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HHMI Investigators
There are about 350 Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators who continue to push the bounds of knowledge in many important areas in biomedical research. Widely known for their creativity and productivity, the current group of HHMI investigators includes 13 Nobel laureates and 141 members of the National Academy of Sciences.
HHMI urges its researchers to take risks, to explore unproven avenues, and to embrace the unknown—even if it means uncertainty or the chance of failure. HHMI investigators have made many important research advances—from the discovery of genes related to cystic fibrosis, obesity, high blood pressure, colon cancer, and other diseases to insights about memory, vision, and olfaction.
During periodic, open competitions, the Institute solicits applications from researchers at universities, medical schools, and other research institutions across the United States, with the aim of identifying individuals who have the potential to make significant contributions to science. Once selected, they continue to be based at their institutions—called “host institutions”—typically leading a research group of 10–25 students, postdoctoral associates, and technicians. Because HHMI is classified as a medical research organization under the Internal Revenue Code, HHMI investigators and some of their laboratory personnel are Institute employees, supported by local field offices throughout the country. Appointment is for a five-year term, which may be renewed after an exacting review process.
By appointing scientists as Hughes investigators, rather than awarding them grants for specific research projects, the investigators are provided with long-term, flexible funding that gives them the freedom to explore and, if necessary, to change direction in their research. Moreover, they have support to follow their ideas through to fruition—even if that process takes a very long time.
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