It is common for postdoctoral fellows to be supported by their PI initially, but often postdocs will be asked to find their own funding at some point. The Research Development team has put together some resources to help you.
Funding Search Sites
GrantForward: A searchable database of grants from over 14,000 sponsors that uses specialized data-crawling technology to constantly update its extensive database of sponsors and funding opportunities. Search by keywords and advanced filters. Save your favorite searches to receive alerts about new grants, and save your favorite grants to keep track of them. GrantForward also recommends grants to you based on your CV, past publications, and research interests.
- Cornell University has an institutional subscription. Faculty, students and staff with a Cornell netID have free full access. Sign up here using your Cornell email address.
- Updated daily with new funding opportunities from diverse disciplines, including in the Life and Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, and Arts and Humanities.
- Learn how to make GrantForward work for you: Click here to access the March 2024 webinar "Using GrantForward as a Grant Seeker". Review QuickTips and the Researcher Welcome Guide.
Grants.gov: Searchable database of funding opportunities from U.S. federal agencies.
- You can also subscribe to receive email notifications.
- Grant Searching Made Easy: Mastering Keywords on Grants.gov
National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunities: The NSF offers postdoctoral fellows paid opportunities to expand their skills and knowledge in science and engineering - learn more here.
National Institutes of Health (NIH): The NIH offers support for postdoc researchers through various Fellowship and Career Development Award programs, such as the Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32) and the Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00).
- Search for funding opportunities using the NIH RePORTER tool.
- Using RePORTER, you can also look for current training grants at Cornell that may be relevant. Use the "Advanced Search" feature. Under "Organization", type Cornell University, then look in the list for training grants (T32). Determine where you might fit and contact the PI about your interest.
UCLA GRAPES is another tool that can be used to search for awards among 625 scholarships, grants and fellowships, and postdoctoral awards. Free-to-search for applicants to any graduate program, to graduate students working on a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation, and to postdoc scholars.
Tips to consider: Talk to your immediate predecessors, those who are within 5 years of where you are now. What fellowships or career awards did they apply for? As you read your field's literature, note the sponsors of the research conducted. Also, talk with your PI and department about potential internal funding opportunities.
Additional Resources
In this writing workshop that is targeted to graduate students, postdocs, and early career faculty, Carmel Lee covers the basics of science communication, writing to impress, and techniques you can use to improve your writing. These writing basics will improve all of your professional writing, from reports to proposals. Watch now at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvkJtRtcq8Q
- Finding a Postdoc - offers guidance on the postdoc process, including preparing for the job search and identifying the right lab/PI and university
- Careers Beyond Academia - offers courses and workshops on a variety of topics, including effectively communicating your research and creating your “brand”
- Graduate Writing Service and English Language Support Office Tutoring - assists with all kinds of written work, including grant applications
- Pathways to Success - a program designed to help graduate and professional students and postdoctoral scholars be successful throughout their time at Cornell and into their future careers
Featured Opportunities
2025 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists
*Limited Submission*
The Blavatnik Regional Awards acknowledge and celebrate the excellence of outstanding postdoctoral scientists from institutions in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut working in the three disciplinary categories of Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Chemical Sciences. Laureates are awarded $30,000 each and two Finalists in each disciplinary category are awarded $10,000 each in unrestricted funds. Cornell University may submit up to 15 postdoctoral nominations. Due to this restriction, there is an internal application process for all prospective nominees. Nominations will be submitted to the sponsor by the Cornell Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) on behalf of the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation. To be included in the institutional submission, nominees must first submit an internal preliminary application. If more than 15 preliminary applications are received, eligible applicants will be approved as Cornell nominees on a first-come, first-serve basis. For further details and instructions, go to the internal application website.
Recurring Postdoctoral Fellowship Opportunities
Listed in alphabetical order by agency. Note: The following listings are not regularly updated. The summaries are intended for informational purposes. Program availability, requirements, and deadlines are subject to change. Visit the sponsor's website and reach out to program contacts to verify program information. For federal opportunities, you can also search for current solicitations on Grants.gov.
