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Innovators in Science Award

Overview

Announcing the 2024 Innovators in Science Award Winners in Cancer Immunology!

Takeda and The New York Academy of Sciences are proud to announce the winners of the fifth Innovators in Science Award. Each winner will receive an unrestricted prize of US$200,000 for their excellence in, and commitment to, innovative biomedical research that has significantly advanced the field of cancer immunology. Winners will be celebrated at the 2024 Innovators in Science Award ceremony in Boston, MA, on April 11, 2024.
Learn more about the 2024 nomination statistics.

The 2024 Senior Scientist Award winner is Robert D. Schreiber, PhD, Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Distinguished Professor of Pathology & Immunology and director of The Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy at Washington University in St. Louis. Schreiber is an international leader in the fields of tumor immunology and cytokine biology. He pioneered the concept of “cancer immunoediting,” which describes how the immune system can induce, promote and prevent cancer.



The 2024 Early-Career Scientist Award winner is Elham Azizi, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and the Herbert and Florence Irving Assistant Professor of Cancer Data Research at Columbia University. Azizi is recognized for developing a suite of computational tools and models that leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to characterize immune profiles in the tumor microenvironment. Her novel machine learning algorithms are applied to data from genomic and imaging technologies, guiding improved and personalized cancer therapies.

“Now, more than ever, the Academy is committed to science for the public good. The Innovators in Science Award, which was developed as a partnership between the Academy and Takeda, recognizes transformative researchers who have developed science-based solutions to address global concerns. We are delighted to call Takeda our partner in the drive to improve human health through innovation.”

Nicholas B. Dirks, PhD
President & CEO
The New York Academy of Sciences



“Now, more than ever, the Academy is committed to science for the public good. The Innovators in Science Award, which was developed as a partnership between the Academy and Takeda, recognizes transformative researchers who have developed science-based solutions to address global concerns. We are delighted to call Takeda our partner in the drive to improve human health through innovation.”

Andrew Plump, MD, PhD
President, Research & Development
Takeda

Frederick Appelbaum, MD

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Don Cleveland, MD, PhD

UC San Diego

Elaine Fuchs, PhD

Rockefeller University

Wendy Garret, MD, PhD

Harvard University

Joseph L. Goldstein, MD

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Shigekazu Nagata, PhD

Osaka University

Bengt Samuelsson, PhD

Karolinska Institute

Azim Surani, PhD

University of Cambridge

Robert Tjian, PhD

UC Berkeley

Nobutaka Hirokawa, MD, PhD

The University of Tokyo

About Takeda

Takeda is focused on creating better health for people and a brighter future for the world. We aim to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments in our core therapeutic and business areas, including gastrointestinal and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience and vaccines. Together with our partners, we aim to improve the patient experience and advance a new frontier of treatment options through our dynamic and diverse pipeline. As a leading values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, we are guided by our commitment to patients, our people and the planet. Our employees in approximately 80 countries and regions are driven by our purpose and are grounded in the values that have defined us for more than two centuries. For more information, visit www.takeda.com.

Guidelines

Nominations for the 2024 Innovators in Science Award closed on March 31, 2023.

The 2024 Innovators in Science Award will recognize a promising Early-Career Scientist and an outstanding Senior Scientist for their groundbreaking work in Cancer Immunology, and is intended to reward their commitment to innovative research.

Each winner will receive a prize of US$200,000. The winning scientists will have distinguished themselves for the creativity and impact of their research.

Eligibility

Early-Career Scientist

The nominee must:

  • Have been engaged in active research for a length of time of 10 years or less since gaining their doctorate degree or equivalent*.
  • Hold a doctorate degree (PhD, DPhil, MD, DDS, DVM, etc.).
  • Currently hold a junior level Post-doctoral or Faculty position at an invited academic, government, or non-profit institution or equivalent.
  • Have made impactful research contributions and show exceptional promise for significant future achievement in the Award field.

*In the event that an Early-Career Scientist nominee has taken a maternity, paternity, adoptive, family care, military, or extended sick leave (in line with the policies of the institution that granted the leave) during the 10 years since gaining their doctoral degree or equivalent, they can qualify for an extension of the eligibility timeframe of up to two (2) years. Additionally, exceptions for up to four (4) years of additional clinical training (e.g. clinical residency or fellowship) will be considered on a case-by-case basis if it is deemed essential to the nominee’s current research program. Instructions regarding how to request an extension are provided in the Requesting an Eligibility Exception section.

Senior Scientist

The nominee must:

  • Have been engaged in active research for a length of time of more than 10 years since gaining their doctorate degree or equivalent.
  • Hold a doctorate degree (PhD, DPhil, MD, DDS, DVM, etc.).
  • Currently hold a senior level Faculty position at an invited academic, government, or non-profit institution or equivalent.
  • Have made multiple, extensive, and impactful research contributions to advance the Award field.
Eligibility Conflict of Interest

Research Support from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, and its affiliates

Individuals in receipt of current or prior research support from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, or its affiliates, are not eligible for nomination if the research support was in excess of US$10,000 (or equivalent in local currency) and was received within the last four (4) calendar years (2019-2023).

