The new fellowship program will add measurably to NCCAM's ongoing training activities by sponsoring outstanding research fellows to work in its Division of Intramural Research (DIR), based at the NIH in Bethesda, MD. A selection committee comprising leaders from the CAM and scientific communities will choose the recipient of the fellowship from a highly competitive international pool of applicants. Applicants must possess an M.D., D.O., Ph.D., D.C., D.M.D., N.D., D.V.M., or other equivalent degree, and have a record of excellence and promise in clinical and/or laboratory-based research -- preferably related to CAM.

"This prestigious new fellowship is made possible by a generous donation from the Prince of Wales Foundation to which we are grateful for its vision and support," said Stephen E. Straus, M.D., NCCAM Director. "The fellowship constitutes an important new mechanism by which NCCAM can recruit and train the next generation of leaders in CAM research," said Straus.

"Although this new fellowship presents us with an outstanding opportunity, NCCAM continues to recruit and support research fellows to the DIR through traditional NIH and non-NIH funding mechanisms," said Marc R. Blackman, M.D., Scientific Director of the DIR at NCCAM.

The primary goal of the training program is to prepare the fellow for a career as an independent CAM investigator. The fellowship includes full salary, benefits, professional travel, and research support for 2 to 3 years. The fellow will undertake clinical, translational, and/or laboratory research in NCCAM's DIR. The DIR provides state-of-the-art research facilities as well as access to the extensive clinical research infrastructure of the NIH Clinical Center.

The Prince of Wales Foundation opened its Washington, DC, offices in 1997. It distributes funding each year to benefit a wide range of causes throughout the world, including supporting research in CAM and integrative health care.

For more information about the fellowship, applicants should contact:

Christopher Baron
Human Resources Specialist
Office of Human Resources, NIH
31 Center Drive, Room 2C12
Bethesda, MD 20892
Email: Baronch@mail.nih.gov

The deadline for receipt of applications is November 24, 2003.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training CAM researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals. For additional information, call NCCAM's Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226 or visit the NCCAM Web site at www.nccam.nih.gov.