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Armenise Harvard INF-ACT Mid-Career Award: how to apply

ELIGIBILITY AND GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS

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Background

The Giovanni Armenise Harvard Foundation and INF-ACT Foundation plan to offer up to one Armenise-Harvard INF-ACT Mid-Career Award in Unmet Needs on Emerging Infectious Diseases (“AH-INF MCA”) of 150,000 EUR total (75,000 EUR/year for two years) to support basic (and translational) research projects in the field of emerging infectious diseases. The Armenise Harvard Foundation and INF-ACT Foundation share the common goal to support a category of basic scientists, i.e. the Mid-Career researchers, who are currently insufficiently supported, with the common objective to set a new trend and inspire other foundations and private and public institutional donors to help with this critical need.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicants must:

  • be Principal Investigators or Group Leaders, based in Italy, with primary affiliation, at the moment of application, at an institution that either is already part of the INF-ACT network or that agrees to the INF-ACT Hosting Commitment Terms[1] (“Eligible Institute”). According to these terms, institutes that are not already members of the INF-ACT network agree that they will join the network as a partner institute within 60 days after the grant is awarded. A full description of the requirements to become a partner institute of the INF-ACT network can be found here.
  • have been responsible for their independent laboratory (“PI”) for at least five years but no more than 12 years at the time of the application deadline. The calculation of the five and 12 years is made by comparing the date the applicant’s title was conferred[2] to the AH-INF MCA application deadline (i.e. March 31, 2026), so this year the title should have been received no earlier than March 31, 2014 and no later than March 31, 2021. Please note: when determining eligibility, the actual elapsed time since the award of the title as PI can be reduced in the following properly documented circumstances. For maternity, the actual elapsed time since the award of the title will be considered reduced by 18 months for each child born during the time after having received the title of PI. For paternity, the actual elapsed time since the award of the title will be considered reduced by the documented amount of paternity leave actually taken for each child born during the time after having received the title. For long-term illness, clinical training, or national service, the actual elapsed time since the award of the title will be considered reduced by the documented amount of leave actually taken by the applicant for each incident which occurred after receiving the title of PI.
  • have obtained their PhD no more than 20 years before the date of the application deadline. The calculation of the 20 years is made by comparing the date the first PhD degree was conferred to the AH-INF MCA application deadline (i.e. March 31, 2026), so this year the degree should have been received no earlier than March 31, 2006. Please note: when determining eligibility, the actual elapsed time since the award of the first PhD can be reduced in the following properly documented circumstances. For maternity, the actual elapsed time since the award of the first PhD will be considered reduced by 18 months for each child born during PhD study or after the PhD award. For paternity, the actual elapsed time since the award of the first PhD will be considered reduced by the documented amount of paternity leave actually taken for each child born during PhD study or after the PhD award. For long-term illness, clinical training, or national service, the actual elapsed time since the award of the first PhD will be considered reduced by the documented amount of leave actually taken by the applicant for each incident which occurred after the PhD award.
  • have demonstrated their ability to secure research funding (i.e., through competitive grants or fellowships) as Principal Investigators.
  • have published more than one research paper as last/corresponding or co-last/corresponding author (without the PI’s post-doc supervisor) since becoming a PI.
  • be based primarily in Italy at one Eligible Institute. In cases in which the PI has multiple affiliations and positions, the PI must spend at least 80% of her/his time in the Italian Host Institute during the grant period, if awarded
  • must have less than Euro 100.000/year of secured external funding for the next 24 months (i.e., from March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2028), as of the application deadline (“Maximum External Grant”). PIs who have more than the Maximum External Grant are NOT eligible to apply to this program.
[1] As provided under the requested document  9 (5) below.
[2] If your institute uses a different career development system, as reference, please use the date in which you were awarded your first grant/award as Principal Investigator.

