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Rosenblith New Investigator Award
The purpose of this award is to bring new, creative investigators into active research on the health effects of air pollution. It provides three years of funding for a small project relevant to HEI’s research interests to a new investigator with outstanding promise at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level. Please refer to the Funding Opportunities on how to apply.
Walter Rosenblith
This award is named for Professor Walter A. Rosenblith (1913-2002), who served as the first Chair of HEI's Research Committee (from 1980 to 1989) and as a member of the HEI Board of Directors from 1990 to 1996. Professor Rosenblith's vision of science and standard of excellence enabled HEI to quickly develop a strong scientific program. At his urging, HEI developed a program that not only funds research that would contribute needed scientific information for regulation, but also research to strengthen the fundamental science related to environmental issues. Professor Rosenblith supported activities intended to attract people engaged in more basic scientific research so that they might bring new tools and new ideas to environmental questions.
Eligibility Requirements
Scientists of any nationality holding a PhD, ScD, MD, DVM, or DrPH degree or equivalent are eligible to apply. At the time of application the candidate should have two to seven years of research experience after obtaining the highest degree and must be at the Assistant Professor level or equivalent at an academic or research institution. Evidence that the candidate's institution is prepared to make a tangible commitment to helping the awardee become established as an independent investigator is required as part of the application. Candidates should possess outstanding research potential. Evidence of this potential, in the form of written letters of support and the candidate’s publication record, is an essential part of the application materials and will be valued equally with the scientific proposal.
Please note that an applicant who does not meet all eligibility requirements will not be considered for this award. HEI will not review applications from individuals with more than seven years research experience after obtaining the highest degree. Time spent on non-research activities, such as medical residencies without a research component, may be excluded, however. Applicants should contact HEI to discuss their eligibility.
Evaluation Process
HEI expects to provide one or more awards from this RFA each year, depending on available funding and the number and quality of applications. The evaluation process considers the qualifications and background of the applicant, the quality and relevance of the research proposal, and the research environment of the applicant. Please contact Dr. Eleanne van Vliet if you have questions. For the full text of the Award please refer to the Funding Opportunities page.
List of Awardees
1999. Francesca Dominici, Johns Hopkins University, Air pollution and daily mortality in a national sampling frame
2001. Quanxin Meng, Battelle Toxicology Northwest, Mutagenicity of stereochemical configurations of 1,3-butadiene epoxy metabolites in human cells
2002. James Schauer, University of Wisconsin, Source apportionment and speciation of particulate matter to support exposure and health studies
2003. Michael Borchers, University of Cincinnati, T cell subpopulations regulate airway inflammation and injury following acrolein exposures
2004. Michelle Bell, Yale University. Assessment of the mortality effects of particulate matter characteristics
2004. Michaela Kendall, Uludag University, Turkey, Molecular adsorption at PM surfaces: a compelling PM toxicity mediation mechanism
2005. Jonathan Levy, Harvard School of Public Health, Using geographic information systems to evaluate heterogeneity in indoor and outdoor concentrations of particle constituents
2005. Timothy Nurkiewicz, West Virginia University, Pulmonary particulate matter exposure and systemic microvascular function
2006. Christopher Paciorek, Harvard School of Public Health, Integrating monitoring and satellite data to retrospectively estimate monthly PM2.5 concentrations in the eastern United States
2006. Qunwei Zhang, University of Louisville, Activation of endothelial cells and gene expression in lungs following exposure to ultrafine particles
2007. Charles Stanier, University of Iowa, Development and application of a personal exposure screening model for size-resolved urban aerosols
2007. Yifang Zhu, Texas A&M University—Kingsville, Assessing children's exposure to ultrafine particles from vehicular emissions
2008. Thomas Barker, Georgia Institute of Technology, Extracellular matrix stiffness associated with pulmonary fibrosis sensitizes alveolar epithelial cells
2008. Jiu-Chiuan Chen, University of Southern California, Particulate air pollutants, risk of cognitive disorders, and neuropathology in the elderly
2010. Jun Wu, University of California—Irvine, Adverse reproductive health outcomes and exposures to gaseous and particulate matter air pollution in pregnant women
2011. Juana Maria Delgado-Saborit, University of Birmingham, UK, Use of real-time sensors to assess misclassification and to identify main sources contribution to peak and chronic exposures
2011. Richard Peltier, University of Massachusetts—Amherst, Development of a new method for measurement of reactive oxygen species associated with PM2.5 exposure
2012. Jason Surratt, University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, Understanding the health effects of isoprene-derived particulate matter enhanced by anthropogenic pollutants
2013. Nga Lee (Sally) Ng, Georgia Institute of Technology, Composition and oxidative properties of particulate matter mixtures: Effects of particle phase state, acidity, and transition metals
2014. Lydia Contreras, University of Texas—Austin, Understanding the impact of air quality on the changing chemistry of Regulatory Nucleic Acids
2015. Kymberly Gowdy, East Carolina University, Scavenger receptor B1 regulates oxidized lipid driven pulmonary and vascular inflammation after ozone exposure
2016. Monica Guxens, ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain, Air Pollution, Autism spectrum disorders, and brain imaging amongst CHildren in Europe – the APACHE project
2017. Joshua Apte, University of Texas–Austin, Scalable multi-pollution exposure assessment using routine mobile monitoring platforms.
2017. Marie Pedersen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Impact of exposure to air pollution on asthma; A multi-exposure assessment.
2018. Manabu Shiraiwa, University of California–Irvine, Formation of reactive oxygen species by organic aerosols and transition metals in epithelial lining fluid.
2019. Tanya Alderete, University of Colorado–Boulder, Air pollutants and the gut microbiota and metabolome during early life: Implications for childhood obesity.
2019. Megan Herting, University of Southern California, Air pollution exposure and prefrontal connectivity in early adolescence.