Whitehall Foundation

Deadline: April 15, 2025, letter of intent
If invited, full application due September 1, 2025

Funding:
Up to $300,000; the maximum budget is $100,000 per year for the two- and three-year research grants.

Purpose:
Research grants are available to established scientists of all ages working at accredited institutions in the United States. Applications will be judged on the scientific merit and the innovative aspects of the proposal as well as on the competence of the applicant. Research grants of up to three years will be provided. A renewal grant with a maximum of two years is possible, but it will be awarded on a competitive basis. Research grants will not be awarded to investigators who have already received, or expect to receive, substantial support from other sources, even if it is for an unrelated purpose.

Eligibility:
The applicant must meet all of the following eligibility requirements in order to participate in the application process:

• Appropriate title – must be an assistant professor (or higher). If the institution does not use this title, a letter from the department chair confirming the applicant's eligibility is required.
• Status – must hold principal investigator status.
• Independent – must be considered an independent investigator with their own dedicated lab space or with lab space independent of another investigator.
• The foundation does not fund investigators who have substantial (approximately $200,000 per year) extramural funding. The foundation uses the following formula to determine the PI's total extramural funding: Total direct per year plus total indirect per year, less any PI salary taken from these grants. If this amount is greater than approximately $200,000, the PI is not eligible for Whitehall Foundation funding. Startup funds and internal funding are not included in the calculation.

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Pew Biomedical Scholars – Limited Submission

Deadlines:
Pending announcement from foundation: Early April 2025
Submission of online survey with name and contact information for nominated candidate:
May 14, 2025
Online application website opens: June 11, 2025
Application deadline: September 3, 2025

Funding: $300,000; $75,000 per year for a four-year period.

Purpose: Based on their performance during their education and training, candidates should demonstrate outstanding promise as contributors in science relevant to human health. This program does not fund clinical trials research. Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches to basic, translational and applied biomedical research. Candidates whose work is based on biomedical principles but who bring in concepts and theories from more diverse fields are encouraged to apply.

Eligibility:

• Hold a doctorate in biomedical sciences, medicine or a related field, including engineering or the physical sciences.
• As of September 3, 2025, run an independent lab and hold a full-time appointment at the rank of assistant professor. (Appointments such as research assistant professor, adjunct assistant professor, assistant professor research track, visiting professor or instructor are not eligible).
• Must not have been appointed as an assistant professor and run an independent lab at any institution prior to June 11, 2021, whether or not such an appointment was on a tenure track. Time spent in clinical internships, residencies, in work toward board certification or on parental leave does not count as part of this four-year limit. Candidates who need an exception on the four-year limit should contact Pew’s program office to ensure that application reviewers are aware an exception has been given.
• Please note that the eligibility criteria above have been temporarily expanded to account for COVID-related lab shutdowns. This extension will end after this upcoming application cycle. Beginning next year, the eligibility window for the 2027 grant will revert to the three-year period. Please direct any questions to the program office at scholarsapp@pewtrusts.org.
• May apply to the program a maximum of two times. All applicants must be nominated by their institution and must complete the 2026 online application.
• If applicants have appointments at more than one eligible nominating institution or affiliate, they may not reapply in a subsequent year from a different nominating entity.
• May not be nominated for the Pew Scholars Program and the Pew-Stewart Scholars Program for Cancer Research in the same year.

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PhRMA Foundation

Deadline: LOI due April 15, 2025 at 12 p.m. (noon) ET

Funding: $100,000 over one year

Career Stage: Assistant professor level eligible

Purpose: Given the breadth of the discipline, the PhRMA Foundation’s Translational Medicine Program focuses specifically on novel research that uses the “bedside to bench” approach to address unmet needs in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. The Foundation seeks research proposals that focus on identifying unmet clinical needs and developing new diagnostic, experimental, and computational approaches and technologies to improve patient care and management.

Eligibility: You are not eligible if your faculty status began before January 1, 2023.

Applicants must be eligible to apply for independent external research funding by their university. Applicants should not have other substantial sources of research funding, excluding intramural funding or start-up funding from their university. Applicants are ineligible if they are the principal investigator (PI) of an R or K series award from the National Institutes of Health, a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation, or other significant financial award from any grant-making institution. The foundation will not consider multiple applications for similar efforts on the same project.

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Elsa U. Pardee Foundation

Deadline: April 30, 2025

Career Stage: Postdocs, early and established career

Funding:
By design, there are no limits set on the amount that can be requested. It must be reasonably supported by the scope of the project outlined in the application. Indirect costs cannot exceed 5% of the total amount requested.

