Funding Announcement

Request for Proposals

The MIT-Philips Research Awards for Clinicians Program is designed to recruit frontline clinicians (physicians, pharmacists, nurses, respiratory and other therapists) to engage in collaborative research with MIT and Philips investigators. The program will provide an opportunity for clinical professionals to engage in original research in collaboration with experienced MIT faculty and investigators at Philips Research North America (PRNA). The program is intended to further engage the clinical community with the MIT-Philips collaboration and to accelerate the discovery of new ideas with high translational potential. The program will provide:

  1. An opportunity to build collaborative relationships with MIT and Philips investigators
  2. Salary support of $50,000 (plus associated MIT indirect costs) to cover 50% of the clinician’s time for research.
  3. Opportunity to advance creative ideas from the clinical setting to the research development laboratories of two world renowned centers of discovery.

Purpose

Interest in health innovation and healthcare quality improvement has steadily increased. Recent reports, however, have highlighted shortfalls in measurable improvement in clinical outcomes despite the technical innovations in healthcare. Efforts to improve health with engineering breakthroughs, while well intentioned, have fallen short in several areas. Those technological innovations have often been developed as isolated solutions rather than tools integrated within larger programs of improvement, and without a deep involvement of those who understand the complexities of day-to-day care delivery.

Clinicians at the frontline of care should be at the core of efforts to revolutionize healthcare through technology, fully supported by scientists and engineers to collaborate on the translation of gaps in diagnostics and therapeutics into solutions that truly improve outcomes. Systems that germinate successful innovation should foster a collaborative culture in which clinicians and engineers work and learn together in a mutually supportive environment where cross-specialty communication is not only possible but intrinsic and continuous.

Mechanics:

MIT-Philips Clinical Research awards will be extended to three individuals in 2023. Physicians, nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals are encouraged to apply. The award of $50,000 will compensate the awardee for the 50% of his/her research time at MIT. The proposed project must align with an MIT laboratory and faculty member and be relevant to the research priorities of Philips Research North America (PRNA). Awardees will be given MIT appointments as part-time visiting scientists, and the award will be administered by MIT. Continuation of clinical work is expected for the other 50% of awardee’s time under an agreement with the awardee’s clinical department. The award is renewable for an additional year based on merit, the permission of the awardee’s clinical department, and the availability of funds. The duration of the award is one year and may start either January 1 or July 1 at the discretion of the awardee.

Eligibility

The program is open to physicians, nurses, clinical pharmacologists, and other allied health professionals who are active clinicians (including those in training such as residents and fellows). Explicit permission from the clinical supervisor is required for the applicant to spend 50% effort on the research program during the funded year.

Deliverables

The awardee is encouraged to publish the output of the research in a scientific journal with a joint authorship with other members of the research team. Presentations in clinical and/or engineering conferences are also highly encouraged.

Intellectual Property

Intellectual property resulting from research funded under this award is governed by the collaborative agreements negotiated between MIT and Philips.

Steps to Apply

  1. Identify an MIT mentor with whom you wish to collaborate, a partial list of MIT laboratories that are available under this program can be found here.
  2. If you need assistance in making contact with Philips or MIT investigators, prepare a small abstract for review by the program administrators who will connect you with the appropriate persons for the project, click here.
  3. Make personal contact with an MIT mentor to discuss your collaborative proposal ideas.
  4. Prepare the proposal (in collaboration with your mentor) according to the guidelines and submit the required documents here.

Deadline

The deadline for application is midnight Boston time on 31 May, 2023 and should be submitted online. Winners will be announced by July, 2023. The selection committee will be formed of senior representatives from the MIT-Philips Collaboration and clinicians.


To Participate Submit your research proposal(s) here