Grant Information
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund is offering a second round of the Physician-Scientist Institutional Awards (PSIA) program which was instituted in 2017 to increase the number of single degree M.D.’s who enter research. One-Step full application submission will be used with proposals due February 15, 2019.
The PSIA advisory committee will review novel and innovative proposals that demonstrate how institutions will use a $2.5 million grant from BWF that outlines opportunities and support for the M.D. (only) to pursue training that will enable her/him to launch and continue a successful career as an independent investigator. Ten to 12 finalists will be selected and will be required to come to BWF headquarters in Research Triangle Park, NC for an interview May 16/17, 2019.
Up to five awards ($2,500,000 each) will be made in this program cycle.
Applicants with a doctoral degree in the physical, mathematical, or engineering sciences working on a biological problem are encouraged to apply. Conversely, proposals from biological scientists who desire to collaborate with a physical scientist, mathematician, or engineer are also encouraged to apply.
Advisory Committee
Matthew Redinbo, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
BWF Career Awardee in the Biomedical Sciences - 1999
Keith Weninger, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Physics
North Carolina State University
BWF Career Awardee at the Scientific Interface - 2001
John York, Ph.D.
Natalie Overall Warren Professor of Biochemistry
Chair, Department of Biochemistry
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
BWF Career Awardee in Biomedical Sciences - 1995
Additional members may be added to the committee.
Application Files
This program is not accepting applications.
Progress Reporting
Progress and financial reports are required of all BWF grants and are due on the date(s) specified in ProposalCentral. Advisory Committee and staff depend heavily upon progress and financial reports to evaluate progress. Late reports inconvenience advisory committee reviewers and impede BWF's evaluation of its programs. Failure to submit progress or financial reports in a timely fashion will result in payments being withheld, and if submissions are missed repeatedly will result in termination of award.
BWF provides the following progress report guidelines below to assist in the preparation and submission of Progress Reports in an acceptable manner. The progress report and financial updates are to be submitted through Proposal Central. You can find required deliverables listed on the home page after logging in to Proposal Central. Failure to submit any portion of the report by the due date will result in an interruption or cancellation of your funds.
Progress Reporting for Awardees
Progress Report
The progress report requires the awardee to submit a written report on the progress of the original or approved update to research project aims and any recent publications. Details regarding each section are in Proposal Central. The progress report must be submitted annually on November 1st.Financial Report
Awardees are required to update award spending in the Proposal Central budget summary. Awardees should update the financial report twice each year and provide up-to-date spending information from the previous six months. Details regarding financial reporting are in Proposal Central. Financial reports are due biannually on February 1st and August 1st.Report Format
All progress and financial reporting materials should be submitted through Proposal Central. If you have questions, please contact Lama Haidar (lhaidar@bwfund.org).General
Can I submit a paper application?
No. BWF requires that all applications for this program be submitted electronically. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Can I change my application once submitted?
No. Once your application is submitted, it cannot be changed.
Can Letters of Collaboration be included in the application?
No. Collaborative situations can be described in the five-page Project Plan - there is no need for individual collaborative letters.
How serious are you about the page limit on the project plan?
All applicants must stay within the set five-page limit or the application will be rejected.
Does the bibliography count toward the five-page maximum Research Plan?
No. It is considered part of the required supporting materials. Abbreviations should be limited in the text.
Is there a font or margin requirement for the research plan?
Use standard 11- or 12-point type for the text. The text must be single-spaced, with a one-half inch or larger margins on all sides.
Accessing the Application
Do I need to complete my application in one session?
No, you can start an application and return at a later time to complete the application. When beginning a new application, you are required to establish a ProposalCentral log-in and password if you do not already have one. At any time during the application process, you may click the "save" button, exit the application, and return at a later time.
Logistics
I forgot my user id and/or password. What should I do?
For a forgotten password or user ID, visit the BWF grant application system and click the forgotten password link.
I completed my application. How do I submit it?
Once the application is complete, proceed with the following steps:
- Click “Validate” on the sidebar to see if any errors are identified. All information must be provided prior to application submission.
