Medical breakthroughs begin in bright minds: the creative, courageous imaginations of our current and future research faculty, as well as our alumni who honed their skills at the Wistar Institute.

A standalone, independent biomedical research institute unaffiliated with a university or medical center, Wistar is a high-performing organization among its much larger peers. Wistar scientists have been known for their unrelenting pursuit of discovery and appetite for collaboration. Our relatively small and flat organizational structure, by design, paired with the Institute’s technological capabilities uniquely positions our community of researchers for success. Our commitment to continued investment in diverse, dynamic human capital is unwavering, because, above all else, it is our people who are the foundation for every idea, breakthrough, drug, vaccine and therapy.

With funds raised from the Bold Science // Global Impact Campaign, Wistar will establish a Scientific Talent Fund to ensure the organization remains highly competitive in its ability to attract, recruit and retain world-class talent. Designed as a continuing opportunity for donor support for years to come, the Scientific Talent Fund will immediately begin serving as a flexible resource for the Institute, helping to:

• quickly and effectively respond to emerging attractive recruitment opportunities
• expand the Institute’s talent pool, specifically within the Center for Advanced Therapeutics and the Vaccine and Immunology Center – two current key areas of growth for the Institute
• meet recruitment needs associated with the growth of our technological capabilities
• address unanticipated talent cost increases that occur mid-grant cycle

The Inaugural Caspar Wistar Fellowship was launched in 2019 as a tool to attract the most talented junior scientists and put their scientific careers on an accelerated path toward independence as principal investigators.

Early-stage scientists bring passion and creativity, but all too often, institutions overlook – or lack the resources to bear the cost of – personnel without the track record to secure scarce federal funding. The initial philanthropy-funded Caspar Wistar Fellowships gave The Wistar Institute the freedom to invest in talent at a very early stage of development, relying less on standard measures of research success to focus instead on characteristics like drive, perseverance, tenacity, innovation and vision.

The Fellowship has proven to be a tremendous success with the staggered recruitment of four stellar candidates who have taken this accelerated path to lead productive labs, publish their work, secure federal grants and establish themselves and their scientific contributions in the global community of biomedical researchers.

With funds raised from the Bold Science // Global Impact Campaign, Wistar will launch another cohort of Fellowships, ensuring the Institute can continue to give promising recent Ph.D. or M.D. graduates the freedom to leverage Wistar’s nurturing environment, pursue their ideas and follow where the science is leading them.

The Caspar Wistar Fellows receive the following:

• A three-year term appointment with consideration for promotion.
• Start-up funds to equip their lab and hire a laboratory member.
• Mentorship from Wistar faculty.
• Unfettered access to the state-of-the-art shared resources at the Institute.

State-of-the-art technology is the backbone of biomedical research, enabling scientists and researchers to unlock disease pathways and find cures. Its importance lies not only in its ability to generate data but also in its power to transform data into actionable insights that benefit humanity on a global scale.

From analytical equipment that allows us to see an immune response in a single cell to artificial intelligence, strategically leveraging the latest technological breakthroughs has, for years, ensured that The Wistar Institute has the tools to complement its talent. As technology continues to advance, so too will our capacity to tackle the most pressing biomedical challenges of our time.

With funds raised from the Bold Science // Global Impact Campaign, Wistar will establish a Technology Advancement Fund to continue to equip researchers at The Wistar Institute with the tools and resources necessary to drive innovation, accelerate scientific breakthroughs, and improve human health. Designed as a continuing opportunity for donor support for years to come, the Technology Advancement Fund will immediately begin serving as a flexible resource for the Institute, helping to:

• Fund strategic new technology acquisitions of advanced laboratory equipment, instrumentation, imaging and technology platforms.
• Address technology-associated construction and renovation costs.
• Respond to unanticipated needs and acquisition opportunities in a timely manner.
• Broaden the Institute’s research capabilities and bridge the gap between basic science and clinical application, promoting translational research.
• Build upon our vibrant collaborative ecosystem by facilitating the sharing of resources and expertise among Wistar scientists and with external partners, thus catalyzing innovation at the intersection of different fields of research.
• Optimize the limited time of our researchers by using technology instead of human effort.
• Further solidify our standing as an attractive destination for top-tier researchers and scientists.