The Young Investigator Award is offered each year by the Biomedical Engineering Society to stimulate research careers in biomedical engineering. The nomination form can be downloaded in pdf form by clicking here.

This award was changed in 1999 to the Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award to honor the BMES former Executive Director, Rita Schaffer, who passed away in 1998 and left her estate to BMES. The Young Investigator Award recipient will present a 20-minute Rita Schaffer Memorial Lecture during the BMES Annual Fall Meeting.

The $1000 award and plaque are presented at the BMES Annual Fall Meeting to the young investigator whose originality and ingenuity in a published work were recognized by the Awards Committee. Travel expenses up to $1,000 and meeting registration fee will be provided.

Conditions:

1. The award is in recognition of a high level of originality and ingenuity in a scientific work in biomedical engineering. The awardee must be within 5 years of receiving his or her highest degree.

2. Applications must include the candidate's curriculum vitae (10 page max) and confidential letters by two recognized authorities in the field of the work, neither of whom is associated with the institution at which the work was completed nor a co-author on the paper, attesting to the significance of the investigation described in the manuscript.

3. Because selection of the awardee will largely be based on the review of a published paper describing original work, if the candidate is not the sole author of the manuscript, she/he must be the first author and the manuscript must be accompanied by a letter from the co-authors attesting to the significance of the investigation described in the manuscript.

4. Manuscripts must have been published, or accepted for publication, in a peer-reviewed journal not more than 2 years prior to the date of nomination.

5. The awardee is expected to both present the Rita Schaffer Memorial Lecture and to accept the Award in person at the BMES Annual Fall Meeting.

6. Applicants must be members of current BMES before the time of submission.

Please submit manuscripts (electronically, .pdf preferred), curriculum vitae (maximum 10 pages), and the letters described above by June 1 to: BMES, Awards Chair, 8401 Corporate Drive, Suite 140, Landover, MD 20785-2224.