Limited Submission Funding Announcements

The Searle Scholars Program makes grants to support the independent research of exceptional young faculty in biomedical sciences and chemistry who have recently begun their appointment at the assistant professor level and whose appointment is their first tenure-track position.

The Searle Scholars Program supports high risk, high reward research across a broad range of scientific disciplines. It does not ordinarily support purely clinical research but has supported research programs that include both clinical and basic components. Potential applicants who are unsure if their research is appropriate for the Searle Program are encouraged to examine the research interests of present and former Searle Scholars on the program’s website.

FUNDING INFORMATION: $100,000 per year for three years ($300,000 total) beginning on July 1, 2026. For information about use of funds, please see the Award Information section of the program’s website.

The Searle Scholars Program does not place any restrictions on funding from other sources of support and is meant to supplement other funding received by an investigator.

ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS:

• Applicants are expected to be pursuing independent research careers in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and related areas in chemistry, medicine and the biological sciences.
• Applicants should have begun their appointment as an independent investigator at the assistant professor level on or after May 1, 2024. The appointment must be their first tenure-track position (or its nearest equivalent).
• Applicants who were nominated for awards in the previous competition year but were not awarded may still meet the eligibility criteria for the current competition.

INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS: BUMC faculty in BU space can submit the materials listed below via InfoReady Review by Wednesday, July 9, 2025.

If you are BUMC faculty working in BMC space, please contact the program manager of Strategic Research Growth Carolina Giudice, at carolina.giudice@bmc.org by Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Consult the BUMC Home Institution Finder if you are uncertain whether to submit through BU or BMC.

• Answer short questions outlined in InfoReady Review application.
• Two-page research program proposal describe in detail one of the specific areas of research you would like to perform in your laboratory during the next few years, indicating how this work is particularly novel and important. References may be included on a third page.
  • Provide a brief description of the other areas of research in your response to one of the short questions.
• Up-to-date CV.

A faculty committee drawn from both campuses will review the internal proposals and select the nominees. Foundation Relations will work with the nominees to develop and submit the institutional nomination letter and applicant materials by Sept. 30, 2025.

DEADLINES:

• Internal Materials Due: Wednesday, July 9, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. EST
• Anticipated Notification Date: Thursday, July 31, 2025
• Sponsor Deadline: Tuesday, Sept. 30, 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.

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The G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation Research Grant supports innovative, high-risk high-reward basic science ideally with translational applications. Some examples of currently funded research areas are immunology, microbiome, structural biology, cellular physiology, cancer biology, genetics, genomics, microbiology and infectious diseases, stem cell biology and neuroscience. In general, the Mathers Foundation reviewers look for innovative, novel proposals, which have scientific merit with an established published proof of concept, and which may not be fundable at the federal level.

The foundation will not fund work related to COVID-19, plant biology research, oceanography, space exploration, global warming related research, medical imaging technology related projects and/or electrical engineering technology development. The foundation will also not fund work conducted with human subjects or requests for clinical trials, drug discovery, or research projects it considers pre-clinical drug development. Preference will be given to research that has not been federally supported.

FUNDING INFORMATION: Up to $700,000 for three years (including 10% maximum IDC) may be requested. Mathers funding is intended to support only the actual investigation and may not be used to purchase capital equipment. The maximum allowed for student tuition or equipment is $5,000.

ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must be independent investigators with their own fully functional and equipped labs and must be nominated by an institutional representative.

Collaborative research projects with other U.S. based organizations are acceptable. However, research collaborations between U.S. based organizations and organizations based outside the U.S. are not encouraged and will be given lower priority.

INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS: BU can nominate up to three applicants. Interested BUMC faculty should submit the following materials listed below via InfoReady Review by Monday, July 14, 2025. If you are a faculty who works in BMC space or your research mentor is a BMC investigator and you wish to apply, please contact the program manager of Strategic Research Growth Carolina Giudice, at carolina.giudice@bmc.org by Wednesday, June 4, 2025.

• Short questions outlined in InfoReady Review
• Two-page project summary that includes a preliminary set of aims, a discussion of previous or related work and a summary of impactful discoveries. References may be included on a third page
• Up-to-date CV or biosketch for the PI

A faculty committee drawn from both campuses will review the internal proposals and select the nominees.

DEADLINES:

• Internal Materials Due: Monday, July 14, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET
• Anticipated Notification Date: Monday, July 28, 2025
• Portal Registration Due: Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, by 8 p.m. ET
• LOI Due: Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, by 8 p.m. ET
• Invited Formal Proposals Due: Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, by 8 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.

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NOTE: The foundation has not yet announced the 2026 cycle for this limited submission opportunity but is expected to soon. The internal competition is announced in anticipation to allow prospective candidates sufficient time to prepare their applications. All information in this announcement is subject to change.

