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Research Funding Opportunities

Drexel Sponsorship Resources

Drexel's Office of Research & Innovation maintains a list of governmental, industry and foundation sponsorship opportunities for researchers in all topic areas.

View Office of Research & Innovation Sponsor website

College of Medicine-Specific Foundation Funding Opportunities

Foundation & Corporate Relations (FCR) in the Office of Institutional Advancement builds and maintains partnerships with private and corporate foundations and serves as a resource to investigators during the grant proposal development process.

FCR and the College of Medicine will provide investigators with up-to-date funding opportunities available through foundations. The following requests for proposals (RFPs) are listed by submission deadline. Some foundations have recurring deadlines; others may have rolling deadlines.

There are some foundations that limit the number of applications an institution may submit for specific funding opportunities. Therefore, FCR facilitates limited submissions funding opportunities through Drexel’s InfoReady portal and will make known any funding opportunities that require an internal competition.

Investigators interested in pursuing a foundation or corporate grant should contact, executive director, Foundation & Corporate Relations – STEM Unit, pib25@drexel.edu, 215.895.0326.

March 2025

Lung Cancer Research Foundation

Deadline: March 3, 2025, letter of intent
If invited, full application due June 2, 2025

Funding: $150,000 over two years

Purpose: The goal of the LCRF Leading Edge Research Grant Program is to fund innovative projects across the full spectrum of basic, translational, clinical, epidemiological, health services, early detection, disparities and social determinants of health research.

Eligibility: Investigators must be postdoctoral researchers, clinical fellows or early-career and mid-career investigators with less than ten years’ experience since their initial faculty appointment.


Simons Foundation
2025 Autism Rat Models Consortium 2.0 Awards

Deadline: March 6, 2025, at 12 p.m. ET

Funding:
SFARI will offer two tracks within this RFA: Explorer and Collaboration. For the Explorer track, applicants may request up to $200,000, inclusive of 20% indirect costs, for each year of funding over a period of two years, with the possibility of an additional two years of funding for successful projects based on progress in the first two years. For the Collaboration track, each lab within a Collaboration project may request a maximum of $300,000, inclusive of 20% indirect costs, for each year of funding over a period of three to four years.

Purpose:
The goal of this RFA is to recharge and extend a consortium of researchers using rats as an experimental system to advance our understanding of the behavioral and circuit neuroscience mechanisms underlying autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Proposals are expected to conduct in-depth behavioral and/or circuit analyses in SFARI rat models to further understand mechanisms underlying autism and NDD. SFARI will facilitate coordination across all funded projects through a research consortium.


The Mark Foundation
Solving the Early Detection and Early-Stage Diagnosis of Recalcitrant Cancers

Deadline: March 10, 2025, letter of intent
If invited, full application due June 17, 2025

Funding: $2 million over two years

Purpose:
To encourage innovation in research that enables the detection of the deadliest cancers at earlier stages when they can be intercepted or effectively treated, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the Lustgarten Foundation, and The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research announce this Request for Proposals for projects focused on accelerating the development of effective new approaches to the early detection of cancer.

Eligibility:

  • Proposed research projects must be designed to advance the discovery, technical development and preclinical validation of effective approaches and methods for early cancer detection, or the early clinical evaluation of treatment for pre-malignant disease.
  • One or more of the cancer types listed above must be the primary focus of the proposal.
  • Applicants must have an independent faculty research appointment at a nonprofit academic, research or medical institution. There are no restrictions on citizenship or geography for investigators.
  • Investigators may apply as a team of two to four investigators (one principal investigator and up to three co-investigators). Teams may comprise investigators from a single institution or multiple institutions. There is no requirement to include a U.S.-based institution as part of the team.
  • Individuals may be a co-investigator on more than one proposal but may only serve as principal investigator on one proposal.

Prostate Cancer Foundation

Deadline: March 10, 2025, 3 p.m. ET

Funding: $75,000 per year over three years

Eligibility:

  • Every PCF Young Investigator is required to be under the direct supervision of one to three mentors.
  • Young Investigator awardees are required to attend the Annual PCF Scientific Retreat and Young Investigator Forum, typically held in October, throughout the duration of their award.