Sponsor | Anticpated Sponsor Deadline | Subject Area | Program | Anticipated Award |
---|---|---|---|---|
ALS Association | August | ALS | Milton Safenowitz Postdoctoral Fellowship | $75,000 per year for 2 years |
The ALS Association Research Investigator-Initiated Research Grant Program supports innovative research of high scientific merit and relevance to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). | ||||
Alzheimer's Association | April | Alzheimer's Research | Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship (AARF) Program | $175,000 for 2-3 years |
The Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship Award Program is intended to support exceptional researchers who are engaged in their post-graduate work (i.e. postdoctoral fellows) and before they have their first independent faculty positions (i.e. Assistant Professor) and working in diverse areas of research, including basic, translational, clinical, functional and social-behavioral research. | ||||
American Antiquarian Society | October or January | Humanities | Fellowship | Various, see guidelines |
The American Antiquarian Society offers three broad categories of visiting research fellowships, with tenures ranging from one to twelve months. All of the fellowships are designed to enable academic and independent scholars and advanced graduate students to spend an uninterrupted block of time doing research in the AAS library. | ||||
American Brain Tumor Association | December | Brain Tumor Research | Basic Research Fellowship Program | $100,000 over 2 years |
The Basic Research Fellowship Grants are two-year grants supporting postdoctoral fellows who are conducting laboratory or field-based research projects that focus on brain tumors. Fellows must have a lead mentor who currently conducts brain tumor research at the same academic institution. The mentor will help with scientific management and other research guidance to foster the applicant’s career advancement. | ||||
American Cancer Society | See guidelines | Cancer | Postdoctoral Fellowships | For 3 years with newly increased progressive stipends of $52,000, $54,000, and $56,000 per year |
Researchers who are within 3 years of receiving a doctoral degree may apply for initial funding to start training for an independent career in cancer research (including basic, preclinical, clinical, cancer control, psychosocial, behavioral, epidemiology, health services and health policy research). Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents. | ||||
American Diabetes Association | October | Diabetes | Cardiovascular-Metabolic Fellowship Awards | $135,000 for up to 2 years |
The ADA Cardiovascular-Metabolic Fellowship Awards are designed to support basic, clinical or translational research focused on cardiovascular disease in the context of diabetes. Applications from postdoctoral research fellows proposing fundamental biological research, mechanistic and outcome-based clinical studies, behavioral research, and epidemiologic research will be accepted. | ||||
American Diabetes Association | November | Diabetes | Postdoctoral Fellowship | See guidelines |
These fellowships are available to postdoctoral researchers (MD, MD/PhD, PhD, DVM, or equivalent) to provide support for high quality training in disciplines and topics relevant to diabetes, in an environment conducive to beginning a career in diabetes research. Applicants with more than 10 years research experience beyond conferral of their doctoral degree are not eligible for this award. | ||||
American Educational Research Association | March | Education Research | Fellowship Program on the Study of Deeper Learning | $25,000 over 20 months |
The AERA Fellowship Program on the Study of Deeper Learning (AERA-SDL) supports postdoctoral and early career scholars in education research and thereby fosters excellence and rigor in the next generation of faculty members, research scientists, and scholars examining education topics and issues. | ||||
American Epilepsy Society | January | Epilepsy | Postdoctoral Research Fellowships | $50,000 for 1 year |
AES Postdoctoral Research Fellowships support postdoctoral trainees conducting research into the causes, treatment, and consequences of epilepsy under the guidance of a mentor with expertise in epilepsy research. Proposals are welcomed across the spectrum of basic, translational, and clinical epilepsy research. | ||||
American Federation for Aging Research | January | Aging | Glenn/AFAR Postdoctoral Fellowships in Aging Research | See guidelines |
Glenn/AFAR Postdoctoral Fellowships in Aging Research encourage and further the careers of postdoctoral fellows, who are conducting research in the basic biology of aging, as well as translating advances in basic research from the laboratory to the clinic. The award is intended to provide significant research and training support to permit these postdoctoral fellows to become established in the field of aging. | ||||
American Fund for Alternatives to Animal Research | December | Alternatives to Animal Research/Women's Health | Fellowship Grant for Alternatives to Animal Research in Human Health and Sex Differences | $40,000 for 1 year |
The American Fund for Alternatives to Animal Research (AFAAR) offer a $40,000, one-year postdoctoral fellowship grant (with possible renewal) to a woman interested in developing, validating, or using alternatives to animal methods in the investigation of human health or sex differences. | ||||
