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.
NIEHS Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers Program │ February 13
As intellectual hubs for environmental health science research, the EHSCC are expected to be the thought leaders for the field and advance the goals of the 2025-2029 NIEHS Strategic Plan. The Core Centers provide critical research infrastructure, shared facilities, services and/or resources, to groups of investigators conducting environmental health sciences research. An EHSCC enables researchers to conduct their independently-funded individual and/or collaborative research projects more efficiently and/or more effectively. The overall goal of an EHSCC is to identify and capitalize on emerging issues that advance improving the understanding of the relationships among environmental exposures, human biology, and disease. The EHSCC supports community engagement and translational research as key approaches to improving public health.
FUNDING INFORMATION: New or first-time applicants can apply for up to $850,000 direct costs per year for up to four years ($3.4M total). Renewal applications can apply for up to $1M in direct costs per year for up to five years ($5M total). The EHSCC does not require cost sharing.
ELIGIBILITY: BU may forward one application. To qualify for an EHSCC, the applicant institution must have a base of ongoing, independently supported, peer-reviewed research projects clearly dedicated to the study of environmental health sciences.
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support.
INTERNAL SELECTION: Interested BUMC investigators should submit the following materials listed below via InfoReady Review by Feb. 13, 2025. If you are a faculty who works in BMC space (i.e., your research mentor is a BMC investigator) and wish to apply, please contact the Director of Strategic Research Growth Jessica Howard, at Jessica.Howard@bmc.org, by Friday, Feb. 7, 2025.
- Questions outlined in InfoReady Review
- Project proposal (up to two pages) describing their scientific achievements and proposed project, including key facilities and project personnel
- Up-to-date CV or biosketch
- Budget outline
As necessary, a faculty committee drawn from both campuses will select the nominee.
DEADLINES:
- Internal Materials Due: Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 by 11:59 p.m.
- Application Due: Tuesday, March 18, 2025
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.
BCA Exceptional Project & Young Investigator Grants │ February 18
- Exceptional Project Grants for clinical doctors and research scientists at any stage of their careers, including post docs 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: BU may support up to two nominees between both grant types. Applicants for the Young Investigators Grants must, as of March 1, 2026:
- 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: Interested BUMC investigators should submit the following materials listed below via InfoReady Review by Feb. 18, 2025. If you are a faculty who works in BMC space (i.e., your research mentor is a BMC investigator) and wish to apply, please contact the Director of Strategic Research Growth Jessica Howard, at Jessica.howard@bmc.org, by Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
- Questions outlined in InfoReady Review
- Two-page Project Proposal describing the research aims and methods as well as the project’s potential impact
- Up-to-date CV or biosketch
- Budget outline
A medical campus faculty committee will review the internal proposals and the select nominees.
DEADLINES: Internal Materials Due: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 by 11:59 p.m. |LOI Due: Monday, March 31, 2025 by 11:59 p.m.
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.
NIGMS - Collaborative Program Grant for Multidisciplinary Teams │ March 5
NIGMS recognizes that diverse teams working together and capitalizing on innovative ideas and distinct perspectives outperform homogeneous teams. To support the best science, NIGMS encourages inclusivity in research.
FUNDING INFORMATION: $700,000-$900,000 in direct costs though applications may request research program budgets of up to $1.5M per year ($7.5M total). Applications may request up to five years of support. This opportunity does not require cost sharing.
ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS: The application is required to be submitted as a multiple PD/PI application, with 3-6 PDs/PIs. All PDs/PIs must have an appointment at a domestic institution. Up to two applications per institution will be selected.
INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS: Interested BUMC faculty should submit the following materials listed below via InfoReady Review by March 5, 2025. If you are a faculty who works in BMC space (i.e., your research mentor is a BMC investigator) and wish to apply, please contact the Director of Strategic Research Growth, Jessica Howard, at Jessica.howard@bmc.org, by Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025.
- Questions outlined in InfoReady Review application;
- Two-page Proposal Description describing their proposed project and strategies to advance the scientific and technical merit of the proposed project through expanded inclusivity;
- A brief budget outline;
- Up-to-date CV or biosketch for all PIs.
A faculty committee drawn from both campuses will review the internal proposals and the select nominees.
DEADLINES: Internal Materials Due: Wednesday, March 5, 2025 by 11:59 p.m. | LOI Deadline: Monday, April 28, 2025 | Sponsor Deadline: Wednesday, May 28, 2025 by 5 p.m.
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.
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Climate + Health Excellence (CHEX) Centers │ March 14
This grant will support new discovery toward defining the health impacts of climate change, developing potential interventions, translating discovery science into practical application, and outward-facing work that can help public understanding of Climate + Health or strengthen connections between research and communities whose health has been harmed by climate change. Our goal is to help these Centers of Excellence achieve their strategic goals by supporting activities that help build stable collaborations between people, departments, and institutions.
