Young Investigator Award

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The Institut Mérieux has been committed for many years in the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and improvement of antibiotic stewardship.

The Institut Mérieux has been committed for many years in the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and improvement of antibiotic stewardship. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health issue worldwide and this aligns with the mandate of NIMR to conduct research into health problems in Nigeria with a focus on Communicable Diseases of Public Health importance in the country.

The Institute Merieux in partnership with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research will provide an incentive for promising young investigators working in the field of AMR in Nigeria by financing research based on the provision of grants and awards to enable high value-added research projects to be conducted.

The focus is on researchers or clinicians at the beginning of their career in recognition of a major achievement having significant impact on the handling of AMR and more globally on infectious disease diagnostics.

Young Investigator Award – 2021

Institut Mérieux and Nigerian Institute of Medical Research have decided to allocate in 2021 a joint Young Investigator Award of 10,000 €, that will be given to the laureate during NIMR Annual Scientific Conference.

Selection criteria

Investigators/applicants are current researchers serving in a hospital or in a relevant research institution on a full time basis as infectious disease clinician, clinical or molecular microbiologist or epidemiologist.

With 10 or less than 10 years of clinical practice experience or 5 to 10 years of working experience in microbiology after their postgraduate qualification.

Involved and made significant contribution to infectious disease diagnostics, AMR research and/or patient management with a national impact.
Indicators of impact could be either publication(s) in prominent international journals and / or implementation of guidelines / protocols having led to significant improvements in the following areas.
- Antimicrobial resistance control.
- Development of new tools / approach in controlling antimicrobial resistance.

Adoption of an innovative approach in patient management for controlling antimicrobial resistance.
Any actions having led to improved control / reduction of hospital acquired infection rate.

Selection process and Conditions.

Applications for the award should reach the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research on or before Midnight of Wednesday, 30^th June, 2021.

For the award, please submit the following through email to younginvestigatoraward@nimr.gov.ng.
- Full name of nominee and contact information (email address and phone number)
- A brief CV of Nominee (3 pages maximum) detailing the professional history of the nominee, including a list of maximum 15 publications.
- Two pages description of research and / or clinical projects the young researchers have performed which could be considered for the award. Attaching substantiating evidence such as publication of the nominees work is encouraged.
- Three pages description of ongoing and future research undertaken by the applicant in the field of AMR and/or infectious disease diagnostics
- A recommendation letter from the host institution where the nominee is working at the time of application.

Members of Young Investigator Award committee of NIMR will assess the applications and choose two to three suitable applications, which will be forwarded to the scientific board of Institut Mérieux with their recommendations for the selection of the laureate. The Institut Mérieux keeps the possibility not to allocate any award if none of the proposal is meeting minimum qualification for the award.

Institut Mérieux will notify NIMR the name of the laureate for the year 2021. NIMR will organize an award ceremony during its annual conference to be held in November, 2021.