Life Sciences Funding Opportunities
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Graduate Student
Early Career Faculty
Established Professor
NSF GRFP
-The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is designed for "graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, including STEM education."
-Awards up to 3 years of direct financial support, including an annual stipend (the 2026 stipend is $37,000/yr) and cost of education (up to $16,000/yr).
-Awards up to 3 years of direct financial support, including an annual stipend (the 2026 stipend is $37,000/yr) and cost of education (up to $16,000/yr).
NIH Pathway to Independence (K99/R00)
-Designed to aid in the transition of postdoctoral researchers to tenure-track faculty.
-Supports "1-2 years of mentored postdoctoral research training", which is the Mentored Phase, or K99 portion of the pathway
-Includes a "research project grant for up to 3 years, contingent on the scientist securing an independent, tenure track faculty position", which is the Independent Research Phase, or R00
-Supports "1-2 years of mentored postdoctoral research training", which is the Mentored Phase, or K99 portion of the pathway
-Includes a "research project grant for up to 3 years, contingent on the scientist securing an independent, tenure track faculty position", which is the Independent Research Phase, or R00
NIH Grants
-Though there are many grants that professors are eligible to apply for from NIH, the most common are R21's (funding for preliminary research), and R01's (funding for more mature ideas and extensive preliminary data)
Note: Our university is not eligible for R15 grants
-The K24 grant is also available for those focusing on mentoring scientists for patient-oriented research
Note: Our university is not eligible for R15 grants
-The K24 grant is also available for those focusing on mentoring scientists for patient-oriented research
Graduate Student Research Fellowship-Cancer Research
-Designed to entice "prospective graduate students to enroll in a Ph.D. program at BYU and participate in cancer-focused research."
-Total stipend and scholarship of $38,000/yr for 3 years with the completion of annual benchmarks
-Total stipend and scholarship of $38,000/yr for 3 years with the completion of annual benchmarks
NSF CAREER Grant
-5-year grant intended for untenured, tenure-track assistant professors
-Integrates both a Research Plan and an Education Plan, and highlights how the two support each other
-Provides a minimum of $400,000 over 5 years
-Integrates both a Research Plan and an Education Plan, and highlights how the two support each other
-Provides a minimum of $400,000 over 5 years
NSF Funding Opportunities
-NSF funds research through seven "core directorates", to which faculty can submit proposals to in order to apply for research funding
-NSF also has collaborative grants, such as Grant Opportunities for Academica Liaison with Industry (GOALI), which aims to bring together university researchers and scientists within the industry, and Research Partnerships, designed to fund groups of scientists working on interdisciplinary research
-NSF also has collaborative grants, such as Grant Opportunities for Academica Liaison with Industry (GOALI), which aims to bring together university researchers and scientists within the industry, and Research Partnerships, designed to fund groups of scientists working on interdisciplinary research
College and Department Scholarships
-There are scholarships given to students of the College of Life Sciences, and while these aren't specifically for funding research, they can be a great resource if only a small amount of funding is needed.
-The College of Life Sciences also has Department-Specific Endowments, which can typically be applied for through the department website.
-The College of Life Sciences also has Department-Specific Endowments, which can typically be applied for through the department website.
NIH Director's Awards
-NIH Director's New Innovator Award, designed for "early career investigators of exceptional creativity who propose nbold and highly innovative research projects". No preliminary data is required, and the grant provides $475,000/yr for 5 years.
-NIH Director's Transformative Research Award is intended for "individuals or teams proposing transformative projects that are inherently risky and untested but have the potential to create or overturn fundamental paradigms". Typically these require large amounts of funding, so the budget is flexible.
-NIH Director's Transformative Research Award is intended for "individuals or teams proposing transformative projects that are inherently risky and untested but have the potential to create or overturn fundamental paradigms". Typically these require large amounts of funding, so the budget is flexible.
Private Foundations and Non-profit Organizations
-Although researchers of any position can apply for funding from private foundations or non-profit organizations, they typically prefer more established researchers with experience.
-Sign in with your BYU netID to access the list of Life Sciences organizations and foundations we have accrued.
-Sign in with your BYU netID to access the list of Life Sciences organizations and foundations we have accrued.
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