American Heart Association | July | Heart/Stroke | Postdoctoral Fellowships | See guidelines |
The AHA funds basic, clinical, behavioral, translational and population research, bioengineering/ biotechnology and public health problems broadly related to fulfilling our mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. The program aims to enhance the training of postdoctoral applicants who are not yet independent. | ||||
American Historical Association | April | Space History | Fellowships | $21,250 for 6-9 months |
The Fellowships in Aerospace History are offered annually by the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) to support significant scholarly research projects in aerospace history. These fellowships grant the opportunity to engage in significant and sustained advanced research in all aspects of the history of aerospace from the earliest human interest in flight to the present, including cultural and intellectual history, economic history, history of law and public policy, and the history of science, engineering, and management. | ||||
American Psychological Association | January | Psychology/Public Policy | Congressional Fellowships | $75,000-$90,000 |
The purpose of this fellowship is to provide psychologists with an invaluable public policy learning experience, to contribute to the more effective use of psychological knowledge in government and to broaden awareness about the value of psychology-government interaction among psychologists and within the federal government. Fellows spend one year working on the staff of a member of Congress or congressional committee. | ||||
American Psychological Association | March | Psychology/LGBT People | Wayne F. Placek Grants | $9,000 |
The Wayne F. Placek Grant encourages research to increase the general public's understanding of homosexuality and sexual orientation, and to alleviate the stress that lesbian women, gay men, bisexual women, bisexual men and transgender individuals experience in this and future civilizations. It supports empirical research from all fields of the behavioral and social sciences on any topic related to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender issues. | ||||
American Society for Suicide Prevention | November | Suicide Prevention | Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Innovation Grants | $120,000 over 2 years |
Postdoctoral Research Fellowships are training grants designed to enable young investigators to qualify for independent careers in suicide research. Grants awarded to investigators who have received a Ph.D., M.D., or other doctoral degree within the preceding six years and have had no more than three years of fellowship support. Fellows receive a stipend of $50,000 per year and an institutional allowance of $10,000 per year. | ||||
Beckman Foundation | September | Life Sciences | The Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship | $180,000 over 2 years |
The Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Sciences or Chemical Instrumentation Award Program supports advanced research by postdoctoral scholars within the core areas of fundamental chemistry or the development and build of chemical instrumentation. | ||||
Blavatnik Family Foundation | November | Life Sciences, Chemistry, and Physical Sciences & Engineering | Regional Awards for Young Scientists | Winners receive $30,000; Finalists receive $10,000. Unrestricted funds. |
*This is a recurring limited submission program. Contact Cornell Limited Submissions.* Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists celebrate the excellence of outstanding postdoctoral scientists from institutions in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Nominees must hold a postdoc position at an invited institution and be employed in as a postdoc researcher at the close of the nomination period. Candidates must be nominated by their institution. | ||||
Burroughs Wellcome Fund | January | Biomedical Sciences | Postdoctoral Enrichment Program | $60,000 over 3 years |
Postdoctoral Enrichment Program (PDEP) supports the career development activities for underrepresented minority postdoctoral fellows in a degree-granting institution in the United States or Canada whose training and professional development are guided by mentors committed to helping them advance to stellar careers in biomedical or medical research. | ||||
Burroughs Wellcome Fund | September | Transitioning into Biomedical Sciences | Career Awards at the Scientific Interface | $500,000 over 5 years |
Career Awards at the Scientific Interface (CASI) bridge advanced postdoctoral training and the first three years of faculty service. These awards are open to U.S. and Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents. These grants are intended to foster the early career development of researchers who have transitioned or are transitioning from undergraduate and/or graduate work in the physical/mathematical/computational sciences or engineering into postdoctoral work in the biological sciences, and who are dedicated to pursuing a career in academic research. | ||||
Cancer Research Institute | April and October | Cancer | CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowships | $175,500 over 3 years |
The CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship Program provides critical financial support and continued career training to the most promising young scientists in basic and tumor immunology as part of our lifesaving work in cancer immunotherapy research. | ||||