Conveying to the public ideas about how climate change and human health are linked is important for the flow of insights from discovery research into health interventions. For this reason, successful applications will bring general (non-postgraduate) education or public communication into their vision of shared common ground. Either education or communication should be a substantial element of the proposal.
FUNDING INFORMATION: Up to $2M per year for five years ($10M total).
ELIGIBILITY: BU may only submit one application.
INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS: Senior leadership is coordinating a BU application submission; as such, there will be no internal competition.
Investigators interested in being a part of the coordinated submission must receive prior approval from the Vice President and Associate Provost for Research (Thomas Bifano) and the Office of Research. Please send an email to tbg@bu.edu and research@bu.edu and addressed to Thomas Bifano by Friday, March 14, 2025.
DEADLINES:
- Interest Email Due: Friday, March 14, 2025 by 5 p.m. EDT
- LOI Deadline: Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025 by 3 p.m. ET
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.
NIH - Biomedical Research Shared Instrumentation Grants │ March 28
- Shared Instrument Grant (SIG) program to purchase or upgrade a single item of high-priced, specialized, commercially available instruments or integrated instrumentation system. Instruments supported include, but are not limited to: X-ray diffractometers, mass spectrometers, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, DNA and protein sequencers, biosensors, electron and light microscopes, cell sorters, and biomedical imagers.
Award Amount: $50,000 – $750,000
- High-End Instrumentation (HEI) Grant program to purchase or upgrade a single item of high-end, specialized, commercially available instruments or integrated systems. Instruments supported include, but are not limited to, X-ray diffractometers, high throughput robotic screening systems, mass spectrometers, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, DNA and protein sequencers, biosensors, electron and light microscopes, flow cytometers, and biomedical imagers.
Award Amount: $750,001-$2M
Internal Pre-submission Process: The internal pre-submission process is to foster collaborative proposals and increase the success rate for the University. Applicants complete an online form designed to ensure that all proposals are reviewed for scientific merit and ensuring that highly-rated applications receive the appropriate level of institutional support to make them most competitive.
The internal deadline for the 2025 Shared Instrumentation Grants pre-submission applications is Friday March 28, 2025. NIH deadline is June 2, 2025.
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.
Pew Biomedical Scholars Program │ April 1
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 evidence that the candidate is a successful independent investigator and has published significant work.
FUNDING INFORMATION: Up to $75,000 per year for four years ($300,000 total). No more than 8% ($24,000) of the total award may be allocated for facilities and administration charges or indirect costs.
ELIGIBILITY: BU may nominate one candidate. 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 Sep. 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- This part of the eligibility criteria has been temporarily expanded to account for COVID-related lab shutdowns. This extension will end after this upcoming application cycle. Beginning in the 2027 grant cycle, the eligibility window will revert to the three-year period.
- May not be nominated for the Pew Biomedical Scholars Program and the Pew-Stewart Scholars Program for Cancer Research in the same year.
INTERNAL SELECTION: Interested BUMC investigators should submit the following materials listed below via InfoReady Review by Tuesday, April 1, 2025. If you are a faculty who works in BMC space (i.e., your research mentor is a BMC investigator) and wish to apply, please contact the Director of Strategic Research Growth, Jessica Howard, at Jessica.Howard@bmc.org, by Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
- Questions outlined in InfoReady Review application
- Project Proposal (max two pages) describing the proposed project and providing evidence of your success as an independent investigator
- Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches to basic, translational, and applied biomedical research
- Up-to-date CV or biosketch
- Budget outline for the proposed project.
A faculty committee drawn from both campuses will review internal proposals and select nominees. Foundation Relations will work with the nominees to develop and submit the institutional nomination application by Wed., May 14, 2025.
DEADLINES:
- Internal Materials Due: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 11:59 p.m.
- External Nomination Due: Wed., May 14, 2025
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.
Pew-Steward Scholars for Cancer Research │ April 1
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.)
- 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 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: Interested BUMC investigators should submit the following materials listed below via InfoReady Review by Tuesday, April 1, 2025. If you are a faculty who works in BMC space (i.e., your research mentor is a BMC investigator) and wish to apply, please contact the Director of Strategic Research Growth, Jessica Howard, at Jessica.howard@bmc.org, by Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025.
- 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 medical campus will review the internal proposals and the select nominee. Foundation Relations will work with the nominee to develop and submit the institutional nomination application materials by May 14, 2025.
DEADLINES:
- Internal Materials Due: Tuesday, April 1, 2025
- External Materials Due: Wednesday, May 14, 2025
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.
If you have any questions about these funding opportunities contact us.
View the list of annually recurring limited submission opportunities sorted by anticipated internal deadline.