  • The monetary limit of US$10,000 includes equity, however non-monetary transfers of value (e.g., meals, lodging) would not be considered a conflict of interest (COI) if received on their own from Takeda.
  • This COI encompasses direct Takeda support/engagement with the nomination candidate, as well as direct Takeda support/engagement of a specific project or research that the nomination candidate is involved in.
  • General support from Takeda, or its affiliates, for a nominee’s institution/organization or laboratory (including donation or general funding) does not constitute a COI.
  • Nominees may be asked to disclose any payments (including equity) received in 2019-2022 from Takeda (or affiliates) in excess of US$10,000 (or equivalent).
  • For a comprehensive listing of affiliates, please visit: https://www.takeda.com/who-we-are/company-information/worldwide-offices/

Government Employees

Government entities, employees, or officials may serve as eligible nominating bodies, nominators, or nominees. At the time of application, nominators must certify that the nominee has obtained the necessary required approval from their Agency supporting their eligibility to be nominated for the Innovators in Science Award. Government employees or officials will also be required to certify that their participation and acceptance as a nominee of this Award program does not violate their Agency rules and regulations.

There are no residency or citizenship requirements to be nominated for the Innovators in Science Award.

Requesting an Eligibility Exception

A nominee’s eligibility timeframe may be extended by a maximum of two (2) years due to a formal period (or periods) of leave. Extensions of up to four (4) years for additional clinical training will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The maximum total period of extension is six (6) years. If an eligibility exception request is approved, a letter of approval from the New York Academy of Sciences will be provided via email to the nominating institution in advance of the nomination deadline, and will be required to be uploaded with the other Nomination Materials at the time of nomination.

Any request to extend a nominee’s period of eligibility must:

  • Be made in writing by the nominating institution and approved by the New York Academy of Sciences in advance of the submission of the nomination.
  • Be submitted on institutional letterhead via email by the institution’s designee by 11:59PM ET on Friday, March 17, 2023 (two weeks in advance of the nomination deadline).
  • Indicate the date that the prospective nominee received their doctoral degree or equivalent.
  • Outline the standard policy of the institution that granted the leave (this may be different from the nominating institution) with regard to the relevant exception period (e.g., maternity, paternity, adoptive, family care, military, or extended sick leave).
  • Indicate the total period of time resulting from cumulative maternity, paternity, adoptive, family care, military, or extended sick leave during the period of time since the nominee gained their doctoral degree or equivalent and/or indicate the total period of time resulting from additional clinical training.
  • If requesting an exception for additional clinical training: Please include a brief description of the prospective nominee’s research program and why the additional clinical training was required for the nominee to competently conduct this research. Please also attach the prospective nominee’s CV.

Evaluation Criteria

Nominees and their work as independent investigators will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Quality: The extent to which the work is reliable, valid, credible, and scientifically rigorous.
  • Impact: The extent to which the work represents a significant contribution in basic, translational, or clinical research that has impacted, or has strong potential to impact, human health through the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease.
  • Novelty: The extent to which the work challenges existing paradigms, employs innovative new methodologies or concepts, and/or pursues an original question.
  • Promise: The extent to which the nominee has made innovative or impactful research contributions and shows exceptional promise for significant future achievement (Early Career Scientist) or further significant contributions (Senior Scientist) in the Award field.

Nomination Process

Candidates for the 2024 Innovators in Science Award must be nominated by their institutions.* Each institution may submit up to two (2) nominations each Award cycle, one (1) in each category of Early-Career Scientist and Senior Scientist.

Institutional nominations must be submitted online by the President (or equivalent), Provost, or the official designee of the nominee’s host institution. New institutions must send a brief statement to TakedaInnovators@nyas.org naming the official designees as nominators before submitting nominations.

Increased diversity of scientific researchers will speed advances in critical areas of need, such as oncology. Perspectives, insights, and experiences of historically underrepresented groups—across race, ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity, nationality, social origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance—are a key component to innovative thinking and scientific breakthroughs.The New York Academy of Sciences encourages all those submitting nominations to include researchers from underrepresented groups in science and medicine.

*Self-nominations are not permitted. Interested researchers (or parties) should direct all questions to their institution’s official nominator.

Important Dates
  • February 1, 2023:Nominations open for 2024 Innovators in Science Award
  • April 14, 2023, 11:59PM ET: Nominations close for 2024 Innovators in Science Award
  • April 21, 2023, 11:59PM ET: Letters of Support due for 2024 Innovators in Science Award
  • December 2023: 2024 Innovators in Science Award Winners announced
  • April 2024: 2024 Innovators in Science Awards conferred
Online Submissions

Nominations must be submitted using the online nomination system between Wednesday, February 1, 2023 and Friday, April 14, 2023, 11:59PM ET.

