Research

The NIDCD Early Career Research (ECR) Award (R21) is intended to support both basic and clinical research from scientists who are beginning to establish an independent research career. It cannot be used for thesis or dissertation research. The research must be focused on one or more of the areas within the biomedical and behavioral scientific mission of the NIDCD: hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, or language. The NIDCD ECR Award R21 grant mechanism supports different types of projects including secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of research methodology; translational research; outcomes research; and development of new research technology. Irrespective of the type of project, the intent of the NIDCD ECR Award R21 is for the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) to obtain sufficient preliminary data for a subsequent R01 application.

Only one NIDCD ECR Award (R21) application may be submitted by a PD/PI per due date. PD/PIs who successfully obtained an NIDCD Small Grant award are ineligible for an NIDCD ECR Award (R21).

Applicants may not submit an NIDCD R01, R15 or R21 application for the same review cycle that the NIDCD ECR Award application is submitted. In such cases, the NIDCD ECR Award R21 application will be withdrawn.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement is intended to identify and support research projects by exceptionally promising Early Stage Investigators with a long-term career interest in pursuing innovative research in genomics. This opportunity is open to research in all areas relevant to the mission of NHGRI, including genomic sciences, genomic medicine, genomic data science, and ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics.

The PD/PI must be an NIH defined Early Stage Investigator, and this eligibility must be included in the NIH Commons record prior to the review of the application.

In addition, the PD/PI must be an independent researcher with a faculty appointment that is tenure track or equivalent (generally at the level of Assistant Professor or Research Assistant Professor), and have dedicated, independent laboratory space or access to the research resources which will allow them to conduct the research proposed in the grant application as the lead PD/PI

Since its inception, the NBF has awarded over $10 million to early-career investigators through its Scientific Research Grants Program. Many NBF early-career grant recipients have become leaders in the field. NBF awards grants for investigator-initiated original research in all aspects of blood banking, transfusion medicine, cellular therapies and patient blood management.

Areas of Interest
Immunology

Alloimmunization, immune modulation, and tolerance
Animal models for the study of graft-vs-host disease
Biology of autoimmune hemolytic anemia

Hematology

Autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplants
Detection of residual disease following stem cell transplants
Effects of growth factors in vitro and in vivo
Biochemistry of coagulation factors

Immunohematology

Blood group serology
Biochemistry of red cell antigens
Molecular genetics of the blood groups

Infectious Diseases

Studies on Lyme disease, West Nile Virus, SARS and babesiosis and other emerging diseases
Effect of allogeneic transfusion in HIV-infected and immunocompromised patients
Improved detection of transfusion - transmitted diseases

Cellular Therapies

Cell separation, cell culture or expansion studies for cell therapy applications
Development of novel cell therapies or assays to measure cell viability or function
Pilot studies in regenerative medicine
Studies on mechanisms or roles of cells in stem cell transplantation
Studies on cytokines or growth factors involved in stem cell differentiation

Patient Blood Management

Treatment of pre-admission anemia and bleeding tendencies; Intraoperative/postoperative blood recovery; Surgical hemostasis; Appropriate indications for transfusion; Changing physician behaviors; Blood utilization review.

Brain Research Foundation invites eligible US institutions to nominate one faculty member (Assistant or Associate Professor) to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the BRF Seed Grant Program.

Brain Research Foundation’s Annual Seed Grant Program was initiated in 1981. The purpose of our program is to provide start-up monies for new research projects in the field of neuroscience that will likely lead to extramural funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or other outside funding sources.

The objective of the BRF Seed Grant Program is to support new and innovative projects, especially those of junior faculty, who are working in new research directions. BRF Seed Grant awards are not intended to supplement existing grants.

Each total grant is limited to $80,000 (direct costs) for a two year grant period. The first grant payment of $40,000 will be made upon completion of the Seed Grant Acceptance Form (June 2024). The final payment of $40,000 will be made contingent upon receipt of a preliminary progress and financial report (June 2025). Funds must be utilized within the grant period.

Areas of Interest
1.) Funding is to be directed at pilot research projects that are both innovative and will likely lead to successful grant applications to NIH and other public and private funding entities.

2.) Assistant Professor – Junior faculty with a new research project that will generate pilot data that will lead to RO1 funding or a comparable outside grant will be first priority.

• Must provide abstract and specific aims for current grants and indicate if there is any overlap.

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.