Research

The Start-Up Grant Program is meant to help newly appointed researchers who are beginning their independent research careers and may not yet have initial results to substantiate their application. Grants are for two years, in order to enable the grantees to submit a standard application to the next competition in their area of research. It is implemented within the framework of the regular BSF Research Grants program, i.e., it must exhibit scientific excellence, have a strong element of cooperation between Israeli and American scientists, and fall within the areas of research supported in that year by the BSF. In addition, at least one of the principal investigators should have attained his/her Ph.D., M.D. degree or equivalent, no more than ten years prior to submitting his/her proposal. To allay any doubts, we use the terms ‘Senior PI’ and ‘Junior PI’, referring to the established scientist and the one in the first stages of his/her independent career.

Start-Up proposals are submitted in the same manner as applications for the BSF Research Grant Program, and undergo the standard BSF evaluation process.

Start-Up Grant applications compete for funding together with the standard BSF Research Grant applications. The BSF has no special funds set aside for these grants. Nevertheless, Start-Up applications traditionally have a higher rate of success as compared with standard applications.

At the time the application is submitted, the junior PI may be no more than 10 years since the completion of his Ph.D/M.D studies (earliest of the two).
A typical start-up application is by a junior PI together with a senior one. The senior PI on a start-up application cannot be funded.
Only up to two junior PIs may apply together for a start-up grant, one Israeli and one American, and they can apply with or without an unfunded senior scientist.
A junior PI on a start-up grant may not simultaneously submit another grant application to the BSF, or currently hold another grant from the BSF, other than NSF-BSF grants. A senior PI on a start-up application may submit a second application in the same round.
A start-up application can be awarded only once.

The objective of the AGA Research Foundation Research Scholar Award (RSA) is to support early-career investigators working toward independent and productive research careers in digestive diseases by ensuring that a major proportion of their time is protected for research (i.e., a minimum of 50 percent effort dedicated to the proposed project). The award will support junior faculty (not fellows) who have demonstrated exceptional promise and have some record of accomplishment in research.

The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer and donor powered charity committed to supporting the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

The Scholar (Career Development) Award is meant to help develop the independent research of highly qualified individuals still early in their careers. Recipients are called St. Baldrick’s Scholars. (Up to $110,000/year, three-year minimum.)

Institutions may submit only one Scholar Award application per year.

The AASM Foundation is committed to developing the careers of sleep and circadian investigators by increasing support for sleep researchers. To meet this goal, the AASM Foundation has established research career development awards (CDA) to assist sleep researchers at various stages of their career.

The Bridge to Success for Early Career Investigators is an AASM Foundation CDA designed to provide ‘bridge’ funding to promising early career sleep and circadian scientists who have applied for a career development award such as a K-award grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a CDA from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or an equivalent career development grant from another federal or non-federal funding agency, but whose application was not within the funding range. Through this award, the AASM Foundation aims to assist investigators at a critical juncture in their career where bridge funding can determine whether a promising sleep and circadian scientist stays in the sleep field or moves to a different career track. The funding provides support during the period of time needed for revision and resubmission of a promising application in response to reviewer critiques.

The SFARI Bridge to Independence (BTI) program engages talented early-career scientists from diverse and/or historically underrepresented backgrounds to pursue research in autism and facilitates their transition into independent faculty positions at research institutions within or outside the U.S.

The program is aimed at Ph.D. and/or M.D.-holding scientists from diverse and/or historically underrepresented groups in science who are currently in a non-independent, mentored training position at an institution within or outside the U.S. and who will be actively seeking and applying to tenure-track faculty positions between September 2024–May 2025. Independence Fellows are expected to apply, secure and transition to a tenure-track faculty position at a research institution within or outside the U.S. by the end of the 2025–2026 academic year. U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status is not required. The BTI Award program welcomes applications that span the breadth of science that SFARI supports, including genetics, molecular mechanisms, circuits and systems, and clinical science.

Independence Fellows will receive up to two (2) years of postdoctoral fellowship support during their job search, with an annual salary of $85,000 USD, fringe benefits, an annual resource and professional development allowance of $10,000 USD, and indirect costs (see our grant policies) followed by a commitment of $600,000 USD over three (3) years, including indirect costs (see our grant policies), activated upon assumption of a tenure-track research professorship. The fellows will form a learning community and engage in professional development activities throughout their transition to research independence.

The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience (MEFN), an independent charitable organization established by The McKnight Foundation, was inspired by William L. McKnight’s personal interest in memory and its diseases. When Mr. McKnight (1887-1979) created the McKnight Foundation, he set aside part of his legacy to bring hope to those suffering from brain injury or disease and cognitive impairment. His descendants honor his commitment to neuroscience, and recognize that to continue the high level of excellence of the program the MEFN needs to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion in its award programs. To this end, the MEFN is expanding the number of annual Scholars awards from six to ten. The program will advance equity and drive innovation through inclusive excellence, recognizing that progress in neuroscience will be enhanced by the inclusion of new and diverse perspectives and voices.