Center for 17th and 18th Century Studies, at UCLA | February | History | Postdoctoral Fellowships | Various, see guidelines |
The Center administers a number of programs for senior and postdoctoral scholars. Applications are considered once each year. Applications for appointments to be held anytime during a given fiscal year (from 1 July to 30 June) must be received in the preceding fiscal year, by 1 February. | ||||
Center for International Security and Cooperation, at Stanford University | January | International Security | Various Fellowships | Various, see guidelines |
The Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) is an interdisciplinary community of scholars dedicated to producing policy-relevant research on international security topics. CISAC offers numerous fellowships. Applicants will be considered for all fellowships for which they are deemed eligible. CISAC Fellows spend the academic year engaged in research and writing, and are expected to participate in seminars and to interact and collaborate with leading faculty and researchers. Natural scientists have the opportunity to conduct research on the scientific and technical aspects of security topics, as well as to work in collaboration with faculty members. | ||||
Council of American Overseas Research Centers | January | Humanities/Social Sciences | Multi-Country Fellowship Program | $11,000 for a minimum of 90 days |
The Multi-Country Research Fellowship supports advanced regional or trans-regional research in the humanities, social sciences, or allied natural sciences for U.S. doctoral candidates, and postdoctoral scholars. Preference will be given to candidates examining comparative and/or cross-regional research. Applicants are eligible to apply as individuals or in teams. Scholars must carry out research in two or more countries outside the U.S., at least one of which hosts a participating American overseas research center. | ||||
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation | May and December | Cystic Fibrosis | Postdoctoral Fellowship Award | See guidelines |
Postdoctoral research fellowship awards are offered to MDs, PhDs, and MD/PhDs who are interested in conducting basic research related to cystic fibrosis. Preference will be given to recent graduates and those just beginning their research careers. Open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and non-residents working in U.S.-based laboratories. | ||||
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation | September | Cystic Fibrosis | Postdoc-to-Faculty Transition Awards | $10,000 per year for the postdoc phase; $110,000 per year for faculty phase |
The Postdoc-to-Faculty transition award is designed to support postdoctoral research fellows during their cystic fibrosis fellowship and aid in their transition to an independent research faculty position. This award is intended to provide an opportunity for promising postdoctoral fellows to hone research skills, develop into independent investigators and initiate an independent CF research program. Projects supported by this award may include research at the sub-cellular, cellular, animal or patient levels. Awards will provide individuals up to five years of combined support for their research training (maximum of three years) and the initiation of their independent research career (two years). Candidates for this award can be identified any time during the first four years of their postdoctoral fellowship. | ||||
Damon Runyon Foundation | August and March | Cancer | Fellowship Award | $54,000-$62,000 per year for salary and expenses |
The Foundation encourages all theoretical and experimental research relevant to the study of cancer and the search for cancer causes, mechanisms, therapies and prevention. | ||||
Earth Institute, Columbia University | October | Global Sustainable Development | Postdoctoral Fellowship Program | $72,000 per year for 2 years |
The Earth Institute Postdoctoral Research program is the premier program in the world for those dedicated to a better understanding of critical scientific and social issues in global sustainable development. Earth Institute Postdoctoral Researchers will join multidisciplinary teams of outstanding, committed scientists from across the Earth Institute and Columbia University. The program provides innovative postdoctoral scholars with the opportunity to build a foundation in one of the core disciplines represented within the Earth Institute (i.e. social, earth, biological, engineering, and health sciences), while at the same time acquiring the breadth of cross-disciplinary expertise needed to address critical issues related to sustainable development. Specific areas of research include food security, energy systems, climate change impacts, poverty reduction, disease, and environmental degradation. | ||||
Fyssen Foundation | March | Cognitive Mechanisms | Postdoctoral Study Grants | 25,000 Euros (~$29,000) per year for up to 2 years |
The aim of the Foundation is to encourage all forms of scientific inquiry into cognitive mechanisms, including thought and reasoning, which underlie animal and human behavior; their biological and cultural bases, and phylogenetic and ontogenetic development. Study grants are meant for the training and support of postdoctoral researchers working in disciplines relevant to the aims of the Foundation such as ethology, paleontology, archaeology, anthropology, psychology, epistemology, logic and the neurosciences. | ||||