Description:
The Elsa U. Pardee Foundation funds research to investigators in United States nonprofit institutions proposing research directed toward identifying new treatments or cures for cancer. The foundation funds projects for a one-year period, which will allow the establishment of capabilities of new cancer researchers or new cancer approaches by established cancer researchers. It is anticipated that this early-stage funding by the foundation may lead to subsequent and expanded support using government agency funding. Project relevance to cancer detection, treatment or cure should be clearly identified. The foundation particularly welcomes innovative, small-scale, short-term projects which may be difficult to fund elsewhere until some interesting results are obtained.

Eligibility:
Postdocs who are on the tenure track and have a tenured mentor are eligible. Priority is given to researchers at nonprofit institutions in the United States who are new to the field of cancer research, or to established research investigators examining new approaches to cancer cure.

Craig H. Neilsen Foundation
Translational Spectrum Grants

Deadline: LOI submission opens on April 18, 2025, and closes on May 23, 2025.

Funding: Funding for both two- and three-year projects is up to a maximum total cost of $400,000 over the duration of the grant. Budgets may not exceed $200,000 in any year.

Purpose: The SCIRTS portfolio supports the development of new approaches to restore/enhance function and prevent or alleviate complications that arise after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Research should be designed to demonstrate an improvement in function or clinical decision-making. The inclusion of individuals with SCI in the design of studies to aid the development of research that leads to an improved quality of life is encouraged. This portfolio emphasizes SCI (versus diseases or disorders that affect the spinal cord). It is intended to support important new research ideas or demonstrate the efficacy of interventions while accepting the risk associated with this pursuit.

Eligibility: See Application Guide.

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Craig H. Neilsen Foundation
Postdoctoral Fellowships

Deadline: LOI submission opens on April 18, 2025, and closes on May 23, 2025.

Funding: Funding for the two-year project is up to $100,000/year for a maximum total cost of $200,000.

Purpose: This funding is for postdoctoral training specialization in the field of SCI and to prepare the fellow to move into an independent research position. Fellowships directly support the applicant (fellow) while they are mentored (or co-mentored) by an investigator experienced in SCI research. The proposal should be written by the fellow, with input from the mentor(s). Key criteria include how the training and environment provided by the mentor(s) will enhance the fellow’s research career and qualifications, as well as the scientific merit of the proposal and its relevance to the Neilsen Foundation’s mission.

• Fellows must have attained their doctoral degree or an equivalent terminal professional degree by the LOI submission deadline and have held that degree no longer than five years before the full grant application submission deadline. For fellows with an MD, the five-year eligibility period begins after completion of the residency program.
• A two-page training plan is required when submitting a full grant application

Eligibility: See Application Guide.

American Cancer Society - Discovery Boost Grants (DBG)

Deadline: June 1, 2025

Funding: Awards are up to $135,000 per year for up to 2 years, plus 10% indirect costs.

Abstract:
Discovery Boost Grants (DBG) support high-risk, high-reward exploratory cancer research across the research continuum. Investigators may focus on developing research methodologies, establishing feasibility or leading pilot tests. It is expected that preliminary data generated from a completed DBG will have the potential to secure additional grant funding to further the research and open new and highly innovative areas for investigation.

Eligibility:

• Have an independent faculty appointment

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American Cancer Society – Research Scholar Grants

Deadline: June 1, 2025

Funding: Up to $215,000 per year (direct costs), plus 10% allowable indirect costs, with a project period up to four years.

Purpose:

• Research Scholar Grants provide support for independent, self-directed researchers.
• Applicants' institutions must provide space and other resources customary for independent investigators.
• Grant proposals are investigator-initiated and may pursue questions across the cancer research continuum, as long as they fit within an American Cancer Society priority research area.
• These grants typically contribute to the cost of salaries, consumable supplies and other miscellaneous items required in the research. 

Eligibility:

• Were first appointed as independent, full-time faculty LESS than 10 years ago
• Are the PI on NO MORE than one R01 or R01-equivalent grant at the time of application

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American Cancer Society – Postdoctoral Fellowship

Deadline: June 1, 2025

Funding:

• Awards are for up to three years with recently increased progressive stipends of $66,000, $68,000 and $70,000 a year.
• Depending on availability of special endowment funds, the American Cancer Society annually selects one or more of the top-ranked fellowships to be supplemented above the standard stipend.
• Fellowship allowances: Fellows will receive $4,000 a year to help defray costs such as health insurance, workshop costs and expenses associated with presenting at a domestic scientific meeting.
• In the last year, an additional $1,500 is added to the fellowship allowance for postdoctoral fellows to attend either the ACS Postdoctoral Fellows Symposium or a domestic scientific meeting.

