Ri.MED Foundation

Call for applications for the assignment of
12 Fellowships for training and research activities
in the field of Biotechnologies and Biomedicine
(Ref. Ri.MED – Ric/08)

The Ri.MED Foundation was created in 2006 after an international partnership between the Italian Government, the Region of Sicily, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) with the mission to improve public health in Sicily and worldwide.

The Foundation focuses on supporting the economic wealth creating job opportunities and promoting basic and translational research.

The Foundation will contribute to developing the industry of biotechnologies in Sicily with the creation of the Biomedical Research and Biotechnology Center (BRBC) that will promote new therapies, biological products, and diagnostic tests obtained by means of basic scientific research.

In the scope of the scientific program leading to the creation of the BRBC, the Ri.MED Foundation is calling for applications for the assignment of twelve (12) one-year fellowships (which may be renewed in one- year increments) based on qualifications and interviews.

The selected candidates will perform their training and research activities at the laboratories of the University of Pittsburgh in the fields of Structural Biology, Computational Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmaceutical Research, Vaccine Development, Tissue Engineering/Regenerative Medicine, Biomedical Devices, Nanotechnology Development, Molecular Imaging, and other related areas.

Eligible fellowship candidates must meet the following requirements: Degree in Medicine and Surgery and State certification or scientific PhD degree related to biomedical research already achieved or to be obtained in 2008, with no more than two years of post-PhD research. Also required: excellent (spoken/written) English proficiency and good knowledge of main software applications. Preferred titles: previous research experience in the aforementioned areas.

Candidates of both sexes (Law 903/77) are requested to submit the following documents in English, preferably via email at selezione02@fondazionerimed.com, or via regular mail, no later than July 15, 2008:

• application request;
• CV with a list of publications, and authorization to process personal data (Law Decree 196/2003);
• motivation letter and description of research interests;
• two reference letters (one by degree/PhD dissertation supervisor, one by a non-supervisor researcher/professor)
• no more than 5 original peer-reviewed publications.

Selections will take place over the following 12 months. Applications will be evaluated by a Scientific Committee chaired by Prof. Arthur Levine. The Scientific Committee may summon candidates on the basis of submitted documentation. The resolutions of the Scientific Committee are unappealable.
The Foundation reserves the right to perform a more widespread evaluation of the candidates’ eligibility. The submitted documentation will not be returned.

Fellowship awardees will perform training and research activities in the scope of the Programs developed by the University of Pittsburgh, under the supervision of an assigned tutor. Upon completion of training and research activities, fellows will be required to draft a detailed report illustrating the activity performed.

Ri.MED Foundation Fellowships are neither cumulative, nor compatible with any other conferred research fellowship, grant or contribution, or work activity, or other activity that may contrast the execution of the training and research period, unless otherwise authorized by the Foundation. By no means does the training and research activity performed at the University of Pittsburgh represent an employment contract.

The Foundation reserves the right to disclose selection results. Bursars may disclose them independently only upon authorization by the Scientific Committee of the Foundation.

Ri.MED Foundation – Piazza Sett’Angeli 10, 90134 Palermo.