Ford Foundation | November | Sciences, Engineering, Medicine | Fellowship Program | $50,000 for 1 year |
Postdoctoral fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on behalf of the Ford Foundation. The awards will be made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level in the U.S., show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. | ||||
FRAXA | February | Fragile X | Postdoctoral Fellowship | $45,000 per year for 2 years |
FRAXA Research Foundation focuses on research which is likely to lead to new and improved treatments, and ultimately a cure, for Fragile X syndrome, with an emphasis on disease-modifying therapeutics based on understanding of Fragile X disease mechanisms. Successful applicants for these grants will likely be working in established labs which have funding for supplies and any required animal handling costs. If the applicant proposes to work with a particular Fragile X model (KO mouse, drosophila, neural stem cells, etc.) s/he should demonstrate that this model system has already been established in-house. | ||||
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History | July | American History | Scholarly Fellowships | $3,000 |
The Gilder Lehrman Institute provides annual short-term research fellowships to doctoral candidates, college and university faculty at every rank, and independent scholars working in the field of American history. International scholars are eligible to apply. | ||||
Grass Foundation | December | Neuroscience | Grass Fellowship | See guidelines |
Grass Fellowships at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) support investigator-designed, independent research projects by scientists early in their career. Supported approaches include neurophysiology, biophysics, integrative neurobiology, neuroethology, neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology, systems neuroscience, cellular and developmental neurobiology, and computational approaches to neural systems. The Foundation also has a longstanding interest in epilepsy-related research. Grass Fellowships provide research support including laboratory space, animals, equipment and supplies for one summer at the MBL. | ||||
Heising-Simons Foundation | October | Planetary sciences and astronomy | 51 Pegasi b Fellowship | Up to $450,000 over 3 years |
The 51 Pegasi b Fellowship provides exceptional postdoctoral scientists with the opportunity to conduct theoretical, observational, and experimental research in planetary astronomy. Applicants must have received a doctoral degree in astronomy, physics, earth and planetary sciences, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, or a related discipline. Fellowship research must be pursued at one of the participating institutions - Cornell is one of the institutions chosen to host the 51 Pegasi b Postdoctoral Fellowship in Planetary Astronomy - Contact Dr. Nikole Lewis for further information about the Fellowship at Cornell. | ||||
Helen Hay Whitney | June | Biomedical Sciences | Research Fellowship | $54,000-$60,000 annual stipend for 3 years, plus additional allowances |
The Helen Hay Whitney Foundation supports early postdoctoral research training in all basic biomedical sciences. To attain its ultimate goal of increasing the number of imaginative, well-trained and dedicated medical scientists, the Foundation grants financial support of sufficient duration to help further the careers of young men and women engaged in biological or medical research. | ||||
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) | February | Life Sciences | Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program | $80,000 for 2-4 years in postdoc phase; $270,000 for 4 years in faculty phase |
The Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program supports early career life scientists in academic labs across the U.S., and seeks to increase diversity in the biomedical research community by recruitment and retention of individuals from groups underrepresented in the life sciences. Through their successful careers as academic scientists, Hanna H. Gray Fellows will move science forward and inspire the next generation of scientists from America’s diverse talent pool. The competition is open to those dedicated to basic research from both doctoral and/or medical training paths in the biomedical and life science disciplines, including plant biology, evolutionary biology, biophysics, chemical biology, biomedical engineering, and computational biology. Fellows will receive funding through their academic institution for postdoctoral training and may continue to receive funding during their early career years as independent faculty. | ||||
Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) | August | Biology of Living Organisms | Postdoctoral Fellowship | See guidelines |
The HFSP fellowship program supports proposals for frontier, potentially transformative research in the life sciences. Applications for high-risk projects are particularly encouraged. The projects should be interdisciplinary in nature and should challenge existing paradigms by using novel approaches and techniques. Scientifically, they should address an important problem or a barrier to progress in the field. HFSP postdoctoral fellowships encourage early career scientists to broaden their research skills by moving into new areas of study while working in a new country. | ||||
Humboldt Foundation | Rolling | Humanities | Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers | See guidelines |
