The Daily Tell

The nonprofit Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) recently awarded research grants of $1.5 million each to 50 handpicked early career scientists.

This bold move not only presents each scientist with funding, a salary and benefits, but also the freedom to pursue groundbreaking research – an oft intended direction for eager faculty and scientists at the beginning of establishing their career.

HHMI selected its 50 early career scientists via a competition, inviting emerging scientists from fields including biology, physics and computer science to apply for the six-year, non-renewable grant.

The final team is comprised of 41 men and 9 women, hailing from schools like Stanford, Massachusetts Medical School and Columbia University.

Many scientists receive “start-up” funding during their initial independent lab work, yet inevitably become too concerned with raising money for complicated research. They are frequently forced to abandon projects in search of grant money.

HHMI’s philanthropic investment of $200 million in this program is intended to eliminate these scientists’ financial struggles and instead inspire innovative research.

Prior to their win, each member of the group worked on many challenging problems such as developing stem cell models to slow neurodegenerative disease or examining genes that affect regeneration in flatworms. HHMI staff “hope that [the scientists] will continue to do something really original” with their research, vice president Jack Dixon stated.

The young scientists are “at the early stage of their careers when they are full or energy and not afraid to try something new,” observes Dixon, and eventually their work will provide a valuable benefit to society.

HHMI says it believes strongly in advancing research to better society. The institution’s grant money reached $83 million in 2008.