METAvivor

Translational Research Award

Deadline: March 11, 2025, letter of intent
Funding: Three years, $450,000 award for established investigators.

Early Career Investigator Award

Deadline: March 11, 2025, letter of intent
Funding: Two years, $200,000 award available to early career applicants (investigators within 10 years of their degree award date and within six years of starting their first non-tenured position if started).

Quality of Life Research Award

Deadline: March 11, 2025, letter of intent
Funding: Two years, $200,000 award to provide a supporting foundation for translational and clinical research designed to improve quality of life and/or mitigate side effects of those living with metastatic breast cancer.

Purpose: All grant programs focus on metastatic breast cancer research


The Sontag Foundation
Distinguished Scientist Award

Key Application Dates:

  • The application portal opens on January 13, 2025.
  • The application deadline is March 12, 2025. The portal will close at 11:59 p.m. ET.
  • Funding awards will be announced in the fall of 2025.

Funding

  • This award is $750,000; $150,000 per year for a five-year period (*In 2023 the total funding award increased to $750,000 over a five-year period from $600,000 over a four-year period).
  • Grant agreements will be issued in October/November of the award year.
  • The funding period for 2025 grants will begin on or about October 15, 2025, and end on September 30, 2030.
  • Not more than $19,500 may be allocated annually for facilities and administration charges or indirect costs. This amount is included in the annual payout of $150,000.
  • Disbursements are made on a quarterly basis to the sponsoring institution for use by the award winner and are subject to annual review of their progress report.
  • During the grant term, grantees are required to attend an annual scientific retreat held in February (all eligible expenses for grantee's travel, lodging, and meals are covered by the foundation).

Eligibility Requirements

  • Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in a discipline with applicability to brain cancer research.
  • Applicants must have received their first independent faculty appointment no earlier than March 1, 2020, and no later than January 1, 2025, at a tax-exempt academic, research or medical institution within the United States or an equivalent institution in Canada.
  • If the institution grants tenure, the qualifying appointment must be on the tenure track.
  • Applicant's career track and proposed research should demonstrate outstanding promise as contributors to science relevant to brain cancer research (basic science and related fields are encouraged to apply).
  • More than one individual from the institution may apply for this award.
  • Re-applicants are required to highlight substantive scientific changes from the prior research project, this must include:
    • Outlining changes in your introduction, summarizing substantial additions, deletions, and changes to the research project.
    • Identifying individual changes by using brackets, indents or change of typography in the text of the Specific Aims, Research Approach and Methods sections.
  • This grant does not support clinical trials research.

Philadelphia Program for Mentored Research Training in Kidney, Urologic and Hematologic Diseases (PERFORM-KUH)

Key Application Dates:

  • Application deadline: March 17, 2025
  • Finalist interviews: May 1, 2025
  • Admission decisions announced: June 1, 2025
  • Fellowship starts: July 1, 2025

Funding

  • PERFORM-KUH is accepting applications from predoctoral students, postdoctoral researchers and clinical residents for mentored traineeships in nephrology, benign urology and benign hematology research. These training fellowships provide salary stipends and access to tuition and other support administered via an NIDDK-sponsored NRSA institutional grant. They also provide a training environment enhanced for mentoring, networking and professional development.

About PERFORM-KUH

The program provides trainees and early-stage investigators the training and resources they need to become successful independent investigators in kidney, benign urology or benign hematology (KUH).

Workforce studies, commissioned by national nephrology, urology and hematology societies, express well-founded concern for sustaining an adequate research workforce in KUH. Given these challenges and building upon the complementary strengths of multiple academic institutions in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, PERFORM-KUH provides a comprehensive, integrated training program that encompasses research training in science related to kidney, benign urology and benign hematology across the lifespan. It provides an environment that enables training in state-of-the-art scientific principles and methodology, that encourages creativity, that guides professional development, and that provides mentoring and sponsorship that facilitates establishing independent career growth.

PERFORM-KUH is dedicated to stimulating early interest in KUH scientific careers from amongst a diverse population and will strive to lower perceived barriers to entering KUH career pathways. The PERFORM-KUH training community is assembled from talented trainers and trainees at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University and affiliated Fox Chase Cancer Center, Jefferson University, and Drexel University.

