Welcome to the Parker B. Francis Fellowship Program website. The PBF Fellowship Program is open to new investigators with M.D. or Ph.D. degrees, or their equivalent, who are embarking on careers in pulmonary science. The program provides three years of support for research under the guidance of an experienced mentor. There were 53 applications from researchers in the U.S. and Canada submitted in October 2009. This past January the PBF Scientific Council selected 10 of these for funding. Each of these PBF Fellows will receive $156,000 in salary support over a three year period, so the total amount awarded to the 2010 PBF Fellows will be more than $1.5 million. We look forward to following the achievements of these and our other PBF Fellows as they conduct their research and develop their careers in pulmonary research.
The Parker B. Francis Fellowship Program has supported over 760 fellows since it began in 1976. Many of these individuals have become prominent investigators and international leaders in pulmonary research. Their work has led to significant new discoveries which have improved the health of patients with a wide range of lung diseases. The 2009 PBF Fellowship Survey showed that over 70% of PBF Fellows continue to have substantial commitments to pulmonary research. On average the graduates of the PBF Fellowship Program have received $60 in scientific research funding for every $1 in fellowship support from the PBF Fellowship Program. Over the life of the program, PBF Fellowship graduates have raised more than $1.8 billion dollars to support scientific research. Their scientific discoveries have been published in top scientific and clinical journals and have benefited patients worldwide. The success of the program reflects the remarkable dedication of the Francis Family Foundation to promoting lung health by developing careers in pulmonary science.
I am honored to have the opportunity to guide this remarkable and important program with the Francis Family Foundation and the Parker B. Francis Fellowship Program Scientific Council. We are grateful for the continuing support of the Francis Family Foundation in promoting careers in pulmonary research.
Sincerely,
Thomas R. Martin, MD
