There were 1,655 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 413,672 in the last 365 days.

Washington Research Foundation (WRF) Postdoctoral Fellowship Application Now Open

WRF will recruit up to 10 new researchers to work in areas of critical need at state’s top institutions

SEATTLE, WA, USA, May 4, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Washington Research Foundation (WRF) is now accepting applications for 10 three-year postdoctoral fellowships beginning in 2021.

WRF Postdoctoral Fellows carry out research projects of their own design that address areas of critical public need. Their research, primarily in life-science STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields, is conducted at an eligible institution in Washington state with the goal of achieving considerable advances in technologies that will provide public benefit. WRF has supported cutting-edge research at the state’s top organizations since 1981 through its licensing, grant-making and venture investment programs.

The new Fellows will be the fourth annual cohort chosen by a committee led by David Galas, Ph.D., a WRF director and senior investigator at the Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI). Galas, a renowned biologist, geneticist and physicist, is the inaugural chair of the group that will screen, interview and select the new cohort of Fellows.

“We’re encouraging applicants to propose ambitious and creative projects that could make a significant positive impact. These awards are tied to the Fellows, rather than a specific institution, and offer three years of funding to help them achieve important research milestones. The flexibility of the award allows applicants to really consider which institute and lab will offer them the best chance of success in their projects,” said Galas.

Ron Howell, CEO of WRF, emphasized the potential impact of the Fellows’ work. “Our grants support scientists and innovators. Researchers working on complex problems in life sciences sometimes envision solutions to problems which are just beyond their reach without help. In our decades of grant-making, we’ve found that by providing resources for the right teams with the right strategies, we can sometimes accelerate solutions to important problems. Ultimately, we hope that innovative, much-needed products and services will reach the public as a result of the work the Fellows are carrying out,” said Howell.

Martha Zepeda Rivera, Ph.D., began her WRF Postdoctoral Fellowship at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in January. Zepeda Rivera, who is investigating the roles of specific bacteria and the onset, persistence and treatment outcomes of colorectal cancer (CRC), said, “My WRF fellowship is providing me with invaluable scientific freedom to apply creative, high-risk and high-reward approaches to identify CRC contributors. CRC is the third most common cancer worldwide and the second most common cancer in Washington. This work could lead to discoveries that unveil novel therapeutic targets and inform patient treatment regimes.”

In addition to receiving three years of financial support, Fellows are encouraged to participate in WRF-hosted lectures and networking events to strengthen the local research and entrepreneurial communities, and to attend national and international conferences in their fields.

The application period will close on Sunday, June 21. Fellows can choose from four start dates in 2021.


About Washington Research Foundation:

Washington Research Foundation (WRF) supports research and scholarship in Washington state, with a focus on life sciences and enabling technologies.

WRF was formed in 1981 to assist universities and other nonprofit research institutions in Washington with the commercialization and licensing of their technologies. WRF is recognized as one of the foremost technology transfer and grant-making organizations in the nation, having earned more than $445 million in licensing revenue for the University of Washington and providing over $105 million in grants to the state's research institutions to date.

WRF Capital, the Foundation’s venture investment arm, has funded 105 local startups since 1994. Returns support WRF’s grant-making activities.

For additional information, please visit www.wrfseattle.org.

Contact:

Dale Wadman
dale@wrfseattle.org
(206) 336-5600

Dale Wadman
Washington Research Foundation
+1 206-336-5600
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Twitter
LinkedIn