The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) in Chevy Chase, Maryland, is to make awards to 35 early-career biomedical researchers from 18 non-US countries. The International Early Career Scientist competition will support biomedical researchers who have done a postdoc, have a research post in one of the 18 nations and trained at the doctoral, medical or postdoc level in the United States. Unlike past such HHMI competitions, it will not focus on one discipline or region. Seeking to foster collaboration and seed labs, the HHMI will give each recipient US$650,000 over 5 years. Programme directors say that the 18 nations are small enough to benefit from the grants, but have the infrastructure to continue supporting the researchers. The competition closes on 23 February 2011.