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Foundation Commits $600M for ‘Ambitious and Risky’ Research
To encourage innovation in research, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) recently awarded $600 million to 56 biomedical scientists who will investigate and pursue scientific discoveries ranging from microbiology and immunology to bioengineering and synthetic biology.
The awards are provided at an opportune time for the U.S., as federal funding for basic research is declining and concerns regarding the nation’s competitiveness are increasing among the scientific community. HHMI appoints scientists as investigators rather than awarding research grants for a particular project, enabling scientists to explore and change the direction of their research and follow through on projects over many years. This allows for riskier research that may not be as easily supported by federal agencies.
Recipients were selected through a competitive process among 1,070 applications submitted nationwide. This year marked the first direct application process in which HHMI assembled a review panel to evaluate the applications rather than requiring institutional approval.
A press release outlining the HHMI Awards is available at: http://www.hhmi.org/news/20080527.html