- If there are no missing items in the application, click on the SUBMIT link on the sidebar. Click the blue SUBMIT button. The application is NOT submitted until you complete this step.
- Applications submissions must occur prior to 3:00 pm (EST) on the day of the deadline. The submit button will disappear after that time. Applicants should receive a confirmation email once your application is submitted. If you do not receive this email, please reach out to BWF.
If I’m having trouble with the electronic application, whom can I contact for help?
For questions about the electronic application, please contact Darcy Lewandowski via email or by phone at 919-991-5132.
2019
Texas A&M University Principal Investigator: David P. Huston, MD Title: Academy of Physician Scientists Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine and College of Engineering, in partnership with Houston Methodist Hospital and Research Institute and the Texas Medical Center will establish an Academy of Physician Scientists to serve as a pipeline for attracting and nurturing medical students and physicians during residency and into junior faculty, to pursue successful research careers as physician engineers. This initiative will provide intensely mentored research training and a robust curriculum within a community of physician engineers, and is expected to foster and expedite opportunities to progress from student to resident to a new generation of M.D.-only physician engineers who are highly competitive for independent research careers.
University of California-Los Angeles Debra Krakow, MD Title: Cultivating and Sustaining M.D. Researchers UCLA will develop a leadership structure and program within the Dean’s office and recruit medical students, residents, and fellows by offering differing and overlapping approaches for each level of training. Special emphasis will be placed on identifying women during fellowship and providing an additional two years of protected research time and support.
University of Chicago Principal Investigator: Julian Solway, MD Title: The Burroughs Wellcome Fund Early Scientific Training to Prepare for Research Excellence Post-graduation (BEST-PREP) BEST-PREP uses evidence-based interventions to remove the barriers in medical school that discourage entry into basic and translational science (BTS) research careers among MD-only students. Interventions include: 1) a seminar series and summer research experience during MS1 that enhance research exposure to BTS in the pre-clinical curriculum, 2) a dedicated research year with stipend to allow students sufficient time to conduct BTS research, 3) a full tuition scholarship for MS4 to reduce debt burden, 4) early conditional acceptance into select residencies to reduce anxiety in the residency application process and to create a bridge for students to continue their research into residency, and 5) a Certificate in Basic/Translational Science to recognize the research expertise of MD-only students.
Washington University Wayne Yokoyama, MD Title: Novel Targeted Strategies to Train Successful Physician-Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine This program will establish a new Division of Medical Sciences to unite and oversee physician-scientist training at the institutional level, and develop new programs to enhance the training of MD-only physician-scientists interested in basic research. To address a missed opportunity, it will develop The Interesting Patient Study (TIPS) program where clinical residents and fellows will be inspired to study their interesting patients with basic science faculty mentors. To address key challenges facing MD-only trainees, it will establish the Dean’s Scholar Program to enhance their scientific preparation and competitiveness, and the Community of Academic Physician-Scientists in Training to provide events and seminars designed to give them a unique identity, networking opportunities, and guidance in navigating the career path.
Weill Cornell Medicine Physician-Scientist Academia Kyu Rhee MD, PhD Title: Weill Cornell Medicine Physician-Scientist Academy This application seeks to repopulate the pipeline of MD-only physician-scientists by creating an institutionally centralized program that will equip academic clinical departments to train MD-only physicians for full time careers in laboratory investigation. This program is built on three core tenets - start early, stay focused, and stay connected. These tenets address key barriers identified by the NIH Physician–Scientist Working Group and will be put into practice through the following approach: (i) an individualized, multidisciplinary mentoring process that will enable trainees, from late stage medical students to residents and clinical fellows, to integrate longitudinally structured scientific training into their clinical training that begins at the time of matriculation, and focuses on the professional finish line of faculty independence; (ii) a financial support mechanism that will enable trainees to minimize the distracting impact of work-life balance; and (iii) a Multi-institutional Consortium dedicated to the Advancement of Physician Scientists (MCAPS) that will jumpstart networking and thereby facilitate longitudinal career stage transitions.