Purpose:
Postdoctoral Fellowships support new investigators in research training programs to position them for independent careers in cancer research. As part of their evaluation, peer reviewers consider how well the fellowship will broaden the applicant’s research training and experience.

Eligibility:

• Are a U.S. citizen or a non-citizen holding an appropriate visa when you submit your application
• Have had your doctoral degree for LESS than four years; time spent in clinical-only training is not counted.
• Do not have a faculty appointment (e.g., instructor, research assistant professor)

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American Cancer Society – Institutional Research Grants

Deadline: June 1, 2025

Funding: Up to three one-year pilot grants at $40,000 each. IRGs may propose to budget the annual costs ($120,000) to less than three one-year pilot grants if they choose to do so.

Purpose:

• Institutional Research Grants are awarded to institutions as block grants, providing seed money for newly independent investigators to initiate cancer research projects.
• The intent is to support these junior faculty in initiating cancer research projects so they can obtain preliminary results that will enable them to compete successfully for national research grants.

Eligibility:

• Have attained the rank of associate professor or full professor
• Have a track record of mentoring junior investigators and publications
• Have administrative/leadership experience, i.e., deputy director or director of a program, center or department.

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The Helen Way Whitney Foundation

Deadline: Online Application opens April 11, 2025, and closes June 16, 2025 (5 p.m. EDT)

Funding: Around $70,000 per year for three years of funding

Purpose: To attain its goal of increasing the number of imaginative, well-trained and dedicated medical scientists, the foundation grants financial support of sufficient duration to help further the careers of young men and women engaged in biological or medical research.

Eligibility: Applicants are eligible for Helen Hay Whitney postdoctoral fellowships if:

• They have received a PhD (or DPhil or equivalent) degree no more than two years before the application deadline, or an MD (or MD/PhD) degree no more than four years before the deadline.
• They have been employed in their postdoctoral laboratory for no more than one year before the application deadline.

W.W. Smith Charitable Trust – Limited Submission

A maximum of one proposal per parent organization may be submitted in each granting category (heart disease, cancer or AIDS) regardless of the number of EINs available under the organization.

Focus: Heart disease, cancer and AIDS research

Deadline: July 15, 2025, 11:59 p.m. EDT

Funding: $110,000 to $125,000

Purpose:
The Trust awards grants for basic medical research primarily related to heart disease, cancer and AIDS. The Trust invests in promising researchers having the potential to attract larger-scale awards (e.g., NIH, NSF, AHA) subsequent to Trust support.

Concern Foundation

Deadline: LOI opening May 5, 2025; closes 11:59 p.m. on August 1, 2025

Funding: $100,000 per year for a maximum of two years

Career Stage: Assistant professor level

Purpose: By specifically targeting promising early-career scientists and providing critically needed “seed” money for innovative projects, Concern Foundation for Cancer Research supports the development of the next generation of cancer researchers and thus promotes progress in understanding cancer biology and improved approaches to cancer. Proposals must be hypothesis-driven and centered on cancer genetics, cancer biology or cancer immunology. Concern Foundation for Cancer Research will not fund clinical trials, cancer epidemiology or behavioral studies.

Eligibility: Eligible applicants are independent investigators who are at the start of their scientific career (i.e., junior faculty) and are at the level of assistant professor (or equivalent, with explanation). This means you have been independent in terms of lab space, budget usage, directing your own research, publishing, etc., for between one and seven years.

Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation - Prevention

Deadline: September 15, 2025, letter of intent
If invited, full proposal due November 17, 2025

Funding:

• Award amount: Up to $5,000,000 for clinical trials based on stage and scope of research.
• For studies requiring additional support, co-funding from other funding agencies or investors is encouraged. Payment structure will be negotiated and based on milestone achievements and recruitment.
• Average duration: Multi-year.
• Allowable costs: Only direct costs are allowed.

Career Stage: All career stages

Purpose:
The ADDF seeks to support precision prevention studies, combination therapy studies and comparative effectiveness research that probe whether the use or choice of interventions may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. Studies that are not in humans will not be considered.

Eligibility:
Industry partnerships are encouraged.
NOTE: Funding is provided through mission-related investments that require return on investment based upon scientific and/or business milestones

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Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation
Neuroimaging and CSF Biomarker Program

Deadline: September 15, 2025, letter of intent
If invited, full proposal due November 17, 2025

Funding: Up to $600,000. Only direct costs are allowed.

Career Stage: All career stages

Purpose:
The aim of this RFP is to further develop and validate established biomarkers for which there is a clear clinical need in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. This RFP prioritizes biomarkers with a defined context of use, a clear advantage over other relevant biomarkers, and a path to commercialization and/or clinical use.

Specifically, this RFP focuses on:

• Developing novel PET ligands for clinical trials
• Supporting novel CSF biomarkers
• Validating innovative MRI approaches in larger cohorts
• Developing novel measures of functional activity such as EEG

Eligibility:

• Industry partnerships are encouraged.
• NOTE: Funding is provided through mission-related investments that require return on investment based upon scientific and/or business milestones

Cardiovascular Medical Research and Education Fund
Improving the Treatment of Pulmonary Diseases

Deadline: Rolling

Funding:
Preference will be given to proposals that have budgets below $100,000 and timelines less than two years.

Purpose:
The CMREF mission of the fund is to support educational activities that will enhance the knowledge of pulmonary hypertension and research projects that may help uncover the causes and pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) in pursuit of the ultimate goal of its treatment and cure. The CMREF does not have a formal application process to fund clinical research or educational projects but is always interested in potentially providing full or partial support to initiatives that are novel, innovative or address the spectrum of unmet medical needs related to pulmonary vascular diseases.

Interested parties should submit a letter of intent (maximum of two pages) that describes the project sufficiently so that the Research Advisory Committee can understand the proposed goals and methods. In addition, the letter should mention the length of time of the project and an estimated overall budget.

How to Apply:
To submit your letter, please use the form on this page. Please be sure to fill out all fields and upload your letter before submitting. You can also email your letter directly to Patt Wolfe (executive director) at patt.wolfe@ipahresearch.org.

After you submit your letter, the CMREF will respond within four weeks to inform you if a full application will be requested.

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American Federation for Aging Research
Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program

Deadline:
Interested students should be in touch directly with the National Training Centers to for the program deadline and application materials.

Funding:
The stipend level is approximately $1,980 per month; actual amounts will vary based on the specific appointment period of individual students. Award period: Eight to 12 weeks.

Purpose:
The MSTAR Program provides medical students with an enriching experience in aging-related research and geriatrics, with the mentorship of top experts in the field. This program introduces students to research and academic experiences early in their training that they might not otherwise have during medical school. Positive experiences in the MSTAR program have led many physicians-in-training to pursue academic careers in aging, ranging from basic science to clinical research to health services research. They have joined the growing cadre of physicians and scientists whose specialized knowledge and skills are in great demand as our population ages.

Students participate in an eight- to twelve-week (or two- to three-month, depending on the training site) structured research, clinical and didactic program in geriatrics, appropriate to their level of training and interests. Research projects are offered in basic, translational, clinical or health services research relevant to older people. Most scholars will do their training and research during the summer months. They will also be invited to submit an abstract to present a poster at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society.

Eligibility

• Any allopathic or osteopathic medical student in good standing, who will have successfully completed one year of medical school at a U.S. institution by June 2024. Evidence of good standing must be provided by the medical school registrar or dean when the student is notified of receiving the award.
• Applicants must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States, or must have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., in possession of a currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card I-551, or some other legal verification of such status). Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible. Due to NIA restrictions, individuals holding PhD, MD, DVM or equivalent doctoral degrees in the health sciences are not eligible to apply to do the MSTAR Program.
• Additionally, applicants receiving a stipend or salary support from a federal source are not eligible for this program. Applicants may not hold another award or participate in another program concurrently with the MSTAR program, and must participate in the program full-time for a minimum of eight weeks and a maximum of 12 weeks.

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Infectious Diseases Society of America
Grants for Emerging Researchers/Clinicians Mentorship Program

Career Stage: Medical Students

Amount: Not specified

Deadline: Ongoing

Description
The G.E.R.M. Program was developed to provide grants to medical students to support a longitudinal, mentored clinical learning and/or research project for up to a year on infectious diseases-related topics, including HIV, under the mentorship of an IDSA or HIVMA member. This program replaced the IDSA Medical Scholars and HIVMA Medical Students Programs.

Eligibility

• Graduate students
• Applicants must be medical students (first-, second- or third-year and those in combined degree programs, including MD/MPH and MD/PhD) from an accredited allopathic or osteopathic medical school in the U.S.