The 2024 Innovators in Science Award research focus area is Cancer Immunology. At the time of nomination, nominators will be required to select one (1) primary Cancer Immunology category that best represents the focus area of a nominee’s research. To view the list, please click here.

Nomination Materials

All nominations must be submitted in the English language.

The following documents and information are required to submit a nomination:

  • Nominee’s name, date of birth, title, and contact information.
  • Nominator’s name, title, and contact information.
  • Nominator’s Rationale for Nomination: Statement explaining why the nominee has been selected by the institution (200-word maximum, text).
  • Nominee’s Curriculum Vitae (4-page maximum, PDF).
  • Nominee’s Research Summary (1,000-word maximum, PDF).
  • Nominee’s Future Research Plan (500-word maximum, PDF) [required of Early-Career Scientist nominees only].
  • Full-text publications and/or patents representing the nominee’s work (up to 4 publications, PDF).
  • Names and email addresses for two letter writers familiar with the nominee’s scientific contributions, who will provide Letters of Support.
Rationale for Nomination

The Rationale for Nomination is a 200-word statement that explains why the nominee has been selected as the institutional nominee based on their strong record of significant independent scientific contributions, career success, and promise of sustained or accelerated progress in the future.

The Rationale should address the nominee’s research according to the Quality, Impact, Novelty, and Promise evaluation criteria described above.

Curriculum Vitae

Download Example

Label file: LastName_FirstName-CV.pdf

  • Four (4) pages maximum.
  • Full name, current institution(s), and position title.
  • Education and training – List institutions, degrees, years, and fields of study; include postdoctoral training or residency, if applicable.
  • Employment history.
  • Honors and awards – List honors and awards with years when they were received.
  • Select peer-reviewed publications – List only published work or manuscripts in press authored during independent career; do not include manuscripts that are submitted or in preparation. Conference abstracts and proceedings should only be included if they are the primary way of disseminating new results in the nominee’s field. Please use the MEDLINE/PubMed citation format.
  • Select patents – List patents and patent applications, if applicable, with years.
  • Research grants – List funding for the main ongoing and completed projects on which the nominee is a Principal Investigator (PI) or a co-PI.
Research Summary

Label file: LastName_FirstName-Summary.pdf

A 1,000-word maximum summary of up to five (5) of the nominee’s most significant scientific contributions and research accomplishments. Key results, their impact on the nominee’s field of study, and the nominee’s specific role in the described work should be included. Information about the nominee’s positions, awards, and service activities should be excluded. One figure illustrating the most significant results is allowed. Citations and figure caption do not count toward the word limit.

Future Research Plan

(Required for Early-Career Scientist Nominees, only)

Label file: LastName_FirstName-Future.pdf

A brief summary of the nominee’s future research plans (500-words maximum).

Key Publications and Patents

Label files: LastName_FirstName-Pub1.pdf, etc.

Full-text published papers or filed patents representing the nominee’s best work (four publications maximum). Each publication file should not be larger than 10MB.

Letters of Support

Letters of support should:

  • Be a maximum of two (2) pages, single-spaced, and uploaded as PDF files.
  • Describe the nominee’s most significant research contributions according to the Quality, Impact, Novelty, and Promise criteria, and explain their importance for the nominee’s research area.
  • Assess the nominee’s accomplishments in comparison with those of their peers at the same career stage.
  • Focus on the nominee’s scientific accomplishments during their independent career.
  • Letter Writers will also be asked to submit a brief multiple-choice questionnaire.

Innovators in Science Award Winner Responsibilities

2024 Award Winners are expected to:

  • Attend the Innovators in Science Award Ceremony and Symposium in Boston, MA in April 2024*
  • Deliver a presentation on their work at the Symposium
  • Participate in all rehearsals, briefings, and other activities related to the Ceremony and Symposium.
  • Participate in Innovators in Science Award related media activities and inquiries (e.g. video interviews, magazine profile interviews etc.)
  • Respond to all requests and provide deliverables in a timely manner, to facilitate compliance with the above expectations.

The New York Academy of Sciences asks that nominees consider potential scheduling conflicts should they be selected as the Award Winner in advance of submitting their nomination materials. 2024 Award Winners are expected to attend both Award Events in Boston, MA, in April 2024. Award related media and publication activities are scheduled to begin prior to the Award Events when Award Winners are notified of their status.

*Costs of round–trip travel to Boston, MA, for the April 2024 events will be covered through the Innovators in Science Award Program.

Additional Information

For general questions about the rules and eligibility requirements, please consult the Frequently Asked Questions.

For all other inquiries, please contact us.

Invited Institutions

Nominations are invited from the academic institutions listed below. We also welcome nominations from government or non-profit institutions or equivalent around the world. If your institution is not listed here and would like to nominate, we welcome submission of a brief statement of interest to TakedaInnovators@nyas.org.