Submit an application if you are a researcher from abroad with above average qualifications, at the beginning of your academic career and only completed your doctorate in the last four years. A Humboldt Research Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers allows you to carry out long-term research (6-24 months) in Germany. Applicants choose their own topic of research and their academic host. Scientists and scholars of all nationalities and disciplines may apply to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation online at any time. | ||||
James S. McDonnell Foundation | March | Science of Complex Systems | Postdoctoral Fellowship | $200,000 for 2-3 years |
The James S. McDonnell Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Award in Studying Complex Systems provides fellowships to students completing doctoral training in the multidisciplinary field of complex systems science. | ||||
Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research | February | Cancer | Postdoctoral Fellowships | $165,900 over 3 years |
Applicants, in general, should not have more than one year of postdoctoral experience and MDs should not have received their degree more than three years prior to the date the application is due (February 1). You must hold either an MD or a Ph.D. in the field in which you propose to study or furnish evidence of equivalent training and experience. | ||||
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation | January | Type-1 diabetes | Postdoctoral Fellowship | Various, see guidelines |
Postdoctoral fellowships are designed to attract qualified, promising scientists entering their professional career in the T1D research field. The applicant is required to work with a sponsor who can provide a training environment conducive to beginning a career in type 1 diabetes-relevant research. | ||||
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation | January | Type-1 diabetes | Advanced Postdoctoral Fellowship | Various, see guidelines |
Designed to attract qualified, promising scientists to receive full-time research training and to assist these promising individuals in transitioning from a fellowship to an independent (faculty-level) position. | ||||
Lalor Foundation | January | Reproductive Biology/Fertility | Postdoctoral Fellowship | $50,000 |
One of the foundation’s major objectives has been to give assistance and encouragement to capable investigators embarking on teaching and research careers in universities and colleges. The program’s mission is to support these researchers early in their work so that they can become independently funded in the field of mammalian reproductive biology as related to the regulation of fertility. | ||||
Leslie Center for the Humanities, Dartmouth College | October | Humanities | Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships | $59,528 per year for 2 years; plus one time year 1 computer allowance of $2,500 |
Applicants must focus on materials customarily associated with research in the humanities or employ methods common in humanistic research. | ||||
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society | July | Leukemia | Career Development Program Special Fellow | $67,000 per year for 2 or 3 years |
You must be a qualified investigator who's completed a minimum of two years of postdoctoral research training and is continuing your research under the research sponsor's direction. This award is meant to permit you to begin to transition to an independent research program. | ||||
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society | July | Leukemia | Career Development Program Fellow | $67,000 per year for 2 or 3 years |
You must be a promising investigator with less than two years of postdoctoral research training. This award encourages you to embark on an academic career involving clinical or fundamental research in hematologic malignancies under a research sponsor's direction. | ||||
Life Sciences Research Foundation | October | Life Sciences | Fellow | $60,000 per year for 3 years |
We at the Life Sciences Research Foundation (LSRF) believe that seminal advances in life sciences depend upon the training and support of the highest quality young scientists when they are embarking on exciting and adventuresome research as postdoctoral fellows. To promote this vision we partner the best young scientists with diverse sponsors who share common interests. | ||||
L’Oréal | February | STEM | Women in Science Fellowship Program | $60,000 for 1 year |
The L’Oréal USA For Women in Science fellowship program awards five women postdoctoral scientists annually with grants of $60,000 each for their contributions in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields and commitment to serving as role models for younger generations. The program is the U.S. component of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Fellowships. | ||||
National Ataxia Foundation | August | Spinocerebellar Ataxia | Postdoctoral Fellowship | $35,000 for 1 year |
Applicants should have completed at least one year of post-doctoral training, but not more than two at the time of application, and should have shown a commitment to research in the field of ataxia. | ||||
Newberry | November | Scholarship/Research related to Newberry collection | Long Term Fellowship | |
These fellowships are generally available without regard to an applicant’s place of residence and are intended to support significant works of scholarship that draw on the strengths of the Newberry’s collection. | ||||
