The Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation

(in Biomedical Science)

Stanford University is permitted to submit 2 graduate student nominations and 2 postdoctoral fellow nominations.

These nominations will be split equally between the School of Medicine and the School of Humanities and Sciences. Each school will establish it’s own internal selection process

Each department can submit ONE graduate student nominee and ONE postdoctoral fellow nominee, per the Internal School of Medicine Submission/Nomination Guidelines described below.

Timeline:

Internal School of Medicine Department* nomination deadline: Tues., Dec. 8, 2015, 5p.m.

Purpose/Eligibility:

To recognize and honor excellence in biomedical science, broadly defined, conducted by graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.  This prize will be given nationally to one outstanding Postdoctoral Fellow and one outstanding Graduate Student who have an outstanding research productivity as shown by their CV and publication record. (There are no other specific eligibility requirements by the sponsor.)

Prize details: 

"One graduate student and one post-doctoral fellow will be selected to receive the Regeneron Prize for Outstanding Research each year. Each prize will include a check for $50,000. In addition, prize winners will receive a $5,000 donation to their home institution to help support their seminar series. Semi-finalists and finalists for each prize will be awarded $5,000 (approximately 8-10 applicants for each prize will be selected for this distinction)." The $50,000 prize, if awarded, will be paid directly to the postdoctoral fellow or graduate student (which will have tax implications for the recipient). If a Stanford recipient is awarded the $50,000 prize, Regeneron will send Stanford a $5,000 donation for a seminar series. That $5,0000 donation will be handled as a gift.

Rationale and Overview: 

"One of Regeneron's primary criterion for selecting Regeneron Prize awardees is research productivity. As such, the CVs and publications of the applicants will be very important components of the selection process. Regeneron recognizes, however, that two trainees with similar records of productivity may not be equivalent in scientific caliber. A trainee's mentor plays a big role in the development of a high-profile publication record.

"PLEASE READ: The research proposal component of the Regeneron Prize application is designed to be a differentiating exercise that allows Regeneron's Selection Committee to distinguish between applicants who have excellent research records because of their mentors and those who have excellent research records because of their own scientific merits. The research that is proposed is not necessarily meant to be conducted, nor is the prize meant as a funding mechanism for research. The prize is a cash prize to the trainee, and the trainee may use the money in any way he or she wishes. It is a personal prize for the personal use of the awardee. (Therefore, there will be tax implications for the awardees.)

"The Dream Project research proposal is a mechanism for evaluating a student's scientific clarity, elegance, precision, and creativity. There is no need for preliminary data (although it isn't prohibited), and there is no need for the student to feel limited by time or resources for the research proposed. "Out of the box" thinking is not only acceptable, but encouraged. The proposal should describe research the applicant wishes he/she could conduct (i.e. a "dream" project), within the fundamental limitations imposed by today's technologies. Finalists will be invited to Regeneron as the final step in selection of the Prize winners, and students should be prepared to explain and defend aspects of their proposal at that time.

Additional guidelines for research proposals:

  1. The proposal may wish to include a background/rationale section, a specific aims section, an experimental design/methology section, and a caveats/conclusions section [similar to a research proposal one might preparate for a funding sources).
  2. The proposal can assume that applicants have access to the rich resources and technologies available at cutting edge biotechnology companies such as Regeneron. This includes access to most equipment used in biomedical research, any necessary supplies or reagents, and advanced genetic and/or protein engineering capabilities. Some applicants may be invited to conduct their research, or related research, at Regeneron. There is however, absolutely no requirement that they accept this invitation- the prizes will be awarded before any such offers would be made. The intent of the proposal isn't to actually conduct the research. It is to evaulate the applicant's research prowess.

Internal School of Medicine Submission/Nomination Guidelines:

Reminder: EACH department may nominate only ONE postdoctoral fellow and ONE graduate student (submit separate nomination packets for each nominee)

By Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015, 5 p.m., please submit one PDF file containing the following in the order listed below to:

Jeanne Heschele
Research Management Group (RMG)
jheschele@stanford.edu
650-245-2351

  1. Title page
    1. Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation (in Biomedical Science)
    2. Category: Postdoctoral Fellow or Graduate Student 
    3. Research project
    4. Name of the nominee, title, department, address, email, phone #
    5. Name of the nominee's mentor, title, department, email, phone #**
    6. **Reminder: each department may nominate only ONE postdoctoral fellow and ONE graduate student (submit separate nomination packets for each nominee)
  2. Nomination letter- printed on your department's letterhead, from your nominee's mentor and co-signed by your department.
    1. If selected we will use this letter for the nomination packet that will be submitted to the sponsor, so please address the letter to the Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation Review Committee. 
    2. One of Regeneron's primary criterion for selecting Regeneron Prize awardees is research productivity and how their research proposal would "advance the field". 
  3. Two page proposal (this is based on the sponsor's "Dream Project" guidelines):
    1. That the research proposed be within the field of biomedicine, broadly defined.
    2. That the applicant's proposal be no more than two single-spaced pages (please avoid type smaller than 10-point). References do not need to be included within the two-page limit, but any figures, etc.  should be. Note that preliminary data is not necessary.
    3. That the proposal clearly define a specific experiment or series of experiments, and includes a rationale, basic methodology/design (citing literature is fine), and discussion of how the experiment's results would advance the field.
  4. Nominee's CV

Selection process

The Awards Committee, chaired by Dr. Sarnow, will select the postdoctoral fellow and the graduate student nominees to represent the School of Medicine. We will provide a nomination form and nomination instructions for each candidate selected, one postdoctoral fellow and one graduate student. The sponsor will require application materials: 1) nomination form (which includes the endorsement signature by our Dean, Dr. Minor, 2) the candidate's CV, 3) PDF files of publications by the candidate, 4) the two-page research proposal (single spaced-same instructions used in the internal selection process).