Invited academic institutions are drawn from the 2023 QS World University Rankings®, rankings 1-500. Based on six performance indicators, the ranking assesses university performance across four areas: research, teaching, employability, and internationalization. Invited institutions are listed in alphabetical order by region (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania), as reported by the 2023 QS World University Rankings®.

For universities or research institutions that are distinct legal entities from the university/institution or medical center/school, both entities are each welcome to nominate up to two (2) candidates for consideration: one (1) Early-Career Scientist and one (1) Senior Scientist.

Academic institutions and other organizations marked with an asterisk (*) in the list provided below represent additional entities that have been approved to submit nominations following the provision of a statement of interest as described above.

Africa

Ain Shams University
Alexandria University
Cairo University
Rhodes University
Stellenbosch University
The American University in Cairo
University of Cape Town
University of Johannesburg
University of Kwazulu-Natal
University of Pretoria
University of the Witwatersrand

Asia

Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Airlangga University
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
American University of Beirut
American University of Sharjah
Amirkabir University of Technology
Auezov South Kazakhstan University (SKU)
Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB)
Beihang University (BUAA)
Beijing Institute of Technology
Beijing Normal University
Ben-Gurion University of The Negev
Chang Gung University
Chiba Uiversity
Chitkara University
Chulalongkorn University
City University of Hong Kong
Ewha Womans University
Fudan University
Gadjah Mada University
Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST)
Hanyang University
Harbin Institute of Technology
Hiroshima University
Hokkaido University
Hong Kong Baptist University
Huazhong University of Science and Technology
HUFS–Hankuk (Korea) University of Foreign Studies
Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU)
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB)
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD)
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG)
Indian Institute of Technology Indore (IIT Indore)
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK)
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP)
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM)
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR)
KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Kazakh National Agrarian University KazNAU
Keio University
Khalifa University of Science and Technology
King Abdulaziz University (KAU)
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM)
King Saud University (KSU)
Kobe University
Korea University
Kyoto University
Kyung Hee University
Kyungpook National University
Kyushu University
L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
Mahidol University
Nagoya University
Nanjing University
Nankai University
Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry
National Cheng Kung University
National Chiao Tung University
National Taipei University of Technology
National Taiwan Normal University
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech)
National Tsing Hua University (NTHU)
National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)
National University of Singapore (NUS)
National Yang Ming University
Osaka University
Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Peking University
Pohang University of Science and Technology (Postech)
Qatar University
Quaid-i-Azam University
RIKEN
Satbayev University
Seoul National University (SNU)
Shandong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Sichuan University
South China University of Technology
Southeast University
Southern University of Science and Technology
Sultan Qaboos University
Sun Yat-sen University
Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)
Taipei Medical University
Taylor’s University
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Tel Aviv University
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
The University of Hong Kong (HKU)
The University of Tokyo
Tianjin University
Tohoku University
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Tokyo Medical and Dental University
Tokyo Medical University
Tongji University
Tsinghua University
UCSI University
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Umm Al-Qura University
United Arab Emirates University
Universitas Gadjah Mada
Universiti Brunei Darussalam
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
Universiti Malaya
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Universiti Teknologi Brunei
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP)
Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)
University of Indonesia
University of Macau
University of Science and Technology of China
University of Tehran
University of the Philippines
University of Tsukuba
Waseda University
Weizmann Institute of Science
Wuhan University
Xi’an Jiaotong University
Yonsei University
Zhejiang University

