Career Developmental Projects
Career Development Grants are awarded to investigators to pursue 2-year projects. Two varieties of awards are offered: Mentored Basic Scientist Career Development Award and the Mentored Patient-Oriented Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award.
The purpose of the Mentored Basic Scientist Career Development Award is to support the career development of investigators who have made a commitment to focus their research endeavors on basic scientific research. This mechanism provides support for two years of supervised study and research for professionals who have the potential to develop into productive, scientific investigators focusing on basic research in the broad area of biodefense or emerging infectious diseases.
The purpose of the Mentored Patient-Oriented Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award is to support the career development of investigators who have made a commitment to focus their research endeavors on patient-oriented research. This mechanism provides support for two years of supervised study and research for clinically trained professionals who have the potential to develop into productive, clinical investigators focusing on patient-oriented research in the broad area of biodefense or emerging infectious diseases. For the purposes of this award, patient-oriented research is defined as research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissues, specimens, and cognitive phenomena) for whom an investigator directly interacts with human subjects. This area of research includes: 1) mechanisms of human disease; 2) therapeutic interventions; 3) clinical trials, and; 4) the development of new technologies.
The Career Development Project currently underway is described in the section below.
Host Cell Reprogramming by Ehrlichial Nuclear Toxins
Intracellular bacterial pathogens, including some select agents and emerging pathogens, are known to modify host cells to allow for survival and propagation. Host cell phenotypic changes commonly result in dysregulation of function that leads to disease. Bacterial toxins interfere with a number of host physiological processes.