The McKnight Scholar Awards are given to exceptional young scientists who are in the early stages of establishing an independent laboratory and research career. The intent of the program is to foster the commitment by these scientists to research careers that will have an important impact on the study of the brain. The program seeks to support scientists committed to mentoring neuroscientists from underrepresented groups at all levels of training. Applicants for the McKnight Scholar Award must demonstrate their ability to solve significant problems in neuroscience, which may include the translation of basic research to clinical practice. They should demonstrate a commitment to an equitable and inclusive lab environment.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) supports the Cancer Moonshot Scholars Diversity Program (CMSDP) and solicits R01 grant applications that propose independent research projects within the scientific mission of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The overarching goal of the CMSDP is to increase the number of R01 Early Stage Investigators (ESIs) and enhance the diversity of the cancer research workforce, while promoting scientific advancements in cancer. Investigators from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups (NOT-OD-20-031, Notice of NIH’s Interest in Diversity), are encouraged to work with their institutions to apply.

This NIDCR Small Grant Program for New Investigators supports basic and clinical research conducted by scientists who are in the early stages of establishing an independent research career in oral, dental and craniofacial research. This R03 program supports pilot or feasibility studies and developmental research projects with the intention of obtaining sufficient preliminary data for a subsequent investigator­ initiated Research Project Grant (R01) or equivalent application.

Only New Investigators who fit the criteria in this section are eligible to apply to this FOA.

New Investigators whose proposed research addresses topics of relevance to the NIDCR mission are eligible and encouraged to apply. A New Investigator is one who has not previously competed successfully for substantial, independent R01 or R01-equivalent funding from NIH. When Multiple PDs/PIs are proposed, all PDs/PIs must meet the definition of New Investigator and the eligibility criteria as defined below. Current or past recipients of the NIDCR Small Grant for New Investigators (R03) grant are eligible to apply for a second NIDCR Small Grant for New Investigators (R03), provided they are still New Investigators. New Investigator status should be valid at the time of award.

Specifically, NIDCR is excluding from consideration individuals who have received:

NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21) support from any NIH Institute or Center, or
More than one Small Grant for New Investigators (R03) funded by NIDCR. Any PD/PI who has already received funding for two NIDCR Small Grants for New Investigators (R03) is not eligible.
Investigators who have questions about eligibility should contact the Scientific/Research Contact listed in Section VII. Agency Contacts.

The Inspiring Generations of New Innovators to Impact Technologies in Energy (IGNIITE) program is designed to support a new cohort of early-career innovators to develop the most disruptive and unconventional ideas into transformative new technologies across the full spectrum of energy applications. This announcement is purposefully broad in technical scope, but eligibility is limited to early-career researchers as defined in Section III.A. In addition to research efforts, awardees will engage with ARPA-E and fellow awardees through dedicated IGNIITE events, meetings, and mentorship activities.

Submissions to this solicitation must propose transformational research and development (R&D) that have the potential for high impact. If successful, a project could create a new class or new trajectory for an energy technology, with the potential to substantially contribute to ARPA-E’s statutory goals (see Section I.A).

Awards under this program may take the form of exploratory research that provides the agency with information useful for the subsequent development of focused technology programs. Alternatively, awards may support proof-of-concept research for a particular new technology in an area not currently supported by the agency.

The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to encourage researchers from diverse backgrounds to work with their institutions to submit applications for research projects within the mission of either NIAID or NIDDK. This NOFO seeks to support either (a) a New Investigator (NI), who has not previously competed successfully for substantial, independent funding from NIH, or (b) an 'At-Risk' investigator, who had prior support as a PD/PI on a substantial independent research award and unless successful in securing a substantial research grant award in the current fiscal year, will have no substantial research grant funding in the following fiscal year.

Eligible candidates will identify with one of the two categories below:

1. New Investigator (NI)

For the purpose of this NOFO, an investigator is considered a New Investigator (NI; https://grants.nih.gov/policy/early-investigators/index.htm) if they have not competed successfully for substantial, NIH independent funding from NIH. A "substantial" research award is a research grant award excluding smaller grants that maintain Early Stage Investigator (ESI)/NI status (see full list of awards here: https://grants.nih.gov/policy/early-investigators/list-smaller-grants.htm). PD/PIs of NIH Training-Related and Mentored Career Awards are still considered New Investigators if the NIH awards are in any of the following categories: fellowships (F awards), individual or institutional career awards (K awards), and loan repayment contracts (L30, L32, L40, L50, L60). Appointees who have received support from any NIH training grants (T32, T34, T35, T90, D43) are also considered New Investigators.

OR

2. At-Risk Investigator

For the purpose of this NOFO, an investigator is considered an At-Risk Investigator if they have had prior support as a Principal Investigator on a substantial independent research award and, unless successful in securing a substantial research grant award in the current fiscal year, will have no substantial research grant funding in the following fiscal year. A "substantial" research award is a research grant award excluding smaller grants that maintain ESI/NI status