Europe

Aalborg University
Aalto University
Aarhus University
Aix-Mersaille University
Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna
Bauman Moscow State Technical University
Belarusian State University
Birkbeck College, University of London
Brunel University London
Cardiff University
CentraleSupélec
Chalmers University of Technology
Charles University
City, University London
Complutense University of Madrid
Czech Technical University in Prague
Delft University of Technology
Dublin City University
Durham University
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
École des Ponts ParisTech
École Normale Supérieure de Lyon
École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay
École Polytechnique
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Eindhoven University of Technology
Eindhoven University of Technology
Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Essex, The University of
ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
European Molecular Biology Laboratory
Far Eastern Federal University
Freie Universität Berlin
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Ghent University
Hasselt University
Heriot-Watt University
HSE University
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
IE University
Imagine Institute
Imperial College London
INSERM (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale)
Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA)
Institute of Molecular Biotechnology
ITMO University
Jagiellonian University
Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz
Johannes Kepler Universität Linz (JKU)
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
Karolinska Institutet
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Kazan Federal University
King’s College London
KIT, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
KTH, Royal Institute of Technology
Lancaster University
Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT
Leiden University
Linköping University
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Loughborough University
Ludwig-Maximillians-Universität München
Lund University
Maastricht University
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Middle Eastern Technical University
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
Moscow State Institute of International Relations – MGIMO University
MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB)
National Research Nuclear University “Mephi”
National Research University-Higher School of Economics
National Technical University of Athens
National University of Ireland, Galway
Netherlands Cancer Institute
Newcastle University
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Novosibirsk State University
Oxford Brookes University
Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University
Politecnico di Milano
Politecnico di Torino
Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)
Queen’s University Belfast
Radboud University Nijmegen
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH)
Royal Holloway University of London
RUDN University
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
RWTH Aachen University
Saint Petersburg State University
Sapienza – Università di Roma
Sciences Po Paris
Scuola Normale Superiore
Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna Pisa
SOAS University of London
Sorbonne Université
Stockholm University
Swansea University
Tampere University
Technical University of Denmark
Technische Universität Berlin
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Technische Universität Dresden
Technische Universität Dresden
Technische Universität Graz
Technische Universität München
Technische Universität Wien
Télécom Paris
The London School of Economics and Political Science
The National University of Science and Technology MISIS
The University of Edinburgh
The University of Exeter
The University of Manchester
The University of Sheffield
The University of Tromsø
The University of Warwick
Tomsk Polytechnic University
Tomsk State University
Trinity College Dublin (TCD)
Umeå University
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Universidad De Navarra
Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Università degli Studi di Milano
Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
Università degli Studi di Padova (UNIPD)
Università degli Studi di Perugia
Università di Bologna (UNIBO)
Università di Pisa
Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Universitat de Barcelona
Universität des Saarlandes
Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Universität Frankfurt am Main
Universität Freiburg
Universität Göttingen
Universität Hamburg
Universität Innsbruck
Universität Jena
Universität Köln
Universität Leipzig
Universität Mannheim
Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya
Universitat Politècnica de València
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Universität Stuttgart
Universität Ulm
Universität Wien
Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL)
Université de Montpellier
Université de Paris
Université de Strasbourg
Université Grenoble Alpes
Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Université Paris Cité
Université Paris Saclay
Université Paris-Sud
Université PSL (Paris Sciences & Lettres)
University College Cork
University College Dublin (UCD)
University College Dublin (UCD)
University College London
University College London
University of Aberdeen
University of Amsterdam
University of Antwerp
University of Aveiro
University of Basel
University of Bath
University of Bergen
University of Bern
University of Birmingham
University of Bristol
University of Cambridge
University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague
University of Copenhagen
University of Cyprus
University of Dundee
University of East Anglia
University of Essex
University of Florence
University of Geneva
University of Glasgow
University of Gothenburg
University of Göttingen
University of Granada
University of Groningen
University of Helsinki
University of Jyväskylä
University of Kent
University of Lausanne
University of Leeds
University of Leicester
University of Lisbon
University of Liverpool
University of Milan
University of Naples – Federico II
University of Navarra
University of Nottingham
University of Oslo
University of Oulu
University of Oxford
University of Pisa
University of Porto
University of Reading
University of Rome “Tor Vergata”
University of Southampton
University of Southern Denmark
University of St. Andrews
University of St. Gallen
University of Stirling
University of Strathclyde
University of Surrey
University of Sussex
University of Tartu
University of Trento
University of Tromsø The Arctic University of Norway
University of Turin
University of Turku
University of Twente
University of Vienna
University of Warsaw
University of York
University of Zurich
University of Ulm
Uppsala University
Ural Federal University
USI – Universitá della Svizzera italiana
Utrecht University
Vilnius University
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Wageningen University
Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster

Latin America

Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA)
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM)
UNESP
Universidad Austral
Universidad de Belgrano
Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)
Universidad de Chile
Universidad de La Habana
Universidad de los Andes
Universidad de los Andes
Universidad de Montevideo (UM)
Universidad de Palermo
Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH)
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Universidad ORT Uruguay
Universidade de São Paulo
Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

North America

Arizona State University
Baylor College of Medicine
Boston University
Brandeis University
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Brown University
Burke Neurological Institute
California Institute of Technology (CALTECH)
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Colorado State University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Dalhousie University
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Emory University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
Gladstone Institutes
Harvard University
Howard University
Illinois Institute of Technology
Indiana University
Iowa State University
Janelia Research Campus
Johns Hopkins University
Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
McGill University
McMaster University
Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical University of South Carolina
Michigan State University
Mount Sinai – Icahn School of Medicine
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI)
New York Unversity Langone Health
New York Unversity Langone Health
North Carolina State University
Northwestern University
Pennsylvania State University
Princeton University
Purdue University
Queen’s University at Kingston
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rice University
Rutgers University- The State University of New Jersey
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Simon Fraser University
Stanford University
Stony Brook University
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University Engineering Experiment Station
The Graduate Center, CUNY
The Hospital for Sick Children
The Ohio State University
The Rockefeller University
The University of Arizona
The University of Western Ontario (Western University)
Tufts University
Tulane University
Université de Montréal
Université Laval
University at Buffalo SUNY
University Health Network
University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alberta
University of British Columbia
University of Calgary
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
University of California, Davis (UCD)
University of California, Irvine (UCI)
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)
University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC)
University of Chicago
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Denver
University of Florida
University of Hawaii at Mānoa
University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa
University of Kansas
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of Nevada, Reno
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of Notre Dame
University of Ottawa
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rochester
University od Saskatchewan
University of Southern California
University of Texas, Austin
University of Toronto
University of Utah
University of Victoria
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Waterloo
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Wake Forest University
Washington State University
Washington University in Saint Louis
Wayne State University
Weill Cornell Medicine
Western University
Whitehead Institute
Yale University
Yeshiva University
York University

