Applications Open for $1M Magee Prize

PITTSBURGH – Continuing its mission to transform the lives of women and their communities through science, Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI) announces a call for proposals for its $1 million Magee Prize, which will support a collaborative team whose groundbreaking research in reproductive sciences and women’s health could improve lives globally.

The prestigious award, funded by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, serves as the centerpiece of the triennial Magee-Womens Summit, which will be held in May 2021. The Magee Prize is among the largest grants of its kind in women’s health that is awarded by a non-government institution.

“The second awarding of the Magee Prize builds on the foundation that was established at the inaugural Summit in 2018,” said Yoel Sadovsky, M.D., executive director of MWRI. “Science is hope: hope built from inspiring ideas and collaborations of those who recognize that healthy women hold the key to healthier families, healthier communities, and, ultimately, a healthier world.”

The international Summit, which will take place both in person in Pittsburgh and virtually to audiences worldwide on May 26-27, 2021, will bring together scientific and clinical innovators from around the world.

Like the Summit, the Prize is designed to ignite the imagination of world-class minds and inspire new ideas to address intractable problems in women’s health and reproductive biology. The winners of the 2021 Prize will be selected based on innovative and collaborative research in this field. The application should center on a novel basic science, translational biology, clinical or health services research project and should not fit a traditional National Institutes of Health funding mechanism. 

Through the Prize, MWRI intends to catalyze new research initiatives and transdisciplinary collaborations to enhance the health and wellness of women and infants worldwide. 

The Magee Prize was awarded at the inaugural Magee-Womens Summit in October 2018 to Drs. Yaacov Barak of MWRI, Myriam Hemberger of the University of Calgary, and Henry Sucov of the Medical University of South Carolina. Their research into the connection between genetic abnormalities of the placenta and heart defects in the fetus is intended to identify possible interventions that could treat or prevent congenital heart disease.

“The Magee Prize speaks directly to what MWRI researchers are dedicated to doing every day: changing the lives of women for the better, from single genes to entire communities,” said Michael Annichine, chief executive officer of MWRI. “We are proud to serve as a catalyst for the discoveries that not only support the work of scientists dedicated to this cause, but also bring those discoveries closer to reality for people around the world. Our partnership with the Richard King Mellon Foundation goes beyond the Summit — they’ve provided over $15 million in funding supporting our infant mortality research projects.” 

The Magee Prize is awarded to an interdisciplinary collaboration between MWRI scientists and researchers anywhere in the world, from any relevant biological discipline, with funding support for 2 to 3 years.

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