Finding Funding

NOMIS and Science Young Explorer Award 2024
Research at the intersection of the social and life sciences. Unconventional. Interdisciplinary. Bold.
The NOMIS & Science Young Explorer Award recognizes and rewards early-career M.D., Ph.D., or M.D./Ph.D. scientists that perform research at the intersection of the social and life sciences. Essays written by these bold researchers on their recent work are judged for clarity, scientific quality, creativity, and demonstration of cross-disciplinary approaches to address fundamental questions.  
A cash prize of up to US $15,000 will be awarded to essay winners, and their engaging essays will be published in Science. Winners will also be invited to share their work and forward-looking perspective with leading scientists in their respective fields at an award ceremony.
Apply by May 15, 2024
at www.science.org/nomis

Bisconti Fund for Ai-Focused Research - HMS Center for Computational Biomedicine
Pre-proposals due by 5:00pm on Tuesday, March 6th, 2024, using the online form below.
Funding opportunity to advance innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions for biomedical research and healthcare in collaboration with the Center for Computational Biomedicine (CCB).
Investigators with an HMS appointment from all departments are encouraged to apply. The awardee will receive:
   -  $43,487 in Funding
    - Project Management and Technical Consultation from our Expert Team
    - An Opportunity to Collaborate with any of CCBs Working Groups (not required)
Pre-proposals are due by 5:00pm on Tuesday, March 6th, 2024, using this online form: ttps://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/55d35c802a8946c0a09a988495b1b78d
Please see additional details about the funding on our information sheet and send questions to Sunil Poudel

Apply today for the 2024 Science & PINS Prize for Neuromodulation - Apply by March 15, 2024
The prestigious international Science & PINS Prize is awarded annually to outstanding early-career researchers in the emerging field of neuromodulation. Findings already show improved outcomes in several neurological disorders. To enter, just write a 1000-word essay about your research performed in the last three years. The Grand Prize winner will be presented a US$25,000 award, as well as have their essay published in Science and on Science Online. A runner-up will have their essay published online.
Application Details: https://www.science.org/content/page/science-pins-prize-how-enter?utm_medium=email&utm_source=publishing-sfmc&utm_campaign=prizes2024&utm_content=pinsemail&utm_id=recukW3MQpbqXoVqF&et_rid=40896524&et_cid=5088722

HMS Foundation Funds - Spring 2024 Cycle
HMS Foundations Funds open to Postdocs: Breast Cancer Alliance Young Investigator Award and the Breast Cancer Alliance Exceptional Projects Grant
Each year several foundations invite HMS faculty and postdocs to apply for limited submission fellowships and grants. 
Interested investigators must first apply for the HMS nomination through the
 HMS Foundation Funds, and a committee will select the final candidates to submit applications to the foundations.
For more information please visit the HMS Foundation Funds Program.
Please direct all inquiries to Clare Lamont, Office of the HMS Dean for Clinical and Academic Affairs, 617-432-7463, 
clare_lamont@hms.harvard.edu

Apply today for the 2024 Science & PINS Prize for Neuromodulation
Deadline: March 15, 2024
The Science & PINS Prize is awarded for innovative research that modulates neural activity through physical (electrical, magnetic, optical) stimulation of targeted sites in the nervous system with implications for translational medicine. Established in 2016, the prize is administered by Science and awarded annually for outstanding research as described in a 1,000 word essay based on research performed in the past three years.
Eligibility:
- Entrants must be a Junior Investigator with an advanced degree received in the last 10 years and must be 45 years or younger as of 1 January 2024.
- The entrant's essay must describe their research and its implications for neuromodulation.
- The entrant must have performed or directed the work described in the essay.
- The research must have been performed during the previous three years.
- Employees of PINS, its subsidiaries, Science and AAAS, and their relatives are not eligible for the prize.
More info and application details: https://bit.ly/3RUswmI

12th Annual Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation - Apply by Monday, March 4, 2024
Mission: To recognize and honor Creativity and Innovation by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the Biomedical Sciences.  
Prize details: Two (2) applicants are selected to receive the Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation each year. These applicants must be either current PhD Graduate Students or Postdoctoral Fellows. Each winner receives a check for $50,000, which can be used in any way the winner chooses. Finalists are each awarded $5,000. In addition, the home institution of the winners will each receive a $5,000 donation to support the institution’s seminar series. Approximately 8-10 applicants will be selected for finalist status. Finalists may be invited to visit Regeneron for the onsite competition, travel expenses paid.  
Nominations: Each institution may nominate no more than two (2) PhD students and two (2) postdoctoral fellows. Each submission must include a signed institutional endorsement form, see attached. Applicants must prepare a description of their “dream” project and submit their full academic CV along with evidence of scholarly achievement. The “Dream” Project guidelines are as follows (see also description attached):  
1.    The research proposed must be within the field of biomedicine, broadly defined.
2.    The proposal must be no more than two single-spaced pages (no smaller than 10-point font). References do not need to be included within the two-page limit, but any figures, etc. should be. Note that preliminary data is not necessary.
3.    The proposal should clearly define a specific experiment or series of experiments, and include a rationale, basic methodology/design (citing literature is fine), and discussion of how the experiment's results would advance the field.
Complete applications will include the following:
1.    Full academic CV
2.    Institutional endorsement form signed by applicant and institutional endorser
3.    Dream Project (up to 2 pages not including references, no smaller than 10-point font)
4.    Publication samples as evidence of scholarly achievement
All applicants will be asked to certify that the “dream” project proposal submitted is their original idea and does not appear in any publication or grant application where they are not the principal investigator. Project proposals found to the contrary may be disqualified. Proposals that embody incremental advances from current projects by the applicant or their lab also will not qualify. Please note that joint/team proposals are not eligible to be submitted for the Regeneron Prize. Regeneron reserves the right to not award a prize if the judges decide that no application meets the requirements or standards.  
We will be sharing a link for nominees to submit applications to our online application portal shortly. Contact science.education@regeneron.com with questions. Deadline for submissions is Monday, March 4th, 2024.

