About the Senior Scholar Award in Global Infectious Disease

The Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar program in Global Infectious Disease is designed to support investigators who are already established and recognized for their substantial contribution of creative and productive research. With the Senior Scholar awards, the Foundation seeks to be complementary to other major funders of research by placing emphasis on projects that might not be supported by the traditional sources because of their perceived novelty or high risk, or because the investigator is moving into a new research area. Scholars are provided with four years of support to either develop their project to the extent that it will be attractive in a more traditional funding environment or determine that they should redirect their research. Senior Scholar awards provide funding up to $150,000 per year for a four year period.

The Global Infectious Disease Program Senior Scholar awards support biomedical research on molecular and cellular mechanisms of disease. Within the broad scope of infectious disease research, the Global Infectious Disease Program, intends to focus its support by placing emphasis on:

• Those intractable or emerging parasitic and infectious diseases, caused by viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoal, or helminthic pathogens of major global public health concern, that are relatively neglected in federally funded research within the U.S.
• Innovative research that might not be funded by traditional sources, including projects involving the application of new concepts or new technologies whose feasibility is not yet proven, projects seeking commonalities among pathogens that might yield new insights into mechanisms of infection, invasion and pathogenesis, or projects seeking to bring together diverse scientific disciplines in the study of infectious diseases
• Aspects of fundamental research that may significantly impact the understanding and control of infectious diseases, but have not found a home within traditional funding agencies

For further information, contact:
Richard L. Sprott, Ph.D.
Executive Director
The Ellison Medical Foundation
4710 Bethesda Avenue
Suite 204
Bethesda, MD 20814-5226
(301) 657-1830 (Phone)
(301) 657-1828 (Fax)
Contact Dr. Sprott