MMI Investigators in Marine Microbial Ecology and the 2012 MMI Investigator Competition
An important strategy for the Foundation’s Marine Microbiology Initiative is to support the research of an influential group of individual Investigators. MMI is initiating a new portfolio that will support 10–15 of the world’s most innovative scientists who are current or emerging leaders in the field. They will be chosen based on their potential to conduct cutting-edge research that supports MMI’s objectives to uncover the principles that govern the interactions among marine microbes and that govern microbially mediated nutrient flow in marine ecosystems. MMI expects that the pool of successful candidates will be at varying career stages and will represent a variety of scientific backgrounds to enhance the diversity of tools and approaches used to address outstanding questions in the field. Applicants may include microbial ecologists, biogeochemists, modelers, evolutionary biologists, bioinformaticians, and others. The new Investigator awards will run from 2013–2018 and seeks to support the research of an influential group of individual researchers who will be selected based on the significance of their past research, the quality of their current research, the potential for continued groundbreaking science in the future, and the probability that their future work will contribute to the success of the Initiative. It is anticipated that the awards will range from approximately $200,000 to $500,000 per year in direct costs for an aggregate amount of approximately $25M over five years.
2012 MMI INVESTIGATOR COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED
PDF of Key points about the 2012 MMI Investigator competition
Application Deadline
The deadline for submitting an application is Monday June 4, 2012 at 2 PM Pacific Time.
Anticipated Selection Announcement Date
The final selection will be completed by December 2012.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for this competition, applicants must:
- Hold a tenured or tenure-track position (or equivalent) for a minimum of four years on the date of application, with the first appointment as an independent researcher no later than June 1, 2008; and
- Have served as principal investigator on one or more active, major, peer-reviewed research grants (e.g. from NSF, NSERC, DOE, NASA, NOAA, Sloan Foundation, James S. McDonnell Foundation, GBMF, CNRS, DFG).
MMI will utilize an external panel of expert scientists to evaluate the applications, leading to the selection of finalists by December 2012. Institutions whose researchers are selected will be notified and will be asked to confirm the candidate’s eligibility.
Link to Frequently Asked Questions
PDF of FAQs
Please contact investigatorcompetition@moore.org with any questions about eligibility or the competition process.
AWARDEES FROM MMI’S FIRST INVESTIGATOR PORTFOLIO
The first MMI Investigator program ran from 2004–2012 and supported 12 Investigators who were selected to create a portfolio of complementary research foci, including: evolution and ecology; bacterial, archaeal, eukaryotic, and viral organisms and communities; open ocean, coastal, and benthic habitats; and carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur biogeochemistry.
Dr. E. Virginia Armbrust, University of Washington
Dr. Sallie W. Chisholm, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. Edward F. DeLong, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. Stephen J. Giovannoni, Oregon State University
Dr. David M. Karl, University of Hawaii
Dr. Nicole King, UC Berkeley
Dr. Jennifer Hughes Martiny, UC Irvine
Dr. Mary Ann Moran, University of Georgia
Dr. Victoria Orphan, California Institute of Technology
Dr. Forest Rohwer, San Diego State University
Dr. Alexandra Z. Worden, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Dr. Jonathan Zehr, UC Santa Cruz