Shikani/El-Hibri Prize for Discovery & Innovation Call for Proposals
- June Burke
UPDATE: The Office of Research is no longer accepting applications for the Shikani/El-Hibri Prize.
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. 2023’s recipient was Fengyi Wan, PhD (BMB) for his paper defining how specific pathogens increase the likelihood of mutagenic transformation of in colon cancer. This fundamental discovery contributes to shifting paradigms in our understanding of pathogen-host interactions, and eventually, can perhaps be translated into control measures to combat colon cancer. His paper “Bacterial Genotoxin Accelerates Transient Infection–Driven Murine Colon Tumorigenesis” was published in Cancer Discovery and can be found here.
For 2024, the focus and criteria for the award will recognize impactful laboratory-based discovery. Prior winners include:
2023 Fengyi Wan, PhD (BMB)
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 School who conduct basic research in the laboratory-based departments (i.e., BMB, MMI, EHE, IH, PFRH & EPI). Basic science faculty in your department should consider this opportunity. The prize will be awarded for a discovery that is either currently in press or has been published within the last 2 years (calendar years 2021 to 2023). 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 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 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 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 March 1st, 2024. Awardees will be notified by May 2024 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.