Innovators in Science Award

2020 Innovators in Science Award in Rare Diseases

Takeda Pharmaceuticals and the New York Academy of Sciences would like to draw attention to the urgent needs of patients worldwide affected by an estimated 7,000 rare diseases. The 2020 Innovators in Science Award will recognize scientists from around the globe for their exceptional research in Rare Diseases. The nomination period begins September 30, 2019 and ends November 22, 2019. Nominations are now closed.

Established on November 10, 2016, the Innovators in Science Award is administered by the New York Academy of Sciences and sponsored by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. This global 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 to winning scientists who have distinguished themselves for the creativity and impact of their research in a designated therapeutic area.

The 2020 Award recognizes research in Rare Diseases

Nominations are invited from the international academic institutions listed here. (If your institution is not included on this list and would like to nominate, please submit a brief statement of interest to TakedaInnovators@nyas.org)

We also welcome nominations from government or non-profit institutions or equivalent around the world, as well as from the Awards’ own Scientific Advisory Council, composed of renowned science and technology leaders.

Prize Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges independently selected by the New York Academy of Sciences, and the Awards will be conferred at a formal ceremony in New York City. For additional information:

Contact

Brittany Aguilar, PhD

Program Manager, Innovators in Science Award

+1.212.298.8624

baguilar@nyas.org

"As the Academy enters its Third Century, the Innovators in Science Award will serve as an iconic example of our long-standing tradition of partnering with prestigious global partners to advance science and address the challenges confronting our planet. So we are delighted to call Takeda our partner in the drive to improve human health through innovation."
—Ellis Rubinstein
President and Chief Executive Officer
The New York Academy of Sciences

"As Takeda continues to embrace innovative science and thinking within our own organization, we look outward to honor those who are leading the way as an inspiration in our pursuit. We are privileged to partner with the New York Academy of Sciences to create the Innovators in Science Award, and look forward to recognizing and supporting the awardees' contributions to transformative research."
—Andrew Plump, MD, PhD
President, Research & Development
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited

Scientific Advisory Council

Don Cleveland, MD, PhD

UC San Diego

Elaine Fuchs, PhD

Rockefeller University

Joseph L. Goldstein, MD

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Nobutaka Hirokawa, MD, PhD

The University of Tokyo

Richard Houlston, MD, PhD

The Institute of Cancer Research

Shigekazu Nagata, PhD

Osaka University

Bengt Samuelsson, PhD

Karolinska Institute

Azim Surani, PhD

University of Cambridge

Robert Tjian, PhD

UC Berkeley

Lap-Chee Tsui, PhD

Hong Kong Academy of Sciences

Huda Zoghbi, MD

Baylor College of Medicine

2020 Innovators in Science Award in Rare Diseases

The 2020 Innovators in Science Award recognizes a promising Early-Career Scientist's and an outstanding Senior Scientist’s research in Rare Diseases, and is intended to support their commitment to innovative research.

Two prizes of US$200,000 will be awarded, one to an Early-Career Scientist and the other to a well-established Senior Scientist from across the globe. 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 their current institution’s policies) during the 10 years since gaining their doctoral degree or equivalent, they can qualify for an extension of the eligibility timeframe. Instructions regarding how to request an extension are provided in the Requesting and 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. This conflict of interest (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 Pharmaceutical Company Limited, or its affiliates, for a nominee’s institution/organization or laboratory (including donation or general funding) does not constitute a COI.

For a comprehensive listing of affiliates, please visit:

http://www.takeda.com/company/worldwide/

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.

+ Requesting An Eligibility Exception

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.
Requests for the 2020 Award cycle must be submitted on institutional letterhead via email by the institution’s designee by 11:59PM EST on Friday, November 15, 2019 (one week in advance of the nomination deadline).
Outline the standard policy of 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.

The maximum total period that a nominee’s eligibility may be extended due to a formal period (or periods) of leave is two (2) 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.

