HHMI opens National Competition for Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program

(Press-News.org) Today, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) opened a national competition to select up to 30 early career faculty in science to join the 2025 cohort of the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program.  

Freeman Hrabowski Scholars are outstanding basic researchers, including physician-scientists, who have strong potential to become leaders in their fields. Scholars are committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion through their mentoring efforts and understanding of systemic exclusion and marginalization in science of trainees from different backgrounds. While pursuing excellence in their own research, Scholars work to create an inclusive lab climate that serves as a model within their own institutions and beyond. 

“Freeman Hrabowski Scholars truly embody what it means to move science forward,” said HHMI Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer Leslie Vosshall. “As exemplary leaders, they not only push the boundaries of scientific discovery, but they also work to make the broader world of science more inclusive and accessible to all.” 

Freeman Hrabowski Scholars are employed by HHMI and maintain an academic appointment and lab at their research institutions, similar to HHMI Investigators. Each Scholar is appointed to a five-year term, renewable for a second five-year term after a successful progress evaluation. Scholars will receive up to $8.6 million over the 10-year period, including full salary and benefits, a research budget of approximately $400,000 per year over the first five years ($600,000 per year during the second five years), and eligibility to participate in the HHMI capital equipment purchasing program. 

Following HHMI’s philosophy of supporting “people, not projects,” the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars competition is open to all early career faculty at eligible US institutions who hold PhD and/or MD degrees and conduct research in the basic biological and biomedical sciences, working across many scientific disciplines in a wide range of organisms. For the duration of their appointment, Scholars will have freedom to change their research focus within these areas and follow their scientific curiosity.  

Named in honor of Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, President Emeritus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a major force in increasing the number of scientists, engineers, and physicians from backgrounds underrepresented in science in the US, HHMI’s Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program was established in May 2022. The program welcomed its first cohort in May 2023.   

The Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program represents a key component of HHMI’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. Over the span of 20 years, HHMI expects to hire and support up to 150 Freeman Hrabowski Scholars – appointing roughly 30 Scholars every other year. The Institute has committed up to $1.5 billion for the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars to be selected over the program’s first decade. 

Those interested in joining the 2025 Freeman Hrabowski Scholars cohort must apply by May 15, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. ET. More information is available via the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program page at www.hhmi.org.  

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HHMI is the largest private biomedical research institution in the nation. Our scientists make discoveries that advance human health and our fundamental understanding of biology. We also invest in transforming science education into a creative, inclusive endeavor that reflects the excitement of research. HHMI’s headquarters are located in Chevy Chase, Maryland, just outside Washington, DC. 

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