OBJECTIVES: The Rita Allen Foundation Scholars (RAFS) Program funds basic biomedical research in the fields of cancer, immunology, and neuroscience. By investing in early-career biomedical scholars and their research, RAFS aims to advance transformative ideas and leverage them to promote breakthrough solutions.

Past Rita Allen Scholars have gone on to make fundamental contributions to their fields of study and have won recognition including the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the National Medal of Science, the Wolf Prize in Medicine, the Lasker-Koshland Award for Special Achievement in Medical Science and the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.

FUNDING INFORMATION: Up to $110,000 per year for a maximum of five years ($550,000 total).

ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS: To be eligible, the candidate must:

• Have completed their training in one of the following relevant fields: cancer, immunology, neuroscience, or pain
• Be independent investigators in the early stages of their careers and research, preferably within the first three years of their tenure track appointment
• Senior postdocs and associate professors are less likely to be selected as candidates
• Must be employed at a U.S. degree-granting or research institution; citizenship is not a requirement

Rita Allen Foundation Scholars (RAFS) may not accept an award from the following programs that would take effect in year one of their RAFS:

• Beckman Young Investigator Program
• Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences
• Searle Scholars Program
• Vallee Scholars Program

However, RAFS may apply for awards from the listed programs so long as they would take effect beginning in year two of the RAF award. Other sources of funding also may influence selection.

INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS: For BU faculty who submit grants through BU can send the materials listed below via InfoReady Review by Monday, July 23, 2025. BU faculty who submit grants through BMC, please contact Carolina Giudice at carolina.giudice@bmc.org, strategic research growth program manager by Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Consult the BUMC Home Institution Finder if you are uncertain whether you submit grants through BU or BMC.

• Short questions outlined in InfoReady Review application
• Two-page research statement describing the candidate’s proposed area of research and how that research represents a bold approach to basic scientific questions addressing problems of global concern significant work, achievements. References may be listed on one additional page.
• Up-to-date CV

A faculty committee will review internal proposals and select nominees. Foundation Relations will work with the nominees to develop and submit the institutional nomination letter and applicant materials by Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.

DEADLINES:

• Internal Materials Due: Monday, July 23, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. EDT
• Anticipated Notification Date: Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2025
• **Anticipated** LOI Due: Friday, Sept. 5, 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.

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NOTE: The foundation has not yet announced the 2026 cycle for this opportunity but is expected to soon. This announcement is provided in anticipation to allow prospective nominators sufficient time to prepare their nominations. All information in this announcement is subject to change.

OBJECTIVES: The Sloan Research Fellowship Program recognizes and rewards outstanding early-career faculty who have the potential to revolutionize their fields of study. Successful candidates for a Fellowship generally have a strong record of significant independent research accomplishments that demonstrate creativity and the potential to become future leaders in the scientific community. Nominated candidates are normally several years past the completion of their PhD in order to accumulate a competitive record of independent, significant research.

In keeping with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s longstanding support of underrepresented scholars in the sciences, the Foundation strongly encourages the nomination of qualified Black, Latinx, Native American, Alaska Native and women candidates.

FUNDING INFORMATION: $75,000 for a two-year fellowship. Fellowship funds may be used by the fellow for any expense judged supported of the fellow’s research, including staffing, professional travel, lab expenses, equipment or summer salary support.

ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS: Nominated candidates must:

• Hold a PhD or equivalent in chemistry, computational & evolutionary molecular biology, computer science, earth system science, ocean sciences, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, physics or a related field
• Be members of the faculty of a college, university, or other degree-granting institution in the U.S. or Canada
• Be tenure-track, though untenured, as of Sept. 15, 2025
• Have a position that carries a regular teaching obligation

INTERNAL PROCESS: For BU faculty who submit grants through BU can send the materials listed below via InfoReady Review by Aug. 8, 2025. BU faculty who submit grants through BMC, please contact Carolina Giudice at carolina.giudice@bmc.org, strategic research growth program manager by Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Consult the BUMC Home Institution Finder if you are uncertain whether you submit grants through BU or BMC.

This opportunity is limited by department. Each department may submit up to three nominations. Candidates must be nominated by a department head or other senior researcher. The Sloan Foundation will not accept submissions unaccompanied by a nomination from a senior researcher.
Nominators should submit the following information via InfoReady Review by Aug. 8, 2025:

• Contact information of nominator and nominee(s)
• Nomination Fellowship Field

If you have any questions about this process, please reach out to the Office of Research (research@bu.edu) or Joe Loftus (joloftus@bu.edu) at Foundation Relations.

Applicants can view sample applications in the BU Proposal Library – Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

DEADLINES:

• Internal Nomination Due: Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. ET
• **Anticipated** Nomination Deadline: Monday, Sept. 15, 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.

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