Advancing Biomedical Research
Longtime HHMI Investigator Bonnie Bassler describes how HHMI support has pushed forward her research on how bacteria communicate – and the field of bacteriology as a whole.
How We Advance Science – People, Not Projects
HHMI invests in scientific thought leaders, emerging research pioneers, and students who aspire to be tomorrow’s scientific innovators. The following four principles infuse our programs and come to life in the stories of our people.
Freedom to Explore
Innovation requires a willingness to take risks. We make big bets on bold thinking, giving our scientists and educators freedom to follow their instincts and apply creative approaches to hard problems.
Building Community
Hard problems are best confronted by problem-solvers who bring different perspectives to the challenge. We seek out talented people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines and encourage collaborations among people and institutions.
Taking the Long View
Scientific breakthroughs often emerge only after decades of research on very basic questions, driven by scientists’ curiosity about how living things work. Taking the long view also means inspiring and nurturing the next generation of scientific explorers.
A Standard of Excellence
Investing in the best people requires rigorous selection and continuous evaluation. We expect our scientists and educators to accomplish goals not possible without our support, and we submit our programs to similarly high standards.
