Fellowship Program in AIDS Vaccine Research and Development New York

Science jobs from International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI):

About IAVI

IAVI is a global not-for-profit organization born in 1996 that has an international mandate to ensure the development of a safe, effective, accessible preventive AIDS vaccine for use worldwide through an integrated program of research and development (R&D), policy research, and global advocacy.

Organized as the first modern biomedical product development partnership (PDP), IAVI has been acknowledged for revolutionizing the way vaccines and medicines are produced for the world’s poor.

Employer: International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI)

Location: New York, NY

Type: Fellowship

Last Date to Apply: October 04, 2010

Job Description

Instructions to Applicants of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) Fellowship Program in AIDS Vaccine Research and Development

The Fellowship Program

IAVI’s newly created two year, post-doctoral Fellowship Program in AIDS Vaccine Research & Development is a premier program that provides a unique opportunity for talented young post-doctoral candidates to train alongside some of the leading scientists in the vaccine field today, as well as to contribute to the history-making effort to develop an HIV vaccine. Selected via a competitive application process, IAVI Fellows will receive a salaried position of two to three years, contingent on satisfactory performance, and placement in one or more of the labs in IAVI’s global network. The program places special emphasis on training scientist from places where the HIV epidemic is most severe as further preparation for careers in their home countries. Under special consideration, the program allows for a possible extension to three years.

Fellowship Topics for 2010

Senior leadership at IAVI has identified the following as focus areas for the 2010 -2011 Fellowship Program :

• Identification of the immunogens that can raise broadly neutralizing antibodies. Expertise is desirable in the areas of antibody isolation and evaluation, protein design and expression, as well as B-cell immunology.
• Generation and testing of replicating vectors as vaccines. Expertise is desirable in the areas of virology, vector manipulation, expression of genes from vectors, and in vitro and in vivo characterization.
• Immunological evaluation in animals and humans of vaccines and in response to natural infection. Areas of interest are linking immune responses at the level of antibody specificity and activity, as well as T-cell phenotype and ex vivo activity with anti-viral activities in vivo.

Eligibility

• Most successful candidates will have two to five years of research experience at the time of fellowship application.
• Candidates with greater than seven years of research experience are discouraged from applying unless specific circumstances (such as a change of field) justify additional training at the fellowship level.
• Candidates are expected to have participated as an author on a minimum of two research publications.
• Young and early career scientists from around the world who demonstrate exceptional competence in their specialties and seek training in AIDS vaccine discovery research are particularly encouraged to apply.
• The program focuses on candidates from under-represented groups.
• Scientists in low- and middle-income countries, including those from IAVI-sponsored collaborating centers in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, South Africa and India, are strongly encouraged to apply.

Guidelines for Application

• The application includes the following:
•  A biographical sketch and brief statement of career goals of the candidate (maximum 4 pages).
•  A letter of interest delineating how the candidate meets the eligibility criteria, what they hope to get out of the Fellowship and how they expect to use the knowledge and skills gained.
• A statement from the candidate’s principal doctoral advisor evaluating the applicant’s qualifications and indicating his or her career goals in the field of AIDS vaccine discovery research. Plus three additional letters from individuals who know the candidate well and, if possible, who have direct knowledge of the applicant’s research capabilities.
• A sample of current written work or an abstract.

Level of Budget Support – Each Fellow will receive a stipend of USD$50,000, which includes the cost of insurances and medical coverage. The fellowship will cover the cost of supplies, lab consumables, visa costs and a modest travel budget. The travel costs include travel from the candidate’s home country and travel to select scientific meetings within IAVI, as well as various consortia and partner sessions.

Application Deadline and Start Date – Applications are due by January 15th of every year, and the Fellowship Program is expected to begin in September of every year.

Decision Process –

• There are no closing dates.
• Candidates are encouraged to submit their applications when ready. Receipt will be acknowledged within one month and candidates will be advised at that time as to when to expect a final decision.
• Short-listed candidates will usually be interviewed by the Fellowships Selection Committee, with a decision being made by the same committee.
• Please allow for up to five months from submission to decision.

Original Notification