2018
Duke University Medical Center Principal Investigator: Rasheed A. Gbadegesin, M.D. Title: The Duke Integrated MD-Scientist Program This program will create an Office of Physician Scientist Development to coordinate oversight of M.D. (only) scientist development from medical school through junior faculty. Initiative to be implemented will be concierge mentoring, basic research training program using a flipped classroom curriculum, M.D. (only) funding, and integrated training pathways.
Stanford University Principal Investigator: Paul J. Utz, M.D. Title: Stanford/BWF Scholars Program This 6-year program will establish a 3-year medical school preclinical curriculum that blends preclinical courses and intensive research experiences. Rigorous lab and data science projects will be pursued, followed by a 4th year of full time research, then completion of clinical training in years 5 and 6. Scholars will enter short-track residency programs to prepare for careers as clinically-active physician scientists.
University of Pittsburgh Principal Investigator: Mark Gladwin, M.D. Title: The University of Pittsburgh Physician Scientist Incubator This proposal allows for three entry points: 1) MS4 students from medical student physician scientist training program (PSTP) track; 2) Post-PGY1 resident; 3) Fellowship (with or without T32 support). Focus is on building laboratory science skillset. Initiatives for Scholars include technical instruction, data analysis and experimental design, transactional skills, career/resilience coaching, time banking, technician option upon transition back to clinic.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Principal Investigator: Dwight Arnold Towler, M.D., Ph.D. Title: Training Resident Doctors as Innovators in Science This residency-focused initiative will develop two-year, laboratory-based research programs in Pediatrics, Surgery, and Internal Medicine, with formalized mentorship augmented by specialized training, faculty expertise and technology platforms in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The new program harmonizes and synergizes institution-wide growth in a culture of enthusiasm for residency research. It will continuously support the research residency-fellowship-faculty career transitions for trainees, encompassing the appointment of trainees as faculty upon attainment of a K or equivalent career development award.
Vanderbilt University Principal Investigator: James R. Goldenring, M.D., Ph.D. Title: Supporting Careers in Research for Interventional Physicians and Surgeons This program addresses the issue that surgeons and procedure-based physicians are underrepresented among basic science researchers. Characteristics of this program are introduction of medical students to the possibilities for basic research careers in surgical and interventional specialties, extended protected research time for residents and fellows, alleviation of financial uncertainty (loan repayment), dedicated mentorship, and continued research productivity during the completion of clinical training.
2017
Physician-Scientist Institutional Award Planning Grant Recipients
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University Myles Hugh Akabas, M.D., Ph.D.
Columbia University Michael L. Shelanski, M.D., Ph.D.
Duke University School of Medicine Michael D. Gunn, M.D.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Rosalind J Wright, M.D.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Kathleen H. Burns, M.D., Ph.D.
McGill University Mark J Eisenberg, M.D.
New York University School of Medicine Mark R. Philips, M.D.
Northwestern University Douglas E. Vaughan, M.D.
Oregon Health and Science University Jeanne-Marie Guise, M.D.
Stanford University Paul J. Utz, M.D.
Temple University Susan G Fisher, Ph.D.
Texas A&M University David P. Huston, M.D.
Tulane University School of Medicine Marie Krousel-Wood, M.D.
University of California-Davis Frederick J. Meyers, M.D.
University of California-Los Angeles Deborah Krakow, M.D.
University of California-San Diego Gary S. Firestein, M.D.
University of California-San Francisco Scott A Oakes, M.D.
University of Colorado-Denver John E. Repine, M.D.
University of Iowa Jeffrey C. Murray, M.D.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Kathleen Loretta Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Janet Rubin, M.D.
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine Lawrence F Brass, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Richard A. Steinman, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Rochester Martin Stuart Zand, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston Peter Clay Melby, M.D.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center-Dallas Dwight Arnold Towler, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Toronto Norman David Rosenblum, M.D.
Vanderbilt University James R. Goldenring, M.D., Ph.D.
Washington University Wayne M. Yokoyama, M.D.
Weill Medical College of Cornell University Gary Koretzky, M.D., Ph.D.
Award Timeline
Feb 15, 2019
Application Deadline
May 16 - 17, 2019
Finalist Interviews
Program Contacts