Newberry | December | Scholarship/Research related to Newberry collection | Short Term Fellowship | |
These fellowships are intended to assist researchers who need to examine specific items in the Newberry’s collection. These “travel-to-collection” grants are mainly restricted to individuals who live outside of the Chicago metropolitan area. | ||||
NIH | Standard NIH due dates | Biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences | Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | See guidelines |
This K01 program provides support and protected time for an intensive, supervised career development experience in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences leading to research independence. Some NIH Institutes use the K01 to enhance workforce diversity, or for individuals who propose to train in a new field, or for individuals who have had a hiatus in their research career. | ||||
NIH | Standard NIH due dates | Biomedical/Life Sciences | Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (Parent F32) | See guidelines |
The purpose of the Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship is to support promising applicants during their mentored postdoctoral training under the guidance of outstanding faculty sponsors. The integrated program of research and training should enhance the individual’s potential to develop into a productive, independent researcher. The training plan should document the need for, and the anticipated value of, the proposed mentored training in relation to the individual’s research career goals. The training plan should also facilitate the fellow’s transition to the next stage of his/her career. | ||||
NIH | Standard NIH due dates | Biomedical/Life Sciences | NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00) | See guidelines |
The purpose of the NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) program is to facilitate a timely transition of outstanding postdoctoral researchers with a research and/or clinical doctorate degree from mentored, postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions. The program will provide independent NIH research support during this transition in order to help awardees to launch competitive, independent research careers. | ||||
NIH | Standard NIH due dates | Biomedical/Life Sciences; Quantitative Science | Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (Parent K25) | See guidelines |
The purpose of this K25 award is to attract to NIH-relevant research those investigators whose quantitative science and engineering research has thus far not been focused primarily on questions of health and disease. The K25 award will provide support and "protected time" for a period of supervised study and research for productive professionals with quantitative (e.g., mathematics, statistics, economics, computer science, imaging science, informatics, physics, chemistry) and engineering backgrounds to integrate their expertise with NIH-relevant research. | ||||
NIH Fogarty International Center | Standard NIH due dates | Global Health | Various Programs | See guidelines |
The Fogarty International Center's programs provide funding to perform research and to train researchers in a variety of global health areas. Through these programs, Fogarty and its partners throughout the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are working to build sustainable research capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). | ||||
NSF | November | Biology | Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB) | $69,000 per year for 3 years |
The Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) awards Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology to recent recipients of the doctoral degree for research and training in selected areas supported by BIO and with special goals for human resource development in biology. The fellowships encourage independence at an early stage of the research career to permit Fellows to pursue their research and training goals in the most appropriate research locations regardless of the availability of funding for the Fellows at that site. | ||||
NSF | October | Social/Behavioral Research | SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (SPRF) | $62,000 per year for 2 years |
The Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) offers Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in two tracks: (i) Broadening Participation (SPRF-BP), and (ii) Interdisciplinary Research in Behavioral and Social Sciences (SPRF-IBSS). See the full text of the solicitation for a detailed description of these tracks. | ||||
NSF | January | Earth Sciences | EAR Postdoctoral Fellowships | $87,000 per year for 2 years |
The Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) awards Postdoctoral Fellowships to recent recipients of doctoral degrees to carry out an integrated program of independent research and education. The research and education plans of each fellowship must address scientific questions within the scope of EAR disciplines. The program supports researchers for a period of up to two years with fellowships that can be taken to the institution of their choice (including facilities abroad). | ||||
NSF | February and August | Social Sciences | Science and Technology Studies Postdoctoral Fellowship | $120,000 for two years |
Postdoctoral fellowships support researchers within five years of receipt of their doctoral degree in order to enhance their methodological skