Prestigious award recognises promising postgraduate researchers in the molecular biology field with $25,000 prize
Amersham Biosciences has issued a call for entries for the 2003 Amersham Biosciences and Science Prize for Young Scientists. Established in 1995, this year's prize recognises outstanding young scientists from around the world who completed their PhDs in the area of molecular biology during 2002.
Amersham Biosciences and the journal Science, co-sponsors of the prize, believe that support for young scientists at the start of their careers is critical to the future of continued scientific research.
Past winners have made an impact in the exploration of molecular biology and have used the prize as a stepping-stone in their research careers.
The 1999 grand prize winner, Victor Velculescu, is now leading a team that has developed powerful technologies for analysing cancer at the genome level at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins.
This research promises to open up opportunities for diagnosis and treatment for cancer.
Essays submitted for the 2003 prize will be reviewed by a panel of distinguished scientists.
The grand prize winner will have his or her essay published in Science and receive US$25,000 at the awards ceremony in New York City.
To reflect the global impact of science, up to seven additional winners for regional prizes will be selected.
The deadline for entries is 15 July 2003.
"The Amersham Biosciences and Science Prize recognises exceptional young scientists who look set to make a significant contribution to the field of molecular biology," said Andrew Carr, president of Amersham Biosciences.
"Their continued research efforts will help develop a real understanding of the role genes and proteins play in living organisms and in the cause of disease.
By encouraging scientific progress, the prize is contributing to the ultimate goal of better-targeted molecular drugs for the treatment of disease." "Supporting young scientists as they embark on their careers is vital to the future of molecular biology," said Monica Bradford, executive editor of Science. "We are proud to be part of the prize which acknowledges the important studies these promising scientists conduct and encourages them to make further strides to advance the process of turning molecular medicine into a reality." To be eligible for the prize, entrants must submit a 1000-word essay describing their work during 2002 and a completed entry form, which can be found at www.amershamscienceprize.org together with the competition rules.
For the purpose of this prize, molecular biology is defined as 'that part of biology which attempts to interpret biological events in terms of the physico-chemical properties of molecules in a cell' (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th Edition).
