Pew Charitable Trust

Apply to Internal Competition // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

The current grant level is $300,000; $75,000 per year for a four-year period. For the 2026 award, one nomination will be invited from each of the participating institutions listed at the bottom of this page.

Eligibility

• Candidates must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:
• Hold a doctorate in biomedical sciences, medicine, or a related field, including engineering or the physical sciences.
• As of Sept. 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).
  • 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.

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.

Ideas with the potential to produce an unusually high impact are encouraged. Selection of the successful candidates will be based on a detailed description of the work that the applicant proposes to undertake, evaluations of the candidate’s performance, and notable past accomplishments, including honors, awards, and publications. In evaluating the candidates, the National Advisory Committee gives considerable weight to both the project proposal and the researcher, including evidence that the candidate is a successful independent investigator and has the skill set needed to carry out their high-impact proposal.

Funding from the NIH, other government sources, and project grants from nonprofit associations do not pose a conflict with the Pew scholars program. If you have questions concerning eligibility, please contact Pew Biomedical Programs (scholarsapp@pewtrusts.org) in advance of applying.

Funding Terms

An award of $75,000 per year for four years will be provided to the sponsoring institution for use by the scholar, subject to annual review of the scholar’s progress. Grant agreements will be issued in August of the award year. The awarded funds may be used at the discretion of the Pew scholar, for personnel, equipment, supplies, or travel directly related to the scholar's research and as to best advance his or her research and career.

• The amount of the award that may be used for the principal investigator’s salary is limited to $12,500 per year (including benefits) or $50,000 over the duration of the grant. There are no limits on student or postdoctoral salaries.
• Not more than 8 percent ($24,000) of the total award value may be allocated for facilities and administration (F&A) charges or indirect costs (IDCs).
• Should the funds not be immediately required, they may be accumulated and carried over through the grant period and, with written approval of the program office, the grant may receive a no-cost extension for one additional year (without additional funds).
• Subawards are allowed.

T. Sawyer (Biomedical Engineering)

The selection process and submission of this funding program are coordinated by the University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC). For any other questions, please contact UACC Research Development (UACC-PreAward@arizona.edu)

The University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC) can nominate one applicant for the 2024 Pew-Stewart Scholars Program for Cancer Research which supports assistant professors of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of a cure for cancer.

Purpose of Award:

In line with The Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust’s mission to invest in innovative, cutting-edge cancer research that may accelerate and advance progress toward a cure for cancer, applications are invited from nominees conducting cancer research. This program is distinct from the Pew Scholars Program, and it follows a different, but parallel set of guidelines and procedures for nominating an applicant whose research is related to cancer.

This program does not fund clinical trials research. Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches to basic, translational, and applied cancer research. Candidates whose work is based on biomedical principles but who bring in concepts and theories from more diverse fields are encouraged to apply. Ideas with the potential to produce an unusually high impact are encouraged.

Selection of the successful candidates will be based on a detailed description of the work that the applicant proposes to undertake, evaluations of the candidate’s performance, and notable past accomplishments, including honors, awards, and publications. In evaluating the candidates, the National Advisory Committee gives considerable weight to both the project proposal and the researcher, including evidence that the candidate is a successful independent investigator and has the skill set needed to carry out their high-impact proposal.

Award Terms

An award of $75,000 per year for four years ($300,000 total) will be provided to the sponsoring institution for use by the Pew-Stewart scholar, subject to annual review of his or her progress. Grant agreements will be issued in August of the award year. Funding from the NIH, other government sources, and project grants from nonprofit associations do not pose a conflict with the Pew-Stewart program.

It is expected that Pew-Stewart scholars will spend at least 80 percent of their time in work or activities related to the accomplishment of their overall research goals (which are not restricted to the specific aims proposed for this award). However, Pew provides flexible support to the general research aims of the Pew-Stewart scholar and does not require effort reporting.

The awarded funds may be used at the discretion of the Pew-Stewart scholar, for personnel, equipment, supplies, or travel directly related to the Pew-Stewart scholar's research and as to best advance his or her research and career. Specifically:

• The amount of the award that may be used for the principal investigator’s salary is limited to $12,500 per year (including benefits) or $50,000 over the duration of the grant. There are no limits on student or postdoctoral salaries.
• Not more than 8 percent ($24,000) of the total award value may be allocated for facilities and administration (F&A) charges or indirect costs (IDCs).
• Should the funds not be immediately required, they may be accumulated and carried over through the grant period and, with written approval of the program office, the grant may receive a no-cost extension for one additional year (without additional funds).
• Subawards are allowed.

Funding from the NIH, other government sources, and project grants from nonprofit associations do not pose a conflict with the Pew-Stewart program. If you have questions concerning eligibility, please contact Kara Coleman, project director, Pew Biomedical Programs at 215-575-4925 or Pew-Stewart@pewtrusts.org in advance of applying.

Applicant Eligibility:

Candidates must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

A. Koshy