tuesday, September 30, 2014:

• Names and departments of the Project Director and project personnel;
• Title of the program and/or funding opportunity announcement number;
• A brief description (2 pages maximum) of the proposed project, including the need for the project, goals, objectives, and proposed activities.
• 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.

A committee will be appointed to review the information and make a recommendation. 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.)

Burroughs Deadline: November 3, 2014