Projects

The proposed research projects should be focused on Unmet Needs on Emerging Infectious Diseases, specifically in one of the following areas:

  1. Emerging and re-emerging viral diseases (with a focus on respiratory viruses and zoonotic viruses);
  2. Arthropod vectors and vector-borne pathogens (with a focus on VBDs and associated vectors most at risk of expanding or emerging in Italy, such as arboviruses);
  3. Diseases sustained by bacteria and fungi resistant to multiple antibiotics (AMR, with a focus on the molecular mechanisms of MDR);
  4. Integrated one health epidemiology (man, animal and man-animal), monitoring and mathematical models;
  5. Development of new therapeutic treatment strategies (identification of molecular targets, generation of small molecule libraries for drug discovery, testing of lead compounds and their optimization).

Please note that clinical research is NOT supported by this award; only proposals for basic or translational research will be considered. The project can be either a new research direction or a new part of a large ongoing program. In both cases, the applicant must provide specific aims of the research project and a budget showing current and/or pending support (if applicable).

FUNDING

  • Funds will be dispersed at a rate of 75,000 EUR per year for two years (150,000 EUR total).
  • Funds can cover direct costs for salaries for fixed-term technicians, junior scientists, and research supplies. Funds can also cover specialized equipment not normally available at the Host Institute.
  • The Host Institute must provide the applicant’s salary and the facilities, equipment, infrastructure, and administrative support necessary to carry out the proposed research.
  • Funds can NOT be used to cover either indirect costs (e.g., hosting institution general utilities) or overheads.

CHANGES IN STATUS OF THE AWARDEE

  • If after the AH-INF MCA is awarded, the recipient moves from Italy before completion of the grant period, the remaining award will be forfeited and returned to INF-ACT.
  • If the award recipient wishes to change the host institute before taking up or during the grant, the original grant may be forfeited. This circumstance would be handled on an individual basis.
  • Please be aware that any change in status of the recipient must be communicated promptly to the Armenise Harvard Foundation and INF-ACT Foundation. The Armenise Harvard Foundation and INF-ACT reserve the right to terminate the AH-INF MCA should the time and effort dedicated to the AH-INF MCA-sponsored project be deemed inappropriate.
  • Please note that failure to disclose change of status may result in the loss of the AH-INF MCA and repayment of prior funds.

REPORTING AND OTHERS

  • The award recipient will be expected to provide an annual progress report, including a financial report and a brief summary of their research activity, and a final report upon completion of the award.
  • INF-ACT Foundation and the Giovanni Armenise Harvard Foundation should both be acknowledged in all publications emanating from the research carried out during the award period using the following statement: “This research was supported by the Giovanni Armenise Harvard Foundation – INF-ACT Foundation Mid-Career Grant (AH-INF MCA 2026).”

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

March 31, 2026 (11:59pm EDT)

NOTE:

Applicants should note that short-listed candidates will be required to attend a remote interview in the first week of June, 2026. The interview will include a presentation of the candidate’s work and proposal, of no more than 15-20 minutes, in addition to an informal dialogue about the candidate’s aspirations as well as Q&A.

WARNING

FAILURE TO DISCLOSE ALL-INCLUSIVE AND ACCURATE INFORMATION IN THE APPLICATION WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE DISQUALIFICATION. SHOULD THE MISREPRESENTATION EMERGE AFTER THE AH-INF MCA AWARD IS RECEIVED, THE GIOVANNI ARMENISE HARVARD FOUNDATION AND INF-ACT FOUNDATION RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REVOKE THE AWARD AND TO ENFORCE THE OBLIGATION OF THE AWARDEE TO REIMBURSE IN FULL THE FUNDS ALREADY RECEIVED.  THIS MAY BE INVOKED AT ANY TIME. BY SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION, YOU GUARANTEE THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE IS EXHAUSTIVE AND TRUE AND THAT YOU ACCEPT THE CONDITIONS ABOVE.

INSTRUCTIONS

All application documents must be typed using a 12pt font, with double-spaced pages and one-inch margins on each side (excluding Bibliography and Images). Please put your name in the title of each pdf document (e.g. MillerL CV.pdf, MillerL Publications.pdf, etc.) and the document title, date, and page number in the header or footer of each separate document.

The application consists of several elements, some of which need to be uploaded, while others must be emailed. Click on “Application Form” below to begin the application process. Please have everything ready before you start.