Oceania

Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
Curtin University
Deakin University
Flinders University
Griffith University
James Cook University
La Trobe University
Lincoln University
Macquarie University
Massey University
Monash University
Queensland University of Technology
RMIT University
Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
The Australian National University (ANU)
The University of Adelaide
The University of Auckland
The University of Melbourne
The University of New South Wales (UNSW)
The University of Newcastle, Australia (UON)
The University of Queensland
The University of Sydney
The University of Western Australia (UWA)
University of Canberra
University of Canterbury
University of Newcastle
University of Otago
University of South Australia
University of Tasmania
University of Technology, Sydney
University of Waikato
University of Wollongong
Victoria University of Wellington

Winners

2024 Winners

Takeda and the New York Academy of Sciences are proud to announce the winners of the 2024 Innovators in Science Award, recognized for their outstanding research in cancer immunology. The winners will be celebrated at a ceremony in April 2024.

Senior Scientist Winner

Robert Schreiber, PhD, Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Distinguished Professor of Pathology & Immunology and director of The Bursky Center for Human Immunology and ImmunotherapyWashington University in St. Louis

Robert Schreiber, PhD, is an international leader in the fields of tumor immunology and cytokine biology. His early work was foundational in characterizing the role of cytokines in promoting immune responses to cancer. Dr. Schreiber pioneered the concept of “cancer immunoediting,” which describes how the immune system can induce, promote and prevent cancer. He also identified a novel subset of immune cells that interfere with cancer immunotherapy.

Early-Career Scientist Winner

Elham Azizi, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and the Herbert and Florence Irving Assistant Professor of Cancer Data Research
Columbia University

Elham Azizi, PhD, is recognized for developing a suite of computational tools and models that leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to characterize immune profiles in the tumor microenvironment. Her novel machine learning algorithms are applied to data from genomic and imaging technologies, guiding improved and personalized cancer therapies. Dr. Azizi’s work has helped identify immune components involved in anti-tumor responses and characterize immune states that promote tumor progression and response to immunotherapy. Her innovative models have identified, for the first time, determinants of immunotherapy response in leukemia.

Learn more about past Innovators in Science Award winners.

FAQs

What is the Innovators in Science Award?

In 2016, the New York Academy of Sciences and Takeda announced the establishment of the Innovators in Science Award. The Award recognizes a promising Early-Career Scientist’s and an outstanding Senior Scientist’s contributions to biomedical science and is intended to support their commitment to innovative research. Two prizes of US$200,000 are awarded each Award cycle, in a specific therapeutic area, one to an Early-Career Scientist and the other to a well-established Senior Scientist from around the world. The winning scientists have distinguished themselves for the creativity and impact of their research.

What is the 2024 Award focus area?

The 2024 Innovators in Science Award area of focus is Cancer Immunology.

Who receives the Award money?

Two (2) Winners of the Innovators in Science Award, one (1) Early-Career Scientist and one (1) Senior Scientist, will each receive US$200,000 each Award cycle that is intended to support their commitment to innovative research. The Award money is given directly to each awardee. Indirect costs are not applied to the Award.

What are the evaluation criteria for the Innovators in Science Award?

Nominees and their work as independent investigators will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Early-Career Scientist

  • Quality: The extent to which the work is reliable, valid, credible, and scientifically rigorous.
  • Impact: The extent to which the work represents a significant contribution in basic, translational, or clinical research that has impacted, or has strong potential to impact, human health through the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease.
  • Novelty: The extent to which the work challenges existing paradigms, employs innovative new methodologies or concepts, and/or pursues an original question.
  • Promise: The extent to which the nominee has made innovative research contributions and shows exceptional promise for significant future achievement in the Award field.

Senior Scientist

  • Quality: The extent to which the work is reliable, valid, credible, and scientifically rigorous.
  • Impact: The extent to which the work represents a significant contribution in basic, translational, or clinical research that has impacted, or has strong potential to impact, human health through the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease.
  • Novelty: The extent to which the work challenges existing paradigms, employs new innovative methodologies or concepts, and/or pursues an original question.
  • Promise: The extent to which the nominee has made impactful research contributions and future prospects for further significant contributions in the Award field.
Which institutions may submit nominations for the Innovators in Science Award?