Evaluation Criteria

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.

Nomination Process

Candidates for the 2020 Innovators in Science Award must be nominated by their institutions.* Each institution may submit up to two (2) nominations each year, 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. Institutions must send a brief statement to TakedaInnovators@nyas.org naming the official designees as nominators before submitting nominations. At that time, the Academy will provide login credentials for the online nominations portal, and nominators will be invited to create a nominator account on behalf of their institution.

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

*Self-nominations are not permitted. Nominees do not submit their own nomination materials and should direct all questions to their institution’s official nominator.

+ Important Dates

September 30, 2019: Nominations open for 2020 Innovators in Science Award
November 22, 2019, 11:59PM EST: Nominations close for 2020 Innovators in Science Award
January 17, 2020, 11:59PM EST: Letters of Support due for 2020 Innovators in Science Award
July 2020: 2020 Innovators in Science Award Honorees announced
October 1-2, 2020: 2020 Innovators in Science Award Ceremony and Symposium in New York, NY, USA

+ Online Submissions

Nominations must be submitted using the online nomination system between Friday, September 30, 2019 and Friday, November 22, 2019, 11:59PM EST.

The 2020 Innovators in Science Award research focus area is Rare Diseases. At the time of nomination, nominators will be required to select one (1) primary disease 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 his/her 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 his or her peers at the same career stage.
Focus on the nominee’s scientific accomplishments during his/her independent career.

Innovators in Science Award Winner Responsibilities

2020 Award Winners are expected to:

Attend the Innovators in Science Award Ceremony and Symposium in New York, NY, USA on October 1-2, 2020*
Submit an article in a format of the Award Winner’s choosing (e.g. review, perspective, commentary, or original research) to the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Participate in Innovators in Science Award related media activities and inquiries (e.g. video interviews, magazine profile interviews, eBriefings, etc.)

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. 2020 Award Winners are expected to attend both Award Events in New York on October 1 & 2, 2020. 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 New York for the October 1-2 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.

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 2020 QS World University Rankings®, rankings 1-400. 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 2020 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

The American University in Cairo, Egypt
University of Cape Town, South Africa
University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

+ Asia

*Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan
American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon
American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Indonesia
Beijing Normal University, China
*Chitkara University, India
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Ewha Womans University, South Korea
Fudan University, China
Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia
Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), South Korea
Hanyang University, South Korea
Harbin Institute of Technology, China
Hiroshima University, Japan
Hokkaido University, Japan
Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
Indian Institute of Science (IISc), India
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), India
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD), India
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK), India
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP), India
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), India
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR), India
KAIST - Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, South Korea
Khalifa University of Science and Technology, United Arab Emirates
Keio University, Japan
King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Saudi Arabia
King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia
King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
Kobe University, Japan
Korea University, South Korea
Kyoto University, Japan
Kyung Hee University, South Korea
Kyushu University, Japan
Mahidol University, Thailand
Nagoya University, Japan
Nanjing University, China
Nankai University, China
Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore
*National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Japan
National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Taiwan
National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan
National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan
National Taiwan University (NTU), Taiwan
National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech), Taiwan
National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan
National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Islamabad, Pakistan
National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore
National Yang Ming University, Taiwan
Osaka University, Japan
Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Pakistan
Peking University, China
Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea
Qatar University, Qatar
*RIKEN, Japan
Seoul National University, South Korea
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
Sun Yat-sen University, China
Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), South Korea
Taipei Medical University, Taiwan
Technion - Israel Institute of Technology , Israel
Tel Aviv University, Israel
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Hong Kong
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
The University of Tokyo, Japan
Tohoku University, Japan
Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Japan
*Tokyo Medical University, Japan
Tongji University, China
Tsinghua University, China
United Arab Emirates University, United Arab Emirates
Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia
Universiti Malaya (UM), Malaysia
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Malaysia
Universiti Teknologi Brunei, Brunei
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia
University of Brunei Darussalam, Brunei
University of Macau, Macao
University of Science and Technology of China, China
University of the Philippines, Philippines
University of Tsukuba, Japan
Waseda University, Japan
Wuhan University, China
Xi’an Jiaotong University, China
Yonsei University, South Korea
Zhejiang University, China

