Applications Now Open for the Michelson Philanthropies & Science Prize for Immunology
“We need to support young scientists with disruptive ideas to transform our response to major global diseases, including the prevention of future pandemics." - Gary Michelson, M.D.
Supporting young scientists in vaccine and immunology research
Through a partnership with American Association for the Advancement of Science, Michelson Philanthropies supports young investigators from a wide range of disciplines who apply their expertise to perform research that has a lasting impact on vaccine and immunotherapy. Disciplines may include, but are not limited to, computer science, artificial intelligence/machine learning, protein engineering, nanotechnology, genomics, parasitology and tropical medicine, neurodegenerative diseases, and gene editing. It is the first time Science is partnering to offer a prize focused on immunology and its related fields.
"More than ever, we need to support young scientists with disruptive ideas to transform our response to major global diseases, including the prevention of future pandemics," says Gary K. Michelson, M.D., founder and co-chair of Michelson Philanthropies, which includes the Michelson Medical Research Foundation.
"We are pleased to partner with Gary Michelson and his foundation to foster discovery and celebrate breakthrough research." - Bill Moran, Science
The USD $30,000 prize will be awarded annually to one scientist, aged 35 or younger, based on work done in the past three years. Two runners-up will receive prizes of USD $10,000. In addition, winning essays will be published by Science.
"Like AAAS/Science, Michelson Philanthropies believes in recognizing and supporting researchers in what may be the most critical phase of their career," says Bill Moran, publisher of the Science family of journals. "We are pleased to partner with Gary Michelson and his foundation to foster discovery and celebrate breakthrough research."
A committee chaired by Science editors will select winners and will be decided by January. Submission for this prize will be in the form of a 1,000-word essay describing innovative research by young investigators and articulating how their new approaches have led to advances in immunotherapy research that will have a lasting impact.
Evaluation will be based on:
Scientific quality and significance - results are particularly important in moving the field forward or changing the way the field views a phenomenon.
The clarity and style of the writing - results are presented in a particularly compelling way, with the logic of the experiments obvious and the overall significance of the result clearly explained.
Applications for the 2021 Michelson Philanthropies & Science Prize for Immunology will be open from May 15, 2021 to October 1, 2021. Winners will be announced in early 2022.
Apply here: https://www.sciencemag.org/prizes/michelson-philanthropies-science-prize-immunology.