Genomics
Institute
Menu
Shurl & Kay Curci Foundation Faculty Scholars Program
Supporting early-career faculty with bold ideas for cutting-edge research that pushes the boundaries of precision genomics.
About
The Shurl & Kay Curci Foundation (SKCF) Faculty Scholars program supports early-career faculty whose research aligns with the IGI’s goal to advance human health using precision genomics. The IGI will select one SKCF Faculty Scholar each summer through 2021.
The SKCF Faculty Scholars Program launched in 2017 thanks to a $1 million gift from the Shurl & Kay Curci Foundation.
Apply Now
Overview
This program is designed for early career faculty whose research and expertise focus on genome technology innovations that can benefit humanity. Projects that advance fundamental scientific knowledge, and are in alignment with IGI’s mission to develop affordable and accessible solutions in human health, climate, and agriculture, will be considered.
Award
$179K for research support over a two year period.
Eligibility
Early career faculty (in the first 4 years) in the following institutions: UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC San Francisco
Application
Applications are now closed.
For further details, please see: Proposal Guidelines
2021 Recipient
Imtiyaz Khanday
Assistant Professor, UC Davis
The IGI has awarded the 2021 Shurl & Kay Curci Foundation (SKCF) Faculty Scholars Program award to Imtiyaz Khanday, Assistant Professor of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, and Director of Research at the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center. Imtiyaz was previously a postdoctoral researcher working with Venkatesan Sundaresan, a distinguished professor in Plant Sciences at UC Davis, working to develop new methods of engineering asexual reproduction through seeds in rice.
His current research is building on his past experience in rice, seeking to use CRISPR genome editing to allow potatoes to be propagated clonally through seeds. Currently, roughly 10 percent of potato crops are lost because farmers propagate using the tubers themselves, reducing the amount of potatoes available for food or for sale. The current method has the additional downside of passing on tuber-borne viruses from crop to crop, which can drastically reduce yields for farmers. Learn more about his new research here.