+ Europe

Aalborg University, Denmark
Aalto University, Finland
Aarhus University, Denmark
Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg (Universität Freiburg), Germany
Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Italy
Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Russia
Belarusian State University, Belarus
Birkbeck, University of London, United Kingdom
Brunel University London, United Kingdom
Cardiff University, United Kingdom
CentraleSupélec, France
Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
Charles University, Czechia
City, University of London, United Kingdom
Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
Durham University, United Kingdom
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany
École des Ponts ParisTech, France
École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France
École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay (formerly ENS Cachan), France
École Polytechnique, France
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands
*Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Netherlands
Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland
Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
Ghent University, Belgium
Graz University of Technology, Austria
Heriot-Watt University, United Kingdom
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
IE University, Spain
*Imagine Institute, France
Imperial College London, United Kingdom
*INSERM, France
*Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Austria
Jagiellonian University, Poland
*Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Kazan (Volga region) Federal University, Russia
King's College London (KCL), United Kingdom
KIT, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
KU Leuven, Belgium
Lancaster University, United Kingdom
Leiden University, Netherlands
Linköping University, Sweden
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
Loughborough University, United Kingdom
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
Lund University, Sweden
Maastricht University, Netherlands
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT / Moscow Phystech), Russia
Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University), Russia
*MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB), United Kingdom
National Research Nuclear University (MEPhI/Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), Russia
National Research University-Higher School of Economics (HSE), Russia
National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Ireland
*Netherlands Cancer Institute, Netherlands
Newcastle University, United Kingdom
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
Novosibirsk State University, Russia
Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom
Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Politecnico di Torino, Italy
Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), United Kingdom Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom
Radboud University, Netherlands
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Germany
Royal Holloway University of London, United Kingdom
RUDN University, Russia
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Germany
RWTH Aachen University, Germany
Saint Petersburg State University, Russia
Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Sciences Po (Paris Institute of Political Studies), France
Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy
Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna Pisa, Italy
SOAS University of London, United Kingdom
Sorbonne University, France
Stockholm University, Sweden
Tampere University, Finland
Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
Technical University of Munich, Germany
Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin), Germany
Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany
Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
TELECOM ParisTech, France
Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien), Austria
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), United Kingdom
The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
The University of Exeter, United Kingdom
The University of Manchester, United Kingdom
The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
The University of Warwick, United Kingdom
Tilburg University, Netherlands
Tomsk Polytechnic University, Russia
Tomsk State University, Russia
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Ireland
UCL (University College London) United Kingdom
Umeå University, Sweden
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), Spain
Università di Padova, Italy
Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
*Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Italy
*Università degli Studi di Perugia, Italy
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Spain
Universität Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Universität Hamburg, Germany
Universität Innsbruck, Austria
Universität Jena , Germany
Universität Mannheim, Germany
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), Spain
Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain
Universität Stuttgart, Germany
Universität Ulm, Germany
Universität Wien, Austria
Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Belgium
Université de Strasbourg, France
Université Grenoble-Alpes, France
Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France
Université Paris-Sud, France
Université PSL, France
University College Cork, Ireland
University College Dublin, Ireland
University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom
University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
University of Antwerp, Belgium
University of Basel, Switzerland
University of Bath, United Kingdom
University of Bergen, Norway
University of Bern, Switzerland
University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
University of Bristol, United Kingdom
University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Czechia
University of Cologne, Germany
University of Copenhagen, Denmark
University of Dundee, United Kingdom
University of East Anglia (UEA), United Kingdom
University of Essex, United Kingdom
University of Geneva, Switzerland
University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
University of Gothenburg, Sweden
University of Göttingen, Germany
University of Groningen, Netherlands
University of Helsinki, Finland
University of Jyväskylä, Finland
University of Kent, United Kingdom
University of Lausanne, Switzerland
University of Leeds, United Kingdom
University of Leicester, United Kingdom
University of Lisbon, Portugal
University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
University of Navarra, Spain
University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
University of Oslo, Norway
University of Oulu, Finland
University of Oxford, United Kingdom
University of Paris (Université de Paris), France
University of Pisa, Italy
University of Porto, Portugal
University of Reading, United Kingdom
University of Southampton, United Kingdom
University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
University of St Andrews, United Kingdom
University of St.Gallen (HSG), Switzerland
University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom
University of Surrey, United Kingdom
University of Sussex, United Kingdom
University of Tartu, Estonia
University of Trento, Italy
University of Tromsø-The Arctic University of Norway, Norway
University of Turku, Finland
University of Twente, Netherlands
University of Warsaw, Poland
University of York, United Kingdom
University of Zurich, Switzerland
Uppsala University, Sweden
Ural Federal University , Russia
Utrecht University, Netherlands
*VIB, Belgium
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium
Wageningen University, Netherlands
Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany

+ Latin America

Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, Argentina
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC), Chile
Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico
Universidad Austral, Argentina
Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina
Universidad de Chile, Chile
Universidad de los Andes, Colombia
Universidad de Palermo (UP), Argentina
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico
Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia
Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), Brazil
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

+ North America

Arizona State University, United States
*Auburn University, United States
*Baylor College of Medicine, United States
Boston University, United States
Brown University, United States
*Burke Neurological Institute, United States
California Institute of Technology (Caltech), United States
Carnegie Mellon University, United States
Case Western Reserve University, United States
*Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States
*Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, United States
Columbia University, United States
Cornell University, United States
Dalhousie University, Canada
Dartmouth College, United States
Duke University, United States
Emory University, United States
George Washington University, United States
Georgetown University, United States
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), United States
*Gladstone Institutes, United States
Harvard University, United States
*Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States
Indiana University, United States
*Janelia Research Campus, United States
Johns Hopkins University, United States
*Lieber Institute for Brain Development, United States
*Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, United States
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States
*Mayo Clinic, United States
McGill University, Canada
McMaster University, Canada
*Medical College of Wisconsin, United States
*Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, United States
Michigan State University, United States
*National Institutes of Health (NIH), United States
*New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), United States
*New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), United States
New York University (NYU), United States
North Carolina State University, United States
Northeastern University, United States
Northwestern University, United States
Pennsylvania State University, United States
Princeton University, United States
Purdue University, United States
Queen's University at Kingston, Canada
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, United States
Rice University, United States
Rutgers University - New Brunswick, United States
*Salk Institute for Biological Studies, United States
Simon Fraser University, Canada
Stanford University, United States
Stony Brook University, State University of New York, United States
Texas A&M University, United States
*The Graduate Center, CUNY, United States
*The Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
The Ohio State University, United States
*The Rockefeller University, United States
The University of Arizona, United States
The University of Western Ontario (Western University), Canada
Tufts University, United States
Université de Montréal, Canada
University at Buffalo SUNY, United States
*University Health Network, Canada
University of Alberta, Canada
University of British Columbia, Canada
University of Calgary, Canada
University of California, Berkeley (UCB), United States
University of California, Davis (UCD), United States
University of California, Irvine (UCI), United States
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), United States
University of California, San Diego (UCSD), United States
*University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), United States
University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), United States
University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), United States
University of Chicago, United States
University of Colorado at Boulder, United States
University of Colorado at Denver, United States
*University of Connecticut, United States
University of Florida, United States
University of Hawai'i at Mañoa, United States
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States
University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC), United States
University of Kansas, United States
University of Maryland, College Park, United States
*University of Massachusetts Amherst, Medical School, United States
University of Massachusetts Amherst, United States
University of Miami, United States
University of Michigan, United States
University of Minnesota, United States
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, United States
University of Notre Dame, United States
University of Ottawa, Canada
University of Pennsylvania, United States
University of Pittsburgh, United States
University of Rochester, United States
*University of South Florida, United States
University of Southern California, United States
University of Texas at Austin, United States
*University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern), United States
University of Toronto, Canada
University of Utah, United States
University of Victoria, Canada
University of Virginia, United States
University of Washington, United States
University of Waterloo, Canada
University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
*Van Andel Institute, United States
Vanderbilt University, United States
*Vanderbilt University Medical Center, United States
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), United States
Wake Forest University, United States
Washington State University, United States
Washington University in St. Louis, United States
*Wayne State University, United States
*Weill Cornell Medicine, United States
*Whitehead Institute, United States
Yale University, United States
Yeshiva University, United States

