The New Scholar Award applications deadline is March 2, 2005, 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time. New Scholar applications: by invitation only.

Description
The objective of the Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholars Program in Global Infectious Disease is to support new investigators of outstanding promise in the basic biological and biomedical sciences relevant to research on molecular and cellular mechanisms of parasitic and infectious diseases that are caused by viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoal or helminthic pathogen of major global public health concern and are relatively neglected in federally funded research. The Global Infectious Disease Program provides awards of up to $50,000 per year for a four year period for successful candidates. The Ellison Medical Foundation was established and is supported by Lawrence J. Ellison to support this research.

Restrictions
New Scholar applications are solicited by invitation only. Invitations for application are sent to the university president and the head of the sponsored research program of invited institutions in November. These will contain instructions for how to access the full nomination package through links on the Applications and Receipt Dates page. Institutions will nominate one candidate. Institutions not currently invited may contact Dr. Richard L. Sprott to discuss an application for inclusion in the program.

Eligibility
These awards are intended for investigators who are in the first three (3) years of their research career following their post-doctoral fellowship experience. As of March 2, 2005, nominees must hold regular full time appointments (tenure or non-tenure) on the faculty of the sponsoring institution and they must not have been in such an appointment, at the sponsoring institution or other institution(s), for more than three years as of July 15, 2005, i.e. the appointment having been made no earlier than July 15, 2002. Time spent in clinical internships, post-doctoral training, residencies, or in work toward board certification does not count as part of the three-year limit.

The Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholars may hold one similar award from a private source concurrently for up to one year (career development or new faculty awards including, but not limited to, Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Awards in the Biomedical Sciences, Hughes Foundation, Infectious Diseases Society of America, March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, Pew Charitable Trust, Searle Scholars). New Scholar Awards will only be made for the full four-year term. If a conflicting award is accepted prior to the New Scholar Award, this must be resolved by either declining The Ellison Medical Foundation award or arranging to terminate the conflicting award within one year.

Evaluation
Nominees for the New Scholars Award are expected to have great promise as potential leaders of research in parasitology and infectious disease, particularly as applied to global health. Each nominee's potential for scientific innovation and leadership will be evaluated by the Scientific Advisory Board, based upon the nominee's research proposal, scientific contributions to date, and the reference statements provided by those who know the nominee and his/her work well. The quality and relevance of the nominee's publications and the importance to parasitology and infectious disease of the nominee's proposed research will be significant factors in the evaluation process. Depending upon the number of nominations submitted and the qualifications of the nominees, at least ten Scholars will be selected.

Terms
Each award will be made for up to $50,000 per year for a four year period. Funding for years two, three and four is contingent upon submission of an acceptable progress report.

Acceptable uses for award funds include salary, other personnel, equipment, supplies, resource acquisition and travel. The scholar's salary costs (including fringe benefits) may not exceed $10,000 per year. Carry-overs in excess of $25,000 must be approved by the Ellison Medical Foundation Scholars Program Office. Not more than 8% of the total award may be deducted for overhead costs.

In the case of applications for support of research involving human subjects or animal subjects, or of research collaborations with foreign institutions, the Foundation will require the following documentation before an award can be made:

1. Human subjects:

a. Copies of the protocol submitted to the Institutional Review Board(s) and the notification of protocol approval from all relevant IRBs (for funded awards an annual update will be required at the time of the progress report).
b. Documentation from the applicant institution that the principal investigator has completed training on the protection of human research participants.

2. Animal subjects:

a. A copy of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approval for the proposed project (for funded awards an annual update will be required at the time of the progress report).

3. Foreign component:

a. A letter of support from the collaborating in-country institution.

4. Biosafety:Research supported by the Ellison Medical Foundation is expected to conform to the relevant NIH Guidelines for biosafety, including those for handling of hazardous reagents and those for research involving recombinant DNA and gene transfer
http://www4.od.nih.gov/oba/rac/guidelines/guidelines.html.

a. A copy of Institutional Biosafety Committee approval.

For further information, contact:
Richard L. Sprott, Ph.D.
Executive Director
The Ellison Medical Foundation
4710 Bethesda Avenue
Suite 204
Bethesda, MD 20814-5226
(301) 657-1830 (Phone)
(301) 657-1828 (Fax)
Contact Dr. Sprott