Career Development Award Program, Giovanni Armenise-Harvard Foundation, Italy

The Giovanni Armenise-Harvard Foundation has funds to support the development of talented scientists and to contribute to the establishment of novel areas of research in biological sciences in Italy, while furthering collaborative relationships between Italian scientists and Harvard Medical School (HMS).  

The Career Development Award provides three to five years of support for newly independent scientists at an agreed-upon host institute in Italy. It is intended to foster the development of outstanding scientists and enable them to contribute significantly to their field of research. At the same time, the Foundation hopes the Award will provide an incentive for Italian research institutes to strengthen their departments by providing a sufficiently attractive package to entice applications from the best possible candidates.  Please note:  the application period is March 1 – July 15, 2015.

Please click here for a full list of previous recipients.

ELIGIBILITY AND GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS

Candidates must:

• be young, emerging scientists with demonstrated productivity and the ability to function as an independent investigator. Previous experience working with or at HMS is desirable but not an essential requirement.
• have a minimum of three years of postdoctoral research experience in basic biological sciences (including at least two years abroad) and be no more than 10 years from having received a PhD.  The calculation of the 10 years is made by comparing the date the degree was conferred to the CDA deadline (i.e. July 15, 2015), so this year the degree should have been received no earlier than July 15, 2005.
• be researchers outside of Italy who wish to become part of the community of researchers in Italy.  Applicants must be working outside of Italy, not only at the time of application, but also when the award is made and accepted.
• have an agreement for development of a novel research area in a suitable host institution in Italy.   Preferably, this is at an institution other than where the candidate has done doctoral study, post-doctoral research or held a job.
• not have a pre-existing contract, independent of this grant, with a prospective host institute in Italy.  Applications from candidates who have already been offered an appointment at an Italian host institute will not be considered.

Further:

• As part of the preliminary discussion with a host institute, an offer of a tenure-track position is desirable.
• Applicants may apply no more than twice.

FUNDING

• Appointments are usually ratified by the Board of Trustees in December.  Award winners have until the end of January to accept or decline the award and state when they will be moving to Italy to take up the grant. This start date must be within 12 months of notification of the award.
• Each award will be granted initially for three years and will be distributed annually at a rate of $200,000 per year, per scholar.
• Funds can cover salaries for the scholar (commensurate with position at the host institute), technicians, junior scientists, research supplies or administrative support required for the program. Recognizing that the salary levels, personal benefits, and faculty position are a matter of negotiation between the host institute and the recipient, the Foundation is happy to have the award be used flexibly as an incentive to attract high-caliber scientists. Funds can also cover specialized equipment not normally available at the host institute.
• The host institute must provide the facilities, equipment, and infrastructure necessary to carry out the proposed research. However, up to 25% of the funds can be used for administrative costs associated with the program in the host department.
• A candidate who is nominated for a Giovanni Armenise-Harvard Foundation Career  Development Award may not hold this award concurrently with another  grant designed to assist in establishing the scientist at a host  institute in Italy and to pursue the same line of research. Exceptions to this will be made only under exceptional circumstances, which must be communicated promptly to the Armenise-Harvard Foundation for consideration.  Co-funding from the host institution, on the other hand, would be positively considered.

Changes in Status of Awardees

• If, after the Award recipient has moved to Italy and taken up the grant, he/she receives a permanent position and/or salary from other sources additional to the Award, the recipient may use the preserved funding (i.e. no longer used for salary) to support the research program in other ways, provided that the goals of the research program are unchanged. The Foundation should be notified of the change in status.
• If, after the Award recipient has moved to Italy and taken up the grant, the recipient should wish to move his/her research to a different host institute, it is possible to submit to the Scientific Advisory Board for consideration a new proposal clearly outlining the reasons for the move and providing a Letter of Intent from the new host institute.
• If the Award recipient wishes to change host institute before taking up the grant, the original grant may be forfeited and a new application may have to be made the following year.

EVALUATION AND REPORTING

Award recipients will be expected to provide an annual progress report, including a financial report and a brief summary of their research activity.

After the initial three years, to apply for a further two years of funding, a detailed description of all work accomplished and in progress as a result of the Giovanni Armenise-Harvard Foundation Award must be submitted in the third year.  A report from the host institute will also be required at this time.  If the additional two-year funding is granted, a final report from both the grant recipient and the host institute must be provided at the end of the fifth year.  Reports will describe publications, other support from research grants or contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program on the scientific achievement of the individual.

Awardees will be invited to take part in thematically-relevant Armenise-Harvard Foundation symposia during the term of the Career Development Award.

The Giovanni Armenise-Harvard Foundation should be acknowledged in all publications emanating from the research carried out during the award period.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: July 15 (11:59pm EDT) each year.

APPLICATIONS must be typed using a 12pt font.  Please put your name in the title of each pdf document (e.g. MillerL CV.pdf, MillerL Publications.pdf, etc.) and the document title, date, and page number in the header or footer of each separate document.

PLEASE NOTE:  Applicants should note that short-listed candidates will be required to attend an interview in Italy on Friday, 6 November 2015.  The interview will include a presentation of the candidate’s work, with a maximum of 5-7 slides, of no more than 10 minutes, in addition to an informal dialogue about the candidate’s aspirations and choice of host institute.

 

This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:

http://www.armeniseharvard.org/grants/career-development-award-program/