Award Expectations

PERFORM-KUH supports four predoctoral-level and seven postdoctoral-level trainees each budget year. Trainees are supported for an initial 12-month appointment and will receive a second year of support contingent upon satisfactory progress during their initial appointment. A third year of support is possible in rare circumstances but should not be expected.

Appointments are supported by a Ruth L. Kirschstein Institutional National Research Service Award (NRSA) administered via an institutionally administered NIH TL1 grant mechanism. Trainees receive a monthly stipend, tuition support, and funds to purchase training-related items and cover travel expenses to present at scientific meetings or conferences at NRSA levels. Trainees are eligible to receive NRSA childcare support to defray childcare costs provided by a licensed childcare provider. Trainees are expected to comply with all applicable NIH policies and their institutional requirements associated with their appointment.

Appointed trainees are required to engage in research relevant to the mission of the Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases (KUH) within NIDDK. This includes basic, translational and clinical research in any of the following areas:

  • Kidney: All aspects of kidney-related science across the life spectrum
  • Benign urology: Science related to normal urological function, non-cancer-related urological disease or clinical care across the life spectrum
  • Benign hematology: Science related to normal hematological system function or non-cancer-related blood diseases across the life spectrum

Trainees will participate in an integrated didactic and cross-disciplinary mentored research program personalized to their individual needs and develop an Individual Development Plan that will be updated and discussed at regular progress meetings. Each trainee will have a mentoring team comprised of a primary mentor and one or two secondary mentors who are faculty at a PERFORM-KUH partner institution. Primary mentors will be accomplished KUH independent investigators who are committed to the career development of their mentees and who are PERFORM-KUH approved program faculty (trainers). Secondary mentors are established investigators from a discipline different than that of the primary mentor and are invested in and significantly enrich the experience and development of the trainee.

All trainees are expected to submit first-author manuscripts based on their mentored research project. Submission of an individual fellowship grant (NIH or other) is a requirement for trainees appointed for a second year.

All trainees are expected to actively participate in professional development and network activities designed to establish a city-wide KUH training community and enhance their knowledge of interdisciplinary research, such as professional development seminars, workshops and symposia, journal clubs, research in progress, peer and near-peer networking opportunities and program committee meetings. All trainees are required to participate in bioethics training and provide any requested information necessary for progress reports, etc., in a timely fashion. All trainees are also required to acknowledge this TL1 in any subsequent publications and notify the TL1 administrator.

Eligibility Requirements

The NIH requires that trainees are a citizen or a noncitizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of appointment.

Predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows with diverse backgrounds (defined as demographic and/or scientific diversity) or disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Predoctoral Trainees:

  • Eligible students must have received a baccalaureate degree and be enrolled in a program leading to a PhD or an equivalent research doctoral degree program at one of the five Philadelphia PERFORM-KUH partner institutions.
  • Students in graduate PhD programs must complete their qualifying exam or candidacy equivalent prior to receiving award.
  • Students must be in good academic standing and have the approval of their program to enroll in this TL1 program.
  • Appointment to PERFORM-KUH is expected to be full time for a continuous 12-month period. Trainees will receive a second and subsequent full-time and continuous 12-month appointment, assuming that they remain in good standing.

Postdoctoral Scholars:

  • Postdoctoral scholars must have received, as of the beginning date of the TL1 appointment, a PhD, MD or comparable doctoral degree from an accredited domestic or foreign institution. Comparable doctoral degrees include, but are not limited to, the following: DDS, DMD, DC, DO, DVM, OD, DPM, ScD, EngD, DrPH, DNSc, DPT, PharmD, ND (Doctor of Naturopathy), DSW or PsyD, as well as a doctoral degree in nursing research.
  • Trainees must commit an average of at least 40 hours per week to their research training with a primary mentor at one of the five Philadelphia PERFORM-KUH partner institutions. While clinical trainees must devote an average of 40 hours/week to research training, they can also devote time beyond this requirement to clinical training or care.
  • Appointment to PERFORM-KUH is expected to be full time for a continuous 12-month period. Trainees are eligible for a second full-time and continuous 12-month appointment pending satisfactory progress during initial appointment.
  • All appointed postdoctoral trainees must agree to a service payback obligation incurred during initial 12 months of postdoctoral Kirschstein-NRSA support. A second appointment year in PERFORM-KUH will serve to meet the payback obligation requirement.

