Limited submission opportunity: 2018 Moore Inventor Fellows

Vanderbilt anticipates the opportunity to nominate up to two candidates for the Moore Inventor Fellows competition. The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation aims to support inventions at an early stage that could lead to proof-of-concept work or advance an existing prototype that tackles an important problem in the areas of scientific research, environmental conservation or patient care. Each fellow will receive a total of $675,000 over three years.

Eligibility criteria:

  • Must be within 10 years of receiving advanced terminal degree (M.S., Ph.D. or M.D.)
  • Must be faculty, research scientists, postdocs, or other full-time staff
  • May come from a broad array of disciplines, including, but not limited to, environmental science and conservation, oceanography, biology, engineering, physics, chemistry, materials science, neurosciences, public health, rehabilitation sciences and gerontology

Inventors will be evaluated by their demonstrated creative potential and technical ability for the proposed line of work. Inventions will be evaluated based on their importance in the area of interest, the need for funding to achieve rapid success, and the plausibility of achieving stated impact. See the list of previous recipients.

Anyone interested in being considered as one of Vanderbilt’s nominees must submit the following (in PDF format) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5 p.m. on Nov. 16, 2017: 

  • Statement of invention (no more than two pages, including citations; single-spaced, 12-point font and one-inch margins). The first paragraph should describe clearly and without jargon the invention, the problem it seeks to address, and its potential impact. The statement of invention should also include the following information:

1. Description of invention
2. Importance in the area of science, environmental conservation, or patient care and experience
3. Stage of invention
4. Current funding
5. Feasibility
6. Approach for measuring progress during the grant term

  • Budget narrative that outlines how grant funds will be used (one page)
  • CV of nominee (two pages)

Submissions should reference the program name in the subject line of the email.

Please contact us at LSO@vanderbilt.edu if you have any questions about the program, foundation or internal review process.