+ Oceania

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

Announcing the Winners of the 2020 Innovators in Science Award in Rare Diseases

Senior Scientist Winner

Adrian R. Krainer, PhD
St. Giles Foundation Professor
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Prof. Adrian Krainer is recognized for his outstanding research on the mechanisms and control of RNA splicing, a step in the normal process by which the information in DNA is converted into proteins. Prof. Krainer studied a splicing defect in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a devastating, inherited pediatric neuromuscular disorder caused by loss of motor neurons, resulting in progressive muscle atrophy and eventually death. His lab elucidated regulatory mechanisms controlling SMN2, a gene that is incorrectly spliced in SMA. Then, in collaboration with scientists at Ionis Pharmaceuticals, they developed a novel antisense oligonucleotide that is effective in correcting SMN2 splicing, thus increasing the levels of SMN, a protein required for motor-neuron survival. This antisense oligonucleotide—nusinersen (Spinraza)—was approved by the US FDA in December 2016, and subsequently in over 50 additional countries. Spinraza was the first drug approved for the treatment of SMA, the first approved drug to correct a splicing defect, and also the first drug for an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that can delay and even prevent disease onset. More than 10,000 patients have received Spinraza to date, and it is expected that thousands more will be treated each year. Prof. Krainer received the 2019 Life Sciences Breakthrough Prize, shared with Frank Bennett, his collaborator at Ionis Pharmaceuticals. He was elected to the US National Academy of Medicine and National Academy of Sciences.

Early-Career Scientist Winner

Jeong Ho Lee, MD, PhD
Associate Professor/KAIST Endowed Chair Professor
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

Director
National Creative Research Initiative Center for Brain Somatic Mutations

Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer
SoVarGen

Prof. Jeong Ho Lee is recognized for his research investigating genetic mutations occurring in a subset of cells in the body, a phenomenon referred to as somatic mosaicism. Particularly, Prof. Lee studies the genetic mutations in stem cells in the brain that result in rare developmental brain disorders. These rare mutations can cause dysfunction of the entire brain, resulting in epilepsy and tumor formation. Prof. Lee has identified the genes responsible for several developmental brain disorders including focal cortical dysplasia, Joubert syndrome—a disorder characterized by an underdevelopment of the brainstem—and hemimegalencephaly, which is the abnormal enlargement of one side of the brain. Fundamental knowledge of the genetic basis for these disorders in humans is a necessary first step toward the development of potential new treatments and diagnostic tools. His work has also influenced scientific thinking about tumorigenesis and has helped lay the foundation for studying somatic mosaicism in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Prof. Lee has been recognized by numerous awards, including the KAISTian of the Year in 2018, the Suh Kyungbae Science Foundation (SUHF) Investigator 2018, KAIST's Top 10 Research Accomplishments of 2018 and 2016, the Wunch Medical Award (Young Medical Scientist) of the Korean Medical Association & Boehringer Ingelheim 2016, the Pediatric Epilepsies Award of Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE) 2015, and the Asan Medical Award (Young Scientist) from the Asan Foundation in 2013.

