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.

NIGMS - Collaborative Program Grant for Multidisciplinary Teams │ March 5

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Collaborative Program Grant for Multidisciplinary Teams is designed to support highly integrated research teams of 3-6 PDs/PIs to address ambitious and challenging research questions that are important for the mission of NIGMS and are beyond the scope of one or two investigators. Collaborative program teams are expected to accomplish goals that require considerable synergy and managed team interactions. Project goals should not be achievable with a collection of individual efforts or projects. Teams are encouraged to consider far-reaching objectives that will produce major advances in their fields.

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

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund Climate + Health Excellence (CHEX) Centers grant is a new institutional research and training opportunity that will help institutions bridge the gaps between fields that will have important roles to play in understanding the impacts of climate change on human health and diminishing their effects.

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

NIH - Biomedical Research Shared Instrumentation Grants │ March 28

Pew Biomedical Scholars Program │ April 1

The Pew Charitable Trusts Pew Biomedical Scholars program supports young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of 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 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

Pew-Steward Scholars for Cancer Research │ April 1

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.)
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.

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

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.