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The Helen Hay
Whitney Foundation was established and endowed by Mrs. Charles S.
Payson, the former Joan Whitney, in 1947, and named in honor of
her mother, Helen Hay Whitney. Originally established to stimulate
and support research in the area of rheumatic fever and rheumatic
heart disease, the Foundation later expanded its interests to include
diseases of connective tissue and, ultimately, all basic biomedical
sciences.
To attain its ultimate goal of increasing the number of imaginative,
well-trained, and dedicated medical scientists, the Foundation grants
financial support of a three-year duration to young men and women
planning careers in biological or medical research. Under this program,
21 three-year research fellowships are awarded annually, resulting
in a total of 63 outstanding fellowships. Since its inception the
Foundation has awarded over 1,000 research fellowships.
At the organizational meeting of the Fellowship program in 1956,
the newly assembled Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) proposed
to the Trustees that there be an annual 2-3 day meeting of fellows,
scientific advisors, a few selected outside scientists and trustees
(if they wish to attend). The purpose was to provide a forum for
semiformal presentation of ongoing and proposed research by the
fellows before their peers and to allow evaluation by the SAC of
their progress and potential. It was also designed to encourage
free interactions between all the participants. The meeting was
to be held in a secluded,attractive location, with all expenses
paid. This meeting has been held annually, is an integral part of
the Foundation's program and there is much reason to believe it
is successfully serving its intended purposes.
The most critical and long-lasting investment in the research enterprise
is the development of career scientists who contribute through both
their own research and, eventually, their training of future generations
of scientists. Whitney Fellows have gone on to become some of the
most highly regarded medical and scientific professionals in their
respective fields, and have served as mentors to succeeding generations
of scientists. |
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The Helen Hay Whitney Foundation
20 Squadron Boulevard, Suite
630
New City, New York 10956
Phone: 845-639-6799 Fax: 845-639-6798 or 646-304-7133
Email: hhwf@earthlink.net
Unless otherwise noted, all material on this web site is
Copyright 2013© Helen Hay Whitney Foundation. All
rights reserved.
Photographic images Copyright © PhotoDisc, Inc.
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