Student Prize available for asthma research

Applications are now open for the Picchi Brothers Foundation Prize for Excellence in Asthma Research (Closing date: 19 February 2020)

Two prizes of $10,000 will be awarded in 2020 to an eligible current or recent Masters by Research or PhD degree student in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne.

Please read more about the Prize, Eligibility and Application below.

About

The Picchi Brothers Foundation and The University of Melbourne are pleased to announce the launch of a new student prize. The Picchi Brothers Foundation Prize for Excellence in Asthma Research. The $10,000 prize will be awarded in 2018, 2019 and 2020 to an eligible current or recent Masters by Research or PhD degree student of the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.

Eligibility

Applicants must be:

  • currently enrolled Masters by Research or PhD degree student of the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences;

OR

  • a recent Masters by Research or PhD degree graduate of the Faculty who has graduated in an area directly relevant to asthma within 'two years prior to each year’s application closing date' (career interruptions should be specified).

AND

  • have submitted and presented an original abstract to a scientific meeting or submitted a full paper for publication
  • be responsible for the major components of the research

Benefits

Two prizes of $10,000 will be awarded to an eligible current or recent Masters by Research or PhD degree student of the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.

Disclaimer: The benefit amount for this award is approximate. It will be confirmed at the time of awarding and determined by the committee according to the terms of the award.

Selection

The selection committee will assess applicants for the Prize based on:

  1. Scientific Quality (50%)
  2. Significance and Innovation (25%)
  3. Career development of applicant (25%)

Application

Applicants are required to submit the following documents as one PDF by email to pharmacology-info@unimelb.edu.au

  • A copy of the original conference abstract or published journal article
  • The abstract of the scholar’s M-RES, M Phil, Doctoral Thesis or an expanded abstract of the work to be considered (2-page maximum)
  • A  track record including career disruptions (2-page maximum)
  • Publications for the preceding 5 years

The selection committee will use these materials to assess and rank applicants. They may also conduct interviews with applicants to best support clear and transparent selection processes.

Deadline

Please submit your applications by close of business on Wednesday 19 February 2020 to pharmacology-info@unimelb.edu.au.

Enquiries

Enquiries via email to: pharmacology-info@unimelb.edu.au

More information

Special Conditions

The recipient must agree to be profiled in University of Melbourne and Picchi Brothers Foundation Inc’s publications and websites.

Previous winner (2018)

Dr  Alexandria Driessen, was the Picchi Brothers Foundation Prize for Excellence in Asthma Research inaugural recipient in 2018.

Alexandria completed her PhD in 2018 investigating novel neural mechanisms involved in the symptoms associated with asthma and other respiratory diseases. Her research was supervised by Professor Stuart Mazzone, who leads the Mazzone laboratory (Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience) in respiratory sensory neuroscience, internationally renowned for its work in cough and respiratory sensation.

"I am incredibly appreciative and grateful for the opportunity that the Picchi Brothers Foundation prize afforded me," Alexandria says.

The prize gave Ally the freedom to continue working on her research while her PhD thesis was being assessed. It decreased the stress associated with having to find an interim position between applying for post-doctoral positions.

"This time allowed me to publish a sole author review that was accepted in the journal Frontiers of Physiology and a first author primary research article that is under revision at the Journal of Physiology. These achievements strengthened my curriculum virtue and positioned me to gain employment as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University. They also significantly enhance my chances for independent funding in the future."

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