New York, NY, March 4, 2019 — The Vilcek Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2020 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science. Awarded annually, the prizes were established to honor emerging to mid-career immigrant professionals who have demonstrated significant accomplishments early in their careers. Three winners will each receive an unrestricted $50,000 cash prize.
“Immigrant ingenuity has long been a driving force behind American scientific innovation,” says Jan Vilcek, chairman and CEO of the Vilcek Foundation. “With the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise, we hope to honor this tradition while nurturing the next generation of foreign-born scientists who have elected to call the U.S. their home.”
Eligible candidates must be independent researchers directly responsible for the design and execution of the work submitted for consideration; they should not be graduate students or postdoctoral fellows working under the supervision of a mentor. They should hold a full-time position at an academic institution or research organization. In addition, eligible applicants will have been born outside of the United States; be 38 years of age or younger; and hold a doctoral degree (MD, PhD, or equivalent).
Candidates will be asked to submit an application form, curriculum vitae, authored works, three short personal essays, and proof of immigration status (DACA recipients are welcome). Applications will be accepted from March 4 to June 10, 2019, 5PM EDT. The application and full eligibility requirements are available at vilcek.org.
A panel of distinguished experts will evaluate each applicant’s accomplishments, including the quality and creativity of the work submitted, clarity of personal and professional purpose, and potential for positive impact on the field and society at large. The winners will be notified in fall 2019 and honored at the foundation’s annual awards gala in spring 2020. The 2020 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise are also awarded to immigrants in literature. Since the Vilcek Foundation Prizes were created, over $4.5 million has been awarded to immigrants from 53 different countries. For more information, visit vilcek.org.