PRESS RELEASE: Applications Open for the 2015 Pershing Square Sohn Prize for Young Investigators in Cancer Research
New York, October 2, 2014– The Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance (PSSCRA) today announced the opening of applications for its Prize for Young Investigators in Cancer Research. The prize of $200,000 per year for up to three years is awarded annually to five New York City-based scientists, enabling them to pursue cutting-edge research at a stage when traditional funding is lacking.
The Prize is in its second year and is an initiative of the alliance formed by The Pershing Square Foundation and The Sohn Conference Foundation to help bridge the gap between academia and the business community. In order to facilitate these collaborations, each Prize winner is given a mentor in the pharmaceutical industry and the opportunity to present his or her work to scientific and business audiences.
Olivia Tournay Flatto, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance said, “New York City is blessed with some incredibly talented young scientists and it has become a real hub for research. We’re hoping that as many of them as possible take the time to apply, following the huge interest we had last year. Anyone wondering whether their approach to research is unconventional or too risky, shouldn’t worry – these are exactly the scientists we are looking for.”
Evan Sohn, Vice President of the Sohn Conference Foundation, said: “The Sohn Foundation is proud to support innovative young scientists as they transform their brilliant and original ideas into reality. We look forward to selecting this year’s Prize class, providing them with the resources they need to move us all toward a cure for cancer is an honor.”
In May 2014, PSSCRA awarded the inaugural Prize to six winners: Emily Bernstein, Ph.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Adolfo Ferrando, M.D., Ph.D., Columbia University Medical Center, Ross Levine, M.D., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Agata Smogorzewska, M.D., Ph.D., The Rockefeller University, Lloyd Trotman, Ph.D., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Sihong Wang, Ph.D., CUNY City College.
Prize winner Emily Bernstein, PhD said, “I would absolutely encourage other scientists to apply for this Prize. Unlike most funding agencies, a high-risk, high-reward proposal is encouraged. Moreover, the application process is straightforward, with a very fast turn-around time. Winning the Prize has substantially boosted my research capacity and increased my academic and industry networks.”
In order to apply for the Prize, applicants must have between 2 to 8 years of experience running their own laboratories and must have a PhD, MD or MD-PhD (or equivalent). The deadline to submit the Letter of Intent is November 12, 2014. For more details on the application process, including the full eligibility criteria, and for more details on the Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance, please visit: www.psscra.org.
About The Pershing Square Foundation The Pershing Square Foundation is a private family foundation, based in New York, founded in December 2006 by Karen and Bill Ackman. The Foundation has committed $250 million in grants and social investments to support exceptional leaders and innovative organizations that tackle important social issues and deliver scalable and sustainable impact. Bill is the CEO and portfolio manager of Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P. For more information visit: www.pershingsquarefoundation.org
About The Sohn Conference Foundation The Sohn Conference Foundation is dedicated to supporting innovative initiatives to cure and treat pediatric cancer. Identifying specific areas of need, the Foundation funds groundbreaking research, state-of-the-art technology, and programs to target cures and improve patient care. For more information visit: www.sohnconference.org/
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