How is appointment as an HHMI investigator different from receiving a research grant from the National Institutes of Health or another funding source?
By employing investigators and providing direct administrative support to its laboratories, HHMI engages in the direct conduct of research rather than providing funding that is administered by grantee institutions. In addition, the “people, not projects” principle means that investigators’ five-year appointments ensure long-term funding with no requirement of annual reports or renewals. Investigators are thus free to follow their scientific instincts and to pursue new opportunities as soon as they arise. Investigators have the freedom to explore and, if necessary, to change the direction of their research—sometimes dramatically. Moreover, they have support to follow their ideas through to fruition—even if that process takes a very long time.
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