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2003 Annual Report the Burroughs Wellcome Fund

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2003 Annual Report the Burroughs Wellcome Fund 2003 Annual Report The Burroughs Wellcome Fund is an independent private foundation dedicated to advancing the biomedical sciences by supporting research and other scientific and educational activities. Depicted in BWF’s logo, the eye of the ancient Egyptian god Horus is considered a symbol of health. 2003 Annual Report Burroughs Wellcome Fund t 919.991.5100 f 919.991.5160 www.bwfund.org Mailing Address: Post Office Box 13901 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3901 Shipping Address: 21 T. W. Alexander Drive Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 Contents About the Burroughs Wellcome Fund ............................................2 President’s Message ......................................................................4 — Basic Biomedical Sciences ..................................................9 — Infectious Diseases ..........................................................13 — Molecular Parasitology ......................................................14 — Interfaces in Science ........................................................16 — Functional Genomics ........................................................18 — Pharmacological/Toxicological Sciences ............................21 — Science Education ............................................................25 — Translational Research ......................................................26 Report on Finance..........................................................................30 Financial Statements and Additional Information ..........................31 Grants Index ..................................................................................39 Information for Applicants ............................................................68 Program Application Deadlines......................................................71 Advisory Committees ....................................................................72 Board of Directors..........................................................................75 Staff ..............................................................................................77 Contact Information for Major Programs ......................................80 About the Burroughs Wellcome Fund The Burroughs Wellcome Fund is an independent private foundation dedicated to advancing the biomedical sciences by supporting research and other scientific and educational activities. Within this broad mission, we seek to accomplish two the United Kingdom. The Wellcome enterprise was started in primary goals—to help scientists early in their careers develop 1880 by two young American pharmacists, Henry Wellcome as independent investigators, and to advance fields in the basic and Silas Burroughs, who had moved to London to manufacture biomedical sciences that are undervalued or in need of and sell “compressed medicines”—that is, pills—which the particular encouragement. pair believed could replace the potions and powders of the day. BWF has an endowment of about $600 million, and we Their firm prospered. After Silas Burroughs died in award approximately $25 million in grants annually in the 1895, Henry Wellcome directed the growth of the company United States and Canada. We channel our financial support into an international network with subsidiaries in numerous primarily through competitive peer-reviewed award programs, countries on several continents. As the business grew, Henry which encompass five major categories—basic biomedical sci- Wellcome held firm to his strong belief that research was ences, infectious diseases, interfaces in science, translational fundamental to the development of excellent pharmaceutical research, and science education. BWF makes grants primarily to products—a belief he put into practice by establishing the degree-granting institutions on behalf of individual researchers, industry’s first research laboratories. who must be nominated by their institutions. To complement When Henry Wellcome died in 1936, his will vested all these competitive award programs, we also make grants to non- of the corporate shares in a new organization—the Wellcome profit organizations conducting activities intended to improve Trust—devoted to supporting research in medicine and allied the general environment for science. sciences and to maintaining museums and libraries dedicated The Burroughs Wellcome Fund was founded in 1955 as to these fields. Over the decades, the Trust grew to become the corporate foundation of Burroughs Wellcome Co., the U.S. the world’s largest charitable foundation devoted exclusively branch of the Wellcome pharmaceutical enterprise, based in to the biomedical sciences. 4 In 1955, leaders at the Wellcome Trust and Burroughs Board of Directors composed of distinguished scientists and Wellcome Co.-USA envisioned an extension of this effort in business leaders, and our competitive award programs are the United States—and so was born the Burroughs Wellcome guided by advisory committees composed of leading researchers Fund. After nearly four decades as a corporate foundation, and educators. BWF in 1993 received from the Trust a $400 million gift that The importance of curiosity-driven research, as endorsed by enabled us to become a foundation fully independent of the Henry Wellcome, continues to be our guide. Thus, more than Wellcome Trust and the Burroughs Wellcome Co. Though a century after two enterprising American pharmacists set in we are today an independent philanthropy, our history and motion their pioneering partnership, the Burroughs Wellcome joint program activities allow us to maintain productive ties Fund remains committed to the belief that fostering research with the Wellcome Trust. by the best and brightest scientists offers the fullest promise With this increase in assets resulting from the Wellcome for improving human health. Trust endowment, BWF has been able to play a larger role in funding biomedical research, including extending our support into Canada. In carrying out this work, BWF is governed by a 5 President’s Message “Geniuses are ferments; and when they come together, as they have done in certain lands at certain times, the whole population seems to share in the higher energy which they awaken. The effects are incalculable and often not easy to trace in detail, but they are pervasive and momentous.” —William James, 1842-1910 “The most critical and longest-term investment in the Enriqueta C. Bond, Ph.D. research system is the development of career scientists who contribute to the long-term success of the enter- prise through both their own research efforts and their training of future generations of scientists.” —(Institute of Medicine, 1990) These quotes underscore the Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s growth and contributing to security issues now so compelling strategy—crafted by our Board of Directors—to invest in the in the wake of September 11, 2001, and the war with Iraq. career development of scientists early in their careers and to Unfortunately, our sagging economy and the poor perform- support investigators in undervalued or underfunded areas of ance of the stock market have had a critical impact on the funding science. The Fund’s mission is to advance the biomedical sciences climate of the last three years, eroding BWF’s ability to make through the support of research and education. For that reason, additional grants. The financial downturn also forced us to cut the Fund is deeply concerned about the health of the national the number of awards in each program. For the 2003-2004 research enterprise. What should a successful and vibrant research cycle, BWF did not make awards in three programs—Interfaces, environment encompass? We believe a positive environment Translational, and Infectious Diseases—but will fund all three for the biomedical sciences should: programs at previous levels in the 2004-2005 cycle, receiving • Identify and encourage talented individuals to pursue applications in 2004. health research careers Below, I will outline some of the trends in the S&T • Provide stable research support for talented scientists workforce, as well as gaps, and tell you what BWF is doing throughout their careers to address a few targeted S&T workforce needs. • Offer flexibility in allocating resources to foster creativity and meet changing demands Status of the research workforce in the United States • Provide adequate modern laboratories and equipment Trends in the North American S&T workforce have necessary for scientific research and training included: As a fund, we are too small to take on all the components • An increasing number of foreign graduate students of a healthy research enterprise. We are a niche funder mindful • An increase in global competition for talented scientists of the much larger investment the National Institutes of Health • A leaky pipeline that loses science-oriented students and industry make, so we have selected career development as between high school and college graduation our grantmaking flagship: we provide flexible, long-term support • Continued underutilization of minorities (especially that enables young scientists to innovate and take risks. BWF the underrepresentation of Hispanics and African makes grants in the United States and Canada. Both countries Americans in the workforce) recognize that an appropriately trained and configured science • Increasing numbers of women in some fields but not and technology (S&T) workforce is essential to fostering economic in others 6 President’s Message A 2002 publication of the National Science Board estimated The Office
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