 

2023 Blavatnik Therapeutics Challenge Awards - 2023 application is closed

HMS is pleased to announce the 2023 cycle of the Blavatnik Therapeutics Challenge Awards. These awards, part of the historic $200 million commitment from the Blavatnik Family Foundation to HMS, will help propel the School’s mission of transforming health through curiosity-driven research that stimulates the development of new therapies and the creation of new tools to diagnose, prevent, and treat disease.
The intent of the these awards is to accelerate the development of therapeutics throughout HMS and its affiliated hospitals, with the goal of achieving licensable intellectual property and potentially creating new companies within a two-year time frame. The awards program will help investigators overcome obstacles to commercial translation by funding promising technologies and positioning them to attract venture and industry partners. Awards will include significant financial resources in addition to therapeutic development and project management expertise.
All faculty at the rank of assistant, associate, or full professor in the Faculty of Medicine (i.e., faculty at HMS, HMS-affiliated institutions, and HSDM) are eligible to apply for funding as lead PI. Postdocs with ideas that fit the RFP are encouraged to discuss and work with their faculty mentor. The Blavatnik Family Foundation will provide the funds for the awards, which will be administered by Harvard via a grant to the PI’s institution and funded at a level of up to $1 million (total costs) over a period of two years.
Full proposal due: Wednesday, March 15, 2023

HMS Foundations Funds Programs - Postdoctoral Fellowship Opportunities for Greek Nationals
The deadline for the program has passed: Deadline for Applications: January 3, 2023

Q-FASTR, the Quadrangle Fund for Advancing and Seeding Translational Research at Harvard Medical School
 The deadline for this funding opportunity has passed - We are pleased to announce the next round of funding for Q-FASTR, the Quadrangle Fund for Advancing and Seeding Translational Research at Harvard Medical School. Funds will be available to support innovative translational research projects based in laboratories in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS. Since the start of the program in 2016, HMS has funded 57 awards. These awards have already yielded more than $100 million in follow-on funding, three startup companies, 47 patents, and 10 publications.
Assistant professors, associate professors, and professors who have research programs located in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS and assign intellectual property (IP) to Harvard University are eligible to apply for funding as lead principal investigators. Postdocs with ideas that fit the RFP are encouraged to discuss and work with their faculty mentor
This includes Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology faculty who assign IP to Harvard University and Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology investigators whose IP is governed by joint Harvard-affiliate institutional agreements.
The deadline for this funding opportunity has passed - We are soliciting proposals for Pilot Awards of up to $100,000 and Development Awards of up to $300,000. Please review the request for proposals on the program website, as we have modified the criteria to include earlier projects. Pre-proposals are due by Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023.
Please direct any questions to Ifat Rubin-Bejerano, HMS senior director, translational research.

Harvard Catalyst: Writing and Communication Center - Grant Writing Tips
Obtaining and maintaining funding is critical to sustaining your research career. Whether that support comes from a foundation or philanthropy, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), or another government agency, the resources at Harvard Catalyst provide training and advice to help you to navigate the grant application process.

Policy on PI Eligibilty and Responsibilities (HERE)
- Postdocs: Individuals who are trainees may serve as PI on fellowships and career development awards for which holding PI status is a requirement with approval from their faculty mentor and Department Chair or designee. 

Postdoc Funding Opportunities
(
Download Finding Funding PDF)

HMS Foundation Funds
- The HMS Foundation Funds Program administers the nomination process for HMS/HSDM faculty and postdocs for funding opportunities from private foundations that are limited submission and require candidates to be nominated by either Harvard Medical School or Harvard University. Each year, several foundations invite HMS/HSDM junior faculty members and postdocs to apply for their fellowships and grants, which serve as critical funding at the early stages of a research career. Interested investigators must first apply internally through the HMS Foundation Funds, and a committee will select the final candidates who will then submit applications to the foundations.

Harvard University Funding Portal (HUFP)
- The Harvard University Funding Portal contains information on all active limited submission opportunity competitions throughout Harvard.  Researchers interested in applying for limited competitions will submit applications through this portal. 

