Call for Candidates for the Jay A. Levy Endowed Professorship in Virology
The UCSF Chancellor has established the Jay A. Levy Endowed Professorship in Virology under the UCSF School of Medicine to be administered by the UCSF AIDS Research Institute (ARI). The Professorship honors Dr. Jay A. Levy, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Medicine and former director of the Laboratory for Tumor and AIDS Virus Research at UCSF. In his early work, Dr. Levy discovered xenotropic viruses that introduced a new paradigm in virology. In 1983 he independently discovered the AIDS virus, HIV, which he originally called the AIDS-associated retrovirus (ARV). He pioneered heat-treatment studies that demonstrated how to heat-inactivate HIV in clotting factor preparations. Dr. Levy is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Microbiology. He was given the Award of Distinction by the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). As a scientist, he is bold, innovative and a risk-taker. As a leader in academia, he has been and is a generous mentor and collaborator to many, and is devoted to doing science that helps others.
The ARI and search committee are seeking applications from candidates who are interested in being considered for the Jay A. Levy Endowed Professorship. Please see below for further details.
Eligibility Criteria
1. Primary Appointment at UCSF (not at affiliated institutions, e.g., Gladstone or Vitalant)
2. Working as a Virologist (defined as working with viruses in the lab), not confined to HIV
3. UCSF Faculty through Early Full Professor (Step 3 or below)
4. Not currently receiving >$50k/year in endowed support (defined as non-renewable, ongoing support)
We encourage any candidates who think they may be eligible to consider applying as the committee is interested in considering a broad pool of applicants. Questions about eligibility can be directed to Lauren Sterling ([email protected]).
Award Amount and Period
The amount of the award is variable depending on the payout of the endowment on an annual basis (we expect the final annual amount as the endowment matures to be about $60-70,000 per year). The Professorship will be awarded for an initial 10 year period, with reevaluations every 10 years. The award cannot be transferred outside of UCSF.
Timeline
Activity Date
Request for Applications distributed: August 21, 2024
Applications Due: Friday, September 27, 2024, 5p
Notification of Award + Disbursement of Funds: Late November/Early December 2024
Application Instructions
Applications should be submitted in a single PDF file by email to [email protected] by the candidate by 5p Friday, September 27, 2024, and should include the following items:
- Cover letter with the following components (maximum 2 pages)
- An outline of the candidate’s qualifications as a virologist
- A description of the candidate’s research program and impact
- A listing of any other endowed support currently provided to the candidate
- A description of the candidate’s UCSF appointment and any other institutional affiliation(s) or appointment(s)
- Current UCSF CV for the applicant
Review Criteria
Applications will be reviewed by the SOM Dean’s appointed committee and will be assessed on the following review criteria:
- The candidate’s existing and anticipated scholarly contributions in virology
- The candidate’s potential to have a positive impact on virology research at UCSF
- The extent to which the candidate embodies the spirit of Jay Levy as a researcher and mentor (e.g., bold, innovative, with an impact both in the laboratory and beyond)
Reporting and Evaluation Requirements
After each 10 years of funding, the Jay A. Levy Endowed Professor in Virology will be reassessed by the ARI leadership to confirm that the awardee has contributed to Virology research at UCSF. The Endowed Professor will be responsible for submitting their current CV and a brief letter every 10 years that provides an update on their contributions. The ARI Leadership Committee will review the CV and letter and determine whether the funding will continue.
Fund Use Guidelines
Payout from the Professorship shall be used to support the research, teaching and service activities of the holder of the Professorship related to their work in the area of Virology, in accordance with the gift agreement, campus guidelines and University policy. These funds are not intended to be used for Z supplements or funding for other faculty for projects unrelated to the Professor’s direct projects.
Questions about this Professorship can be directed to Lauren Sterling ([email protected]).