Damon Runyon Fellowship Award

Deadline: March 17, 2025, 4 p.m. ET

Funding: $300,000 over four years

Purpose:
The foundation encourages all theoretical and experimental research relevant to the study of cancer and the search for cancer causes, mechanisms, therapies and prevention including molecular approaches to cancer prevention for inherited cancers.

Eligibility:
Applicants must have completed one or more of the following degrees or its equivalent: MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM, DO. The applicant must include a copy of their diploma to confirm date of conferral. (If an applicant has not yet received their PhD diploma but has successfully completed all PhD requirements, including PhD defense, they may submit a letter from the graduate school explicitly stating such, with the date of the successful PhD defense and date of degree conferral.)


amfAR – Mathilde Krim Fellowships in Biomedical Research

Deadline:

  • Register for portal login and instructions (required): 3 p.m. ET, March 19, 2025
  • Letter of intent submission: 3 p.m. ET, March 27, 2025

Funding:

  • Phase 1: $180,000
  • Phase 2: $50,000

Purpose:
The goal of amfAR’s Mathilde Krim Fellowships in Biomedical Research is to:

  • Facilitate the exceptional postdoctoral researcher’s transition to an independent career in HIV/AIDS research within an academic institution or nonprofit organization
  • Support up to two years of postdoctoral biomedical HIV research (Phase 1)
  • Provide the possibility of one additional year of research funding during the first year of an independent research position at an academic institution or nonprofit organization (Phase 2)

Eligibility:

  • Hold a research or clinical doctorate completed between three and six years prior to February 4, 2025.
  • Be positioned to secure an independent research position no later than January 1, 2028.
  • Be the first author on at least one impactful publication in a leading peer-reviewed journal.
  • Propose a line of research sufficiently distinct from the mentor’s own research that it indicates future independence.
  • Have made oral and poster presentations at major scientific conferences and meetings.
  • Be affiliated with a nonprofit research institution anywhere in the world.
  • Be mentored by an experienced investigator at the same institution who: (a) is qualified to oversee the proposed research, and (b) has successfully supervised postdoctoral fellows.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – Global Grand Challenges
Enhancing HIV and TB Diagnosis: Adjunct Technologies for Sample Collection and Processing

Deadline: March 25, 2025, 11:30 a.m. PDT

Funding: $100,000 to $250,000 for each project, with a grant term of up to two years.

Background:
Effective diagnostics are the cornerstone of disease management for tuberculosis HIV, two of the world’s most significant infectious diseases. Early and accurate detection is critical for timely treatment initiation, reducing transmission and improving patient outcomes. However, despite advancements in molecular and lateral flow assay diagnostics, major gaps remain in accessibility, affordability and implementation, particularly in resource-limited settings. Addressing these barriers requires innovative approaches to point-of-care diagnostics and supporting technologies that streamline sample collection and sample processing in low-resource environments.

Recent improvements in diagnostic testing have enabled molecular and lateral flow testing to be performed closer to the patient than ever and in some cases at home with a fully consumable test format. The challenge lies in developing solutions upstream to testing that enable easier, more affordable, and self-administered sample collection, sample preparation, and lysis when needed to support innovative point-of-care tests with faster turnaround times.


The Charles E. Kaufman Foundation of the Pittsburgh Foundation

Deadline: March 28, 2025, 5 p.m., letter of intent via the online form

The Charles E. Kaufman Foundation of The Pittsburgh Foundation will award annual research grants in 2025 to researchers at Pennsylvania colleges/universities to carry out fundamental research in the areas of biology, chemistry and physics.

New Investigator Research Grants

New Initiative Research

April 2025

Pew Biomedical Scholars – Limited Submission

Deadlines:
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.
  • Current appointments such as research assistant professor, adjunct assistant professor, assistant professor research track, visiting professor or instructor are not eligible to apply.
  • 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.

April 2025

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.

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.

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.

July 2025

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

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

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)

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.

July 2025

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.

September 2025

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


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

Rolling Deadline

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.


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.

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.

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