Harvard Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) Funding Overview
- The Office of the Vice Provost for Research seeks to create an environment that fosters the success of Harvard’s researchers.

Office of Technology Development Accelerators
- Accelerator programs combine funding strategies, technical support, and business expertise to help promising innovations make the leap from the lab to the commercial sphere.

Q-FASTR
- The Quadrangle Fund for Advancing and Seeding Translational Research (Q-FASTR) at HMS, identifies, supports, and expedites early-stage research with eventual commercialization potential.

HMS Research Administration
- The O
ffice of Research Administration is comprised of distinct teams, with its core operations separated into functional areas: pre-award, post-award, operations, research finance, reporting and analytics, and communications.

Harvard FAS Research Administration Services
- The FAS Research Development team has developed resources and information to facilitate a funding search. They are also available to work directly with Harvard faculty and administrators to conduct customized funding searches based on specific funding needs and priorities.

Harvard Catalyst
- Harvard Catalyst offers pilot grants to Harvard investigators who need seed funds for early stage research anywhere along the translational spectrum, from basic/preclinical investigation to practice- or population-based research. Catalyst also offers
Elements of Grant Writing, an online guide containing info and tools for researchers who are applying for federal, foundation, or corporate grant funding. 

K99/R00 Sample Applications - NIH via National Institute on Aging
An NIA Investigator has graciously agreed to share their exceptional applications and summary statements as samples to help the research community. The resources below represent the initial submission and subsequent resubmission of a K99/R00 application from a single applicant, who received an excellent score and was funded upon resubmission. This is only one example of a successful K99/R00 application and is not meant to be a template for future applicants. Please make sure that your application is tailored to your specific research and career development plan, and seek individual advice from mentors and peers as you prepare your application. Read more about K99/R00 funding opportunities at NIA.


Postdoc Office Funding Resources
Office of Postdoctoral Fellows Lending Library
- The OPF Lending Library has a number of books about funding funding and grant writing on loan in the Postdoc Lending Library. Click on the link above for a complete list.

NRSA Sample Proposals
- The OPF has a sample of previously funded NRSA proposals, some of which include reviewer comments and scores. The proposals are only available to view in the Postdoc Office. Please email postdoc_office@hms.harvard.edu to set-up a time to visit the office. (Please note: this resource is only available to HMS quad-based postdocs.)
 
Searchable Databases for Funding Opportunities

Pivot
- This database contains information about government, non-profit, industry and international funding opportunities in all fields. Pivot allows users to create their own profiles and receive customized funding alerts. Log-in to COS Pivot using your Harvard Key.
PDF Guide

Foundation Directory Online (FDO)
- This database contains information on private foundations and the grants they support, as well as funding opportunities available through corporate sponsors.
Access requires a subscription. Anyone associated with Harvard should be able to access the Foundation Directory Online by going to
https://library.harvard.edu/; Click on the "My HOLLIS" link, then select "Databases” and then searching by keyword for “Foundation.”. Click on the "ONLINE ACCESS" link to open databse (Harvard Key required)

Grants.gov
- This database includes all current funding opportunities from 26 agencies of the United States government, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and many others.
 
Additional Links to Funding Opportunities & Resources

NIH Funding | NIH Awards by Career Stage | NIAID Sample Proposals

NIH Fogarty International Center - Non-NIH Funding Opportunities - Grants and Fellowships

Harvard Catalyst: Writing and Communication Center - Grant Writing Tips
Obtaining and maintaining funding is critical to sustaining your research career. Whether that support comes from a foundation or philanthropy, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), or another government agency, the resources at Harvard Catalyst provide training and advice to help you to navigate the grant application process.

NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs)
- E
stablished by Congress designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers. The NIH LRPs pay up to $35,000 annually of qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in NIH mission-relevant research. Applicants must hold an M.D., Ph.D., Psy.D., Pharm.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.M.D., D.P.M., D.C., N.D., O.D., D.V.M., or equivalent doctoral-level degree. More information about eligibility requirements can be found here: https://www.lrp.nih.gov/eligibility-programs

K99/R00 Sample Applications - NIH via National Institute on Aging
An NIA Investigator has graciously agreed to share their exceptional applications and summary statements as samples to help the research community. The resources below represent the initial submission and subsequent resubmission of a K99/R00 application from a single applicant, who received an excellent score and was funded upon resubmission. This is only one example of a successful K99/R00 application and is not meant to be a template for future applicants. Please make sure that your application is tailored to your specific research and career development plan, and seek individual advice from mentors and peers as you prepare your application. Read more about K99/R00 funding opportunities at NIA.

NSF Funding

NASA Funding

Center for Disease Control Funding

Non-NIH Funding Opportunites - compiled by the Fogarty International Center

Environmental Protection Agency Funding

"Grant Proposals Guide" - created by The Writing Center, UNC-Chapel Hill

Career Development Funding for Biomedical Research

Research & Funding Timeline | Federal Research Funding AgenciesNon-Federal Research Funding Agencies (UMass Medical School GSBS)