+ What is the Innovators in Science Award?

On November 10, 2016, the New York Academy of Sciences and Takeda Pharmaceuticals 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 2020 Award focus area?

The 2020 Innovators in Science Award area of focus is Rare Disease. At the time of nomination, nominators will be required to select, from the list here, one (1) primary disease category that best represents the focus area of a nominee's research.

+ 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 400 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.

+ 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 2020 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 their current institution's policies) during the 10 years since gaining their doctoral degree or equivalent, they can qualify for an extension of the eligibility timeframe. Instructions regarding how to request an extension are provided at the end of 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 Pharmaceutical Company Limited, and its affiliates

For a comprehensive listing of affiliates, please visit:

http://www.takeda.com/company/worldwide/

Government Employees

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. Institutions must send a brief statement to TakedaInnovators@nyas.org naming the official designees as nominators before submitting nominations. At that time, the Academy will provide login credentials for the online nominations portal, and nominators will be invited to create a nominator account on behalf of their institution.

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. 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 2020 Innovators in Science Award?

Friday, September 30, 2019: Nominations open

Friday, November 22, 2019, 11:59PM EST: Nominations close

Friday, January 17, 2020, 11:59PM EST: 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.
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 are still necessary to complete the nomination. Letter writers will receive automatic emails with instructions on uploading their letters. The nomination is complete once both letters have been uploaded. The Letters of Support must be uploaded by January 17, 2020, 11:59PM EDT. Nominators may view the status of the letters of support 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 his or her peers at the same career stage.
Focus on the nominee's scientific accomplishments during his/her 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. For the 2020 Award, letter writers are responsible for submitting letters online before January 17, 2020, 11:59PM EDT.

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

Once both Letters of Support have been submitted, the nominator and nominee will receive automated notifications via email. Letters of Support 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 2020 Award, the Winners and their respective institutions will be notified during July 2020.

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

2020 Award Winners are expected to:

Attend the Innovators in Science Award Ceremony in New York, NY USA on October 1, 2020*
Deliver a research lecture at the Innovators in Science Award Symposium in New York, NY USA on October 2, 2020*
Submit an article in a format of the Award Winner’s choosing (e.g. review, perspective, commentary, or original research) to the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
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 New York for the October 1-2 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.

Applicable U.S. tax laws require any Award payments under this program to be subject to 30% federal tax withholding on the payment. Upon distribution of the Award, we will withhold 30% of the Award amount and distribute the net proceeds to the recipient. The amount we have withheld will be remitted to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). A reduced withholding rate may be available to recipients under an applicable income tax treaty between the U.S. and their country of residence.

Award recipients should consult with their U.S. tax advisor to determine their eligibility for reduced withholding benefits under an applicable income tax treaty between the U.S. and their country of residence. Award recipients must provide the Academy with a fully completed Form W-8BEN to claim a reduced withholding rate under an applicable income tax treaty within twenty-one (21) days of written notification that they have secured the Award. After twenty-one (21) days, we will withhold at the default 30% withholding rate. Further details regarding the secure submission of this information to the Academy will be provided to Awardees at the time of Award notification.

+ Who may I contact for more information?

Please contact the Innovators in Science Award staff at TakedaInnovators@nyas.org or +1.212.298.8696 during regular business hours: Monday – Friday between 9:00AM and 5:00PM ET.

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Innovators in Science Award

2020 Innovators in Science Award in Rare Diseases

The 2020 Award recognizes research in Rare Diseases

Scientific Advisory Council

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About Takeda

2020 Innovators in Science Award in Rare Diseases

Eligibility

Evaluation Criteria

Nomination Process

Nomination Materials

Innovators in Science Award Winner Responsibilities

Additional Information

Announcing the Winners of the 2020 Innovators in Science Award in Rare Diseases

Senior Scientist Winner

Early-Career Scientist Winner