Approximately 500 international academic institutions are invited to submit nominations. In addition, we also welcome nominations from government or non-profit institutions or equivalent around the world.

For universities or research institutions that are distinct legal entities from the university/institution or medical center/school, both entities are each welcome to nominate up to two (2) candidates for consideration: one (1) Early-Career Scientist and one (1) Senior Scientist.

What if my institution is not on the invited institutions list?

If your institution is not listed and would like to nominate, we welcome submission of a brief statement of interest to TakedaInnovators@nyas.org.

How many nominations may an institution submit each Award cycle?

Each institution may submit up to two (2) nominations per Award cycle, one (1) for an Early-Career Scientist and one (1) for a Senior Scientist in the single therapeutic area of focus for that Award cycle.

Who is eligible for the 2024 Innovators in Science Award?

Prospective nominees must be conducting research at one of the invited institutions, or a government or non-profit institution, or equivalent. The following additional eligibility criteria apply:

Early-Career Scientist

The nominee must:

  • Have been engaged in active research for a length of time of 10 years or less since gaining their doctorate degree or equivalent*.
  • Hold a doctorate degree (PhD, DPhil, MD, DDS, DVM, etc.).
  • Currently hold a junior level Post-doctoral or Faculty position at an invited academic, government, or non-profit institution or equivalent.
  • Have made impactful research contributions and show exceptional promise for significant future achievement in the Award field.

*In the event that an Early-Career Scientist nominee has taken a maternity, paternity, adoptive, family care, military, or extended sick leave (in line with the policies of the institution that granted the leave) during the 10 years since gaining their doctoral degree or equivalent, they can qualify for an extension of the eligibility timeframe of up to two (2) years. Exceptions for up to four (4) years of additional clinical training (e.g. clinical residency or fellowship) will be considered on a case-by-case basis if it is deemed essential to the nominee’s current research program. Instructions regarding how to request an extension are provided in the Guidelines section.

Senior Scientist

The nominee must:

  • Have been engaged in active research for a length of time of more than 10 years since gaining their doctorate degree or equivalent.
  • Hold a doctorate degree (PhD, DPhil, MD, DDS, DVM, etc.).
  • Currently hold a senior level Faculty position at an invited academic, government, or non-profit institution or equivalent.
  • Have made multiple, extensive, and impactful research contributions to advance the Award field.

Research Support from Takeda and its affiliates

Individuals in receipt of current or prior research support from Takeda, or its affiliates, are not eligible for nomination if the research support was in excess of US$10,000 (or equivalent in local currency) and was received within the last four (4) calendar years (2019-2023).

  • The monetary limit of US$10,000 includes equity, however non-monetary transfers of value (e.g., meals, lodging) would not be considered a conflict of interest (COI) if received on their own from Takeda.
  • This COI encompasses direct Takeda support/engagement with the nomination candidate, as well as direct Takeda support/engagement of a specific project or research that the nomination candidate is involved in.
  • General support from Takeda, or its affiliates, for a nominee’s institution/organization or laboratory (including donation or general funding) does not constitute a COI.
  • Nominees may be asked to disclose any payments (including equity) received in 2019-2022 from Takeda (or affiliates) in excess of US$10,000 (or equivalent).

For a comprehensive listing of affiliates, please visit: https://www.takeda.com/who-we-are/company-information/worldwide-offices/.

Government Employees

Government entities, employees, or officials may serve as eligible nominating bodies, nominators, or nominees. At the time of application, nominators must certify that the nominee has obtained the necessary required approval from his/her Agency supporting their eligibility to be nominated for the Innovators in Science Award. Government employees or officials will also be required to certify that their participation and acceptance as a nominee of this Award program does not violate his/her Agency rules and regulations.

There are no residency or citizenship requirements to be nominated for the Innovators in Science Award.

The New York Academy of Sciences welcomes nominees from underrepresented groups in science and medicine.

What is the nomination procedure for the Innovators in Science Award?

Institutional nominations must be submitted online by the President (or equivalent), Provost, or the official designee of the nominee’s host institution. If you have not informed the Awards team of your designee, please send a brief statement to TakedaInnovators@nyas.org naming the official designees as nominators before submitting nominations.

The nominators fill out the nomination form, upload all required materials, and provide the names of two Letter of Support writers. The Letter of Support writers then receive emails with instructions on uploading their letters and filling out a short questionnaire. For more details, please refer to the nomination Guidelines.

Where can the nominations for the Innovators in Science Award be submitted?

The online nomination system may be accessed on the Award Overview page during the nomination period.

What are the important deadlines for the 2024 Innovators in Science Award?

Wednesday, February 1, 2023: Nominations open

Friday, April 14, 2023, 11:59PM ET: Nominations close

Friday, April 21, 2023, 11:59PM ET: Letters of Support due

What materials are required to submit a nomination for the Innovators in Science Award?

