2009 HHMI Early Career Scientist Competition

HHMI Early Career Scientist Competition

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is pleased to announce a national competition to select as many as 70 outstanding early career scientists. This competition will enable HHMI to identify the nation’s best biomedical scientists at a critical early stage of their faculty careers, and to provide them with flexible funding to develop scientific programs of exceptional merit. HHMI seeks scientists in all areas of basic biological and biomedical research, and in areas of chemistry, physics, computer science, and engineering that are directly related to biology or medicine.

This new program comes at a critical moment for the nation and the long-term health of its medical research infrastructure. This initiative responds to the very real challenges faced by promising early career-stage scientists in an era of constrained research funding. In today’s environment, early career faculty find it difficult to establish and develop research programs. They often begin their first independent position with institutional start-up funds to support their research. However, they are soon under pressure to apply for federal research grants. Even if they are successful in obtaining funding the first time, getting a second grant or renewing a grant is difficult.