Science and medicine - bridgi...( The gap between basic biology and medic...)

The gap between basic biology and medical practice is growing. As knowledge in molecular genetics and cell biology accelerates, the biomedical community is finding it increasingly hard to harness the explosion of new information and translate it into medical practice. Bridging the Bed-Bench Gap, a National Research Council report published earlier this year, called training of Ph.D. researchers to translate science to clinical medicine a "critical need."

To address this problem, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) will award up to $10 million to stimulate the integration of medical knowledge into Ph.D. training. The goal is to prepare scientists to apply new biological knowledge to human health. A better understanding of medicine also can guide scientists in research directions that are most likely to benefit the diagnosis and treatment of human disease.

"We envision a new cadre of Ph.D. researchers who understand pathophysiology and know the language and processes of medicine," said HHMI President Thomas R. Cech. "Our goal is to increase the pool of people who are doing medically oriented research."

On December 1, 2004, the Institute will open a competition for grants for training programs that bring the knowledge and skills of medicine and pathobiology into graduate study. Awards will range from $400,000 to $1 million over four years. The smaller grants, beginning at $100,000 per year, will support modification of existing programs. Innovative new graduate programs that incorporate significant pathobiological and medical knowledge and skills can receive up to $250,000 a year.

"We seek creative, innovative and cost-effective solutions to this training challenge," said Peter J. Bruns, HHMI vice president for grants and special programs. "We also are looking for approaches that can serve as models for the biomedical research training community."

Any university in the United States that offers Ph.D. training is eligible to
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Contact: Jennifer Donovan
donovanj@hhmi.org
301-215-8859
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
1-Dec-2004

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