  1. Application Form: complete all information requested. At the end of the form you will be prompted to upload the following  documents (#2 to #8) in pdf format
  2. Curriculum Vitae all affiliations and positions, and the list of publications since becoming Principal Investigator or Group Leader (i.e. responsible for your own laboratory). Please make sure to specify also the exact date of your PhD (MM/DD/YYYY) and the exact date of your initial appointment as Principal Investigator or Group Leader (MM/DD/YYYY).
  3. Description of selected publications: a document listing up to four research papers published since the applicant became a PI, including a short explanation (maximum 500 characters including spaces per publication) of the significance of the selected publications, the role of the applicant in producing each of them, how these publications demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to successfully carry out and lead their proposed project, and/or a short explanation of the importance of the listed examples of significant peer recognition.
  4. List of Grants:  list all grants received since becoming Principal Investigator or Group Leader, specifying amount/year, duration and role within the funded project. Specify if grants are ongoing or concluded. Please indicate also the number of grant applications you have submitted as PI in the last 24 months prior to the deadline (including unsuccessful applications, as well as those pending publication of results).
  5. Proof of eligibility: specify the yearly secured external funds for the next 24 months, as of the application deadline, indicating the name and amount of the grant and the title of the associated projects. This document must be on the Host Institute’s letterhead and signed by the relevant administrator.
  6. Synopsis: description of the previous research and an abstract of the proposed project (not to exceed one, double-spaced page with a one-inch margin on each side, excluding bibliography). The proposed project should be for research to be accomplished over a period of two years.
  7. Scientific Proposal: This should be described in English in sufficient detail to enable the review committee to appraise it. A level of detail typical of a scientific journal article is appropriate. The narrative should not exceed five pages (double-spaced with one-inch margins on each side, excluding bibliography and images). Include the following sections:
    1. Introduction: a brief summary of preliminary work or other background.
    2. Objectives: a description of what is to be accomplished over two years, including an explanation of why the candidate considers this important for the advancement of this scientific area.
    3. Scope of Research: a summary of the design and methodologies to be applied, and experimental plan.
  8. Budget: a detailed budget (including assumptions) of the project outlined per the above (7), including:
    • Fixed-term personnel to be recruited specifically for the project. Possible options will depend on the host institution. Please note that AH-INF MCA funds can be used exclusively to cover personnel costs during the grant period, hence contracts with extended duration should be covered by co-funding from the applicant or from the applicant’s host institution.
    • Equipment and supplies.
    • Travel and meeting costs.
    • Personnel: Funds can cover salaries for fixed-term technicians and junior scientists. Please note the funds cannot cover the applicant’s salary.
    • Please note that the AH-INF MCA cannot include indirect costs and/or overhead costs.
  9. Letter from Host Institute: the letter should include the following information at minimum:
    1.  Indicate the continuing support to the applicant.
    2. Illustrate the plan, next steps, and the timeline of the applicant’s career development at the Host Institute.
    3. Confirm that the institution/department is willing to take on the administrative responsibilities involved in accepting the grant and furthering the applicant’s career.
    4. Confirm that the Host Institute and the applicant are in complete agreement as to the terms indicated in this letter and in the application.
    5. If the institute is not already a member of the INF-ACT network, the letter must include as attachment the signed Hosting Commitment Terms (hereby available to download). A full description of the requirements of becoming a partner institute of the INF-ACT network can be found here.

The Letter from Host  Institute is considered a binding commitment of the Host Institute, in partnership with Giovanni Armenise Harvard Foundation and INF-ACT Foundation, to further the career development of the grantee. Furthermore, the Host Institute, if not already a member, confirms it will join the INF-ACT network having agreed to the Hosting Commitment Terms.

On-line applications can be submitted between January 1 and March 31, 2026. It will not be possible to submit an application for 2026 later than March 31, 2026, 11.59pm EDT. Only applications that are complete and fully compliant with the instructions will be considered. You should receive an email confirming that your application has been delivered successfully. If you do not receive a confirmation, please send an email to Daniel Bate (email address below).

If you have any questions concerning this application or the program, please contact: