Limited Submission Funding Announcements

These research funding opportunities have a submission limit, meaning only a certain number of applications can be submitted. Faculty interested in applying must submit a preliminary proposal for review by an internal selection committee. Below are the available funding opportunities along with their respective internal submission deadlines.

National Kidney Foundation Young Investigator Research Grant │ January 11, 2026

The National Kidney Foundation supports promising young scientists investigating clinical research questions in nephrology or closely related fields and addressing important issues for patients with kidney disease.

Projects must be patient-oriented. Elements of patient-oriented research activities may include, but are not limited to:

development of new technologies
mechanisms of human disease
educational or therapeutic interventions epidemiological studies
health policy studies
clinical trials

You can find additional information about this opportunity in the Award Instructions.

FUNDING INFORMATION: $35,000 for one year.

ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must:

Have completed training in nephrology prior to the start of the grant award
Hold a full-time appointment to a faculty position at a U.S. university, or an equivalent position as a scientist on the staff of a research-oriented institution, at the time funding begins
Are within their first 4 years of initial appointment to a faculty position or staff scientist position in a research organization

Applicants may have a concurrent NIH “K” series award and a Young Investigator Grant from the NKF.

INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS: BMC has already selected an institutional nominee for this opportunity and is not participating in this call for internal applications. If you are unsure whether your grants are managed by BU or BMC, please consult the BUMC Home Institution Finder. If you have further questions, please reach out to Carolina Giudice (carolina.giudice@bmc.org).

BU/BUMC may forward one proposal. Interested medical campus applicants should submit the following materials via InfoReady Review by January 11, 2026.

One-page Specific Aims Statement
One-page Significance & Background Statement
Names and information for three references, one of which must be the sponsor of the research performed during the applicant’s research training
PI’s Biosketch

As necessary, a faculty review committee will review internal applications and select the institutional nominee(s).

DEADLINES:

Internal Materials Due: Sunday, January 11, by 11:59 pm ET
Anticipated Notification Date: Friday, January 16.
External Materials Due: Monday, February 9.

Wolf Prize in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine │ January 12, 2026

Breast Cancer Alliance Exceptional Project and Young Investigator Grants │ January 29, 2026

Note: The foundation has not yet announced the 2026 cycle for this LSO but is expected to soon. The internal competition is announced in anticipation to allow prospective applicants sufficient time to prepare their materials. All information in this announcement is subject to change.

The mission of Breast Cancer Alliance (BCA) is to improve survival rates and quality of life for those impacted by breast cancer through better prevention, early detection, treatment and cure. There are two grants available:

Exceptional Project Grants for clinical doctors and research scientists at any stage of their careers, including postdocs whose current proposal is focused on breast cancer. This award recognizes creative, unique and innovative research related to breast cancer.
Young Investigator Grants for clinical doctors and research scientists who are in the early stages of their careers, including post docs, whose current proposal is focused on breast cancer, with the goal of encouraging a commitment to breast cancer research.

FUNDING INFORMATION

Exceptional Project Grants: $100,000 for salary support and project costs over one year with limit of 8% in indirect costs.
Young Investigator Grants: $125,000 for salary support and project costs for two years.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants for the Young Investigators Grants must, as of March 1, 2027:

Not have held a tenure track faculty or research position for more than four years following the completion of their training
Not have been a PI on an NIH R01 or equivalent national/international non-mentored award
Dedicate at least 50% of their work effort to research

INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS

The internal selection process depends on whether your grants are managed by BU (CRC and BUMC) or Boston Medical Center. If you are unsure whether your grants are managed by BU or BMC, please consult the BUMC Home Institution Finder. Use that information to guide which process you follow below.

BUMC Process

BU may support up to two nominees between both grant types. Medical campus interested applicants should submit the following materials via InfoReady Review by January 29, 2026.

Two-page Project Proposal describing the project’s research aims, methods, and potential impact. References may be included on one additional page
NIH formatted biosketch

As necessary, a faculty review committee will review internal applications and select the institutional nominee(s).

BMC Process

BMC may support up to two nominees between both grant types. If you are a BUMC faculty member who works in BMC space or you are a fellow whose faculty advisor is a BMC investigator, please contact the Program Manager of Strategic Research Growth, Carolina Giudice (carolina.giudice@bmc.org) by January 23, 2026 to express interest in this opportunity.

BMC investigators do not need to submit applications through InfoReady Review for this LSO. BMC investigators should contact Carolina for guidance on next steps.

DEADLINES

Deadline to express interest (BMC PIs only): Friday, January 23, 2026.
Internal Materials Due (BUMC PIs) only: Thursday, January 29, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. ET.
Anticipated Notification Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
BCA LOI Due: Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

In requesting to be considered for this limited submission funding opportunity, you are making a commitment, if selected, to submit your proposal to the sponsor in a timely manner and to Sponsored Programs in accordance with the Proposal Submission Policy

Herbert W. Nickens Faculty Fellowship Program │ March 6, 2026

Note: The Herbert W. Nickens Faculty Fellowship nominations will open on Jan. 5, 2026. The internal competition is announced in anticipation to allow prospective nominators sufficient time to prepare their applications.

The Herbert W. Nickens Faculty Fellowship award recognizes an outstanding junior faculty member who demonstrates leadership potential in addressing inequity in medical education and health care; demonstrated efforts in addressing educational, societal, and health care needs of racial and ethnic minorities in the United States and is committed to a career in academic medicine.

ELIGIBILITY: A medical school may nominate one current faculty member per year for this award. A candidate must:

Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Hold the rank of full-time assistant professor in a LCME-accredited U.S. medical school department.
Have held the assistant professor position appointment beginning no earlier than July 1, 2023.
Have received only one appointment as assistant professor.
Hold a MD, PhD, or have earned another doctoral degree.

FUNDING INFORMATION: The recipient receives a $25,000 grant to support a project performed in the U.S. focused on underserved populations. Recipients are required to accept the award at Learn Serve Lead 2026: The AAMC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, CA. Funding for the fellowship begins in November of the year the fellowship is awarded. The recipient will be required to submit a final narrative and financial report by November 2028.

INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS:

The internal selection process depends on whether your grants are managed by BU or Boston Medical Center (BMC). If you are unsure whether your grants are managed by BU or BMC, please consult the BUMC Home Institution Finder. Use that information to guide which process you follow below.

BU Process

Interested BUMC faculty members who submit grants through BU should submit the following materials combined into a single pdf to Diana Lehman at dlehman@bu.edu by Friday, March 6, 2026.

A letter of recommendation from the appropriate department chair or dean.
A brief statement (up to two pages) by the candidate describing their scientific achievements and proposed project including proposed faculty and how the program will support diversity.
A brief budget outline for the proposed project.
Up-to-date CV or NIH biosketch.

A faculty committee will review the internal proposals and select a nominee.

Foundation Relations staff at ofr@bu.edu are available to assist if any questions or help needed.

BMC Process

If you are a BUMC faculty member who works in BMC space please contact the Program Manager of Strategic Research Growth, Carolina Giudice (carolina.giudice@bmc.org) by Jan 30, 2026 for instructions on next steps.

DEADLINES: Internal Materials Due (BU PIs only): Friday, March 6, 2026│Sponsor Deadline: April 3, 2026

Pew-Stewart Scholars for Cancer Program │ April 1, 2026

Note: The foundation has not yet announced the 2026 cycle for this LSO. The internal competition is announced in anticipation to allow prospective nominators sufficient time to prepare their applications. All information in this announcement is subject to change.

The Pew-Stewart Scholars for Cancer Research program supports assistant professors of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of a cure for cancer. 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.

FUNDING INFORMATION: 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 their progress. Grant agreements will be issued in August of the award year. 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 their research and career.

Not more than 8% ($24,000) of the total award value may be allocated for facilities and administration (F&A) charges or indirect costs (IDCs). 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.

ELIGIBILITY: One nominee will be selected by BU-BMC Cancer Center. 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 Aug. 27, 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 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 four years 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.
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.

INTERNAL SELECTION: The BU-BMC Cancer Center can submit one nomination. For this opportunity, all medical campus investigators, regardless of their home institution, will submit the materials listed below combined into a single PDF document via email to Diana Lehman at dlehman@bu.edu by Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

Letter of recommendation from the appropriate Department Chair or Dean
One-page summary of proposed project
Up-to-date biosketch in current NIH format

A faculty committee from the BU-BMC Cancer Center will review the internal proposals.

DEADLINES:

Internal Materials Due: Wednesday, April 1, 2026
External Materials Due: May 2026 (TBA)

If you have any questions about these funding opportunities contact us.

View the list of annually recurring limited submission funding opportunities sorted by anticipated internal deadline.