Funding Briefs

Wanted: M.D.'s For Basic Research Physicians can do up to three years' research in basic biological processes with support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Applicants must have completed at least two years of clinical training but must not have more than three years of research training. As fellows, they must devote 90% of their efforts to research, and their clinical work must be related to that research. This year HHMI plans to sponsor 25 fellows, a number that will eventually grow to 75 annually. The fellowship includes a stipend of $35,000 to $50,000, a $15,000 research allowance, and a $12,000 allowance for the institution. Applications are due March 1. For more information, contact HHMI, Office of Grants and Special Programs, 6701 Rockledge Dr., Bethesda, Md. 20817; (301) 571-0324. In another program for M.D.'s, the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program offers young physicians the chance to spend two years studying nonbiological sciences. The program is open to U.S. citizens with degrees in any medical specialty and provides them with training in epidemiology, biostatistics, medical information sciences, economics, social sciences, anthropology, law, ethics, the humanities, management sciences, or the history of medicine. The scholars can work at Yale University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Washington, Stanford University, or the University of California, either in San Francisco or Los Angeles. The deadline is March 1. For more information, contact Jody Poet, RWJ Foundation, Clinical Scholars Program, P.O. Box 2316, Princeton, N.J. 08543-2316; (609) 452-8701. Salaries To Fight Cancer To draft more scientist-soldiers into the war against cancer, the American Cancer Society spends 20% of its research budget on the salaries of individual investigators. The society offers postdoctoral and physician's research training fellowships, junior and senior faculty research awards, clinical research professorships, and a program called Scholars in Cancer Research. The fellowships are awarded directly to the applicants for use wherever the research can best be done; the other awards are made to nonprofit institutions in the U.S. Both U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible. Fellowships are good for up to three years, starting at $20,000 and increasing by $1,000 each year, with travel funds and an annual $2,000 for the institution. Junior faculty awards are also given for three years, while faculty awards are for five. Scholar grants last up to a year. Professorships are renewed every five years. For more information, contact the American Cancer Society, 1599 Clifton Road, N.E., Atlanta, Ga. 30329; (404) 320-3333. Food Prize Hungering For Support The most prestigious prize in food research may become a casualty of the growth of Philip Morris Inc. Since 1986 General Foods Corp., a subsidiary of the giant tobacco and food company, has sponsored the World Food Prize. The $200,000 award goes annually to a scientist for developing new crops or livestock systems to feed underdeveloped countries. But in 1988 Philip Morris acquired Kraft Inc. and merged it with General Foods. And last December the new company, Kraft General Foods, announced that the prize would be discontinued unless a new sponsor can be found. Company officials have said they plan to offer the prize in 1990 and are soliciting support from other organizations, but beyond that its fate is precarious. For more information, contact Ted Williams, Winrock Inc., Route 3, Petit Jean Mountain, Morrilton, Ark. 72110-9537; (501) 727-5435. Epilepsy Foundation Supports Students The Epilepsy Foundation of America offers three-month fellowships for students in the behavioral sciences or medicine. It will pay $1,500 ($2,000 for medical students) to work on an epilepsy study project at a U.S. institution. The Mary Litty Memorial Fellowships, begun in 1975, sponsor projects in nursing, health education, psychological assessment, or basic psychological and behavioral research. Students work with preceptors and have a chance to develop a better understanding of epilepsy. About seven fellows are chosen each year from a pool of about 15 candidates. The deadline is March 1. For more information, contact Kevin Brady, Epilepsy Foundation, 4351 Garden City Dr., Landover, Md. 20785; (301) 459-3700.

Funding Briefs

The Scientist Staff

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