2023 Shikani / El-Hibri Prize Call for Applications
- Samantha McDonald (Unlicensed)
Dear colleagues,
As the result of a generous gift, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH) is pleased to announce a call for applications for the Shikani/El-Hibri Prize for Discovery & Innovation.
This $10,000 prize has been awarded annually for excellence in the laboratory sciences and for discoveries that have the potential to significantly advance biomedical science and translate into improvements in patient care or the public’s health. 2021’s recipient was Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena, PhD (MMI) for his recent paper “Clock genes and environmental cues coordinate Anopheles pheromone synthesis, swarming, and mating” that elucidated the molecular genetic controls of mosquito mating. His paper was published in Science and can be found here.
For 2023, the focus and criteria for the award will recognize impactful laboratory-based discovery. Prior winners include:
2021 Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena, PhD (MMI)
2020 Emily Gurley, PhD (EPI)
2019 Anthony Leung, PhD (BMB)
2018 George Dimopoulos, PhD (MMI)\
2017 Daniela Drummond-Barbosa, PhD (BMB)
2016 Andrew Pekosz, PhD (BMB)
2015 Scott Bailey, PhD (BMB)
2014 Jiou Wang, PhD (BMB)
Eligibility is limited to BSPH professorial or scientist faculty members with a primary appointment in the School who conduct basic research in the laboratory-based departments (i.e., BMB, MMI, EHE, IH, PFRH & EPI). The prize will be awarded for a discovery that is either currently in press or has been published within the last 2 years (2020 to 2022). The relevant work must have been performed while at BSPH. Technology transfer activities (e.g., patents) conducted within the same timeframe are also eligible. The recipient will be determined by a committee of peers and based on the discovery’s significance, innovation, and potential for public health impact. Early and mid-career investigators are encouraged to apply but the award is open to all ranks.
To be considered for this award, applications must include:
A nomination letter from a colleague at Johns Hopkins University (any division). This letter should comment both on the qualities of the investigator and on the nature of the finding(s) and the potential for translational impact.
A description (2 pages, narrow margins, Arial 11 font, inclusive of any figures) of the discovery or innovation, written by the investigator, that includes the background leading up to the discovery, other relevant circumstances, information on how this finding has or will influence their subsequent research, and address the broader clinical or public health impact. This description should avoid jargon and acronyms and be written to be understood by a broader academic audience.
A copy of the manuscript detailing the finding(s).
An NIH biosketch.
To submit the application:
Documents should be compiled into a single pdf.
The application should be submitted by the department chair with a brief note in the email confirming support for the application. There is no limit on the number of submissions per department.
Applications should be emailed to the Vice Dean for Research at BSPH.research@jhu.edu
There will be one award this year. The due date for this round of submissions is February 17, 2023. Awardees will be notified by April 2023 and must agree to meet with the sponsors of the award upon request. Investigators may apply in multiple years but may only receive the prize once.
Best, Greg
Gregory D. Kirk, MD, MPH, PhD
Vice Dean for Research
Professor of Epidemiology, Medicine & Oncology