From left to right: Jessica Molesworth, Exec. Dir., EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation; Larry Cornett, Ph.D., Chair, EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation; Charles Irvin, Ph.D.; Fred Taylor, Ph.D.; Chris Lawson, Ph.D., Alabama EPSCoR. (Courtesy Photo)

Charles Irvin, Ph.D., professor of medicine and associate dean for faculty affairs at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, has received the inaugural W. Fred Taylor PhD Award in recognition of his significant contributions to enhance the impact of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program.

The award presentation took place February 24, 2020 at the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)/Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Coalition and Foundation Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

This award honors the commitment and service of W. Fred Taylor, Ph.D., whose NIH service focused on expanding opportunities for students, faculty and institutions in states and territories that have had historically low levels of NIH funding for biomedical research

“Dr. Irvin is a pioneer within the IDeA Program,” said EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation Board Chair Lawrence Cornett, Ph.D. “As one of the first recipients of a COBRE (Center of Biomedical Research Excellence) grant in 2000, he showed the IDeA community how the grant could be used over the 15-year funding period to create and sustain a center that continues to conduct cutting-edge research that impacts human health. [Among] Dr. Irvin’s most significant contributions . . . has been his efforts to grow the National IDeA Symposium of Biomedical Research – a showcase for the breadth and impact of human biomedical and behavioral research that is done through grants awarded by the IDeA Program.”

Irvin served as director of the Vermont Lung Center from 1998 to fall 2019. The inaugural recipient of the American Thoracic Society’s (ATS) Crapo Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and a former ATS Board of Directors member, Irvin is also a member of the European Respiratory Society and was named an inaugural fellow of the European Respiratory Society in 2014. He has served on numerous grant review panels for the NIH, American Heart Association and American Lung Association.

About the EPSCoR/IDeA Program

In 1979, the National Science Foundation created EPSCoR in response to concern over the uneven distribution of federal research and development grants. Following World War II, federally-funded research grew dramatically but only a small number of states benefited from the infusion of resources. This pattern of distribution disregarded the rise of regional education and research institutions. Ambitious youth across the country aspired to STEM careers but the nation failed to cultivate and benefit from diverse talent originating in every state. EPSCoR provided a solution.

EPSCoR now spans five federal agencies. The largest initiative is NIH’s IDeA program, which was established in 1993. Participating states and territories are developing university-based research infrastructure which is the foundation of their science and technology enterprise. The research infrastructure also supports a strong economic base. EPSCoR/IDeA programs are accelerating science and technology for U.S. global competitiveness, prosperity, and security.