The Lupus Insight Prize, presented in a collaboration among the Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR), Lupus Foundation of America (LFA), and the Lupus Research Institute (LRI) will be awarded annually by the three organizations to recognize and honor an outstanding investigator each year with a documented record of creativity, innovation, and productivity, and with a high likelihood of generating further advances in the diagnosis and treatment of lupus.

Mark J. Shlomchik, M.D., Ph.D., the new incoming Chair of Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh, will be awarded the Lupus Insight Prize at the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) 2013 Meeting. Learn more about Dr. Shlomchik's research.

The scientific session and reception will be held:

Thursday, June 27, 2013
12:45-4:15 pm, reception to immediately follow.
Seaport Boston Hotel
1 Seaport Lane
Boston, MA 02210
Harborview Ballroom

Please click here to RSVP. For more information about the FOCIS 2013 meeting, please visit: http://www.focisnet.org/FOCIS/.

The institution of the Prize recipient will receive $200,000 to be used at the discretion of the recipient scientist with the expectation that those funds will be applied to research dedicated to advancing understanding of the genetic, environmental, molecular, immunologic or cellular aspects of lupus and/or its treatment. The Prize can be transferred to another institution (within the U.S.) in the event that the recipient changes his/her affiliation, but the Prize cannot be renewed. The funds must be utilized within three years of the date of the award of the Prize.

Nominate a Lupus Insight Prize Candidate

Nominations for the Lupus Insight Prize should represent collaboration between the Nominator and Candidate. Nominations of basic, clinical, and translational scientists will be considered. Candidates can be investigators of any age or rank affiliated with an academic, biomedical, research, or government institution in the United States. Nominations will not be accepted for investigators working in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries. Additionally, Candidates may not already possess a grant award to pursue the aims described in the application for the Prize. Co-investigators or teams of investigators are not eligible for the Lupus Insight Prize.

The Nominator should submit a two-page Letter of Nomination/Letter of Intent describing the extraordinary qualities and achievements of the Candidate. If the Letter of Nomination/Letter of Intent is accepted, the Candidate should then provide a brief Research Narrative describing the research and how it will be pursued if the Candidate is selected to receive the Prize. The Research Narrative should be single-spaced (with one-inch margins, typed in 12-point Times New Roman font) and of no more than 2 pages (inclusive of all materials to be considered). Importantly, the Candidate should include:

• a description of the novel hypothesis, innovative concept, or unusually creative experimental approach that will be applied to lupus by the Candidate
• anticipated goal of the proposed project
• potential impact of the proposed research on the field as a whole, as well as its potential to galvanize, change, and/or revolutionize lupus research or treatment

The Research Narrative should not be considered as a grant application, but should describe the applicant’s unique insight and its potential impact on lupus. The Research Narrative should be a stand-alone document and cannot include any web links to additional materials. Appendices will not be accepted.

In addition to the Research Narrative, the Candidate should also submit a complete CV. Two blind letters in support of the Candidate (from people other than the Nominator) must also be solicited by the Candidate, and each must be submitted directly via proposalCENTRAL by the individual writing each letter. The application will not be considered complete without the two blind letters in support of the Candidate.

Each full application must be received electronically by December 3, 2012 at 5 p.m. ET via Altum’s proposalCENTRAL online system at https://proposalcentral.altum.com/. Hard copies will not be accepted under any circumstances.

May 25, 2012: Lupus Organizations Unite to Stimulate Advances in Lupus Research