The following documents and information are required to submit a nomination:

  • Nominee’s name, date of birth, title, and contact information.
  • Nominator’s name, title, and contact information.
  • Nominator’s Rationale for Nomination: Statement explaining why the nominee has been selected by the institution (200-word maximum, text).
  • Nominee’s Curriculum Vitae (4-page maximum, PDF).
  • Nominee’s Research Summary (1,000-word maximum, PDF).
  • Nominee’s Future Research Plan (500-word maximum, PDF) [required of Early-Career Scientist nominees only].
  • Full-text publications and/or patents representing the nominee’s work (up to 4 publications, PDF).
  • Names and email addresses for two letter writers familiar with the nominee’s scientific contributions, who will provide Letters of Support and fill out a short questionnaire.
  • If an eligibility exception request has been pre-approved by the New York Academy of Sciences, the letter of approval provided to the nominator will be required to be uploaded with the other Nomination Materials at the time of nomination.

All nominations must be submitted in the English language.

Is the nomination complete after the nomination form is submitted?

Once the nominator submits the nomination form, two Letters of Support and short questionnaire are still necessary to complete the nomination. Letter writers will receive automatic emails with instructions on uploading their letters and filling out the questionnaire. The nomination is complete once both letters have been uploaded and the questionnaire has been submitted. The Letters of Support must be uploaded by April 21, 2023, 11:59PM ET. Nominators may view the status of the letters of support and questionnaire by logging into their account within the nomination portal.

Who should write a nominee’s Letters of Support?

Letter of Support writers should be people who currently have or have had a close professional relationship with the nominee and are knowledgeable about the nominee’s contribution to their field of research, focusing on the nominee’s independent research career.

What information should be included in a Letter of Support?

Letters of Support should:

  • Be a maximum of two (2) pages, single-spaced, and uploaded as PDF files.
  • Describe the nominee’s most significant research contributions according to the Quality, Impact, Novelty, and Promise criteria, and explain their importance for the nominee’s research area.
  • Assess the nominee’s accomplishments in comparison with those of their peers at the same career stage.
  • Focus on the nominee’s scientific accomplishments during their independent career.
How are Letters of Support submitted?

The nominator enters the names and email addresses into the nomination form, which triggers automatic emails to be sent to the letter writers with instructions on how to upload their letters and complete the short questionnaire. For the 2024 Award, letter writers are responsible for submitting letters and the questionnaire online before April 21, 2023, 11:59PM ET.

How will a nominee know if Letters of Support have been received?

Once both Letters of Support and short questionnaire have been submitted, the nominator and nominee will receive automated notifications via email. Writer materials are confidential: neither the nominator nor the nominee will be able to view the contents of the letters. Nominators may view the status of the Letters of Support by logging into their account.

Will any evaluation information or feedback be made available to the nominee or their institution?

No. All evaluations are kept confidential and no feedback will be provided.

When will Innovators in Science Award Winners and their institutions be notified?

For the 2024 Award, the Winners and their respective institutions will be notified in January 2024. Nominees who do not win (and their institutions) will be notified by the Academy at the time of the public announcement of Winners, in January 2024.

Are Award Winners expected to attend events or participate in other activities related to the Innovators in Science Award?

2024 Award Winners are expected to:

  • Attend the Innovators in Science Award Ceremony in Boston, MA, USA in April 2024*
  • Deliver a research lecture at the Innovators in Science Award Symposium in Boston in April 2024*
  • Participate in Innovators in Science Award related media activities and inquiries (e.g. video interviews, magazine profile interviews, eBriefings, etc.)

*Costs of round–trip travel to Boston for the events will be covered through the Innovators in Science Award Program.

Do I have to pay taxes on the prize money?

Award recipients based in the U.S.

Yes. Applicable U.S. tax laws require any Award payments made under this program to be subject to federal income tax. U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations require that the Academy has a completed Form W-9 on file for all Award recipients prior to the distribution of the Award. Further details regarding the secure submission of this information to the Academy will be provided to Awardees at the time of Award notification. Award recipients will receive a 1099-MISC Form that reports your Award payment as Miscellaneous Income to the IRS. Award recipients should consult with their U.S. tax advisor regarding any tax questions.

Award recipients based outside of the U.S.

Yes. Applicable U.S. tax laws require any Award payments made under this program to be subject to federal income tax. U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations require that the Academy has a completed Form W-8BEN on file for any Award recipient that is not a U.S. citizen or other U.S. person, including a resident alien individual, prior to the distribution of the Award. Further details regarding the secure submission of this information to the Academy will be provided to Awardees at the time of Award notification. Award recipients should consult with their tax advisor regarding any tax questions, including any income tax treaty between the U.S. and their country of residence.

Who may I contact for more information?

Please contact the Innovators in Science Award staff at TakedaInnovators@nyas.org or +1.212.298.8642 during regular business hours: Monday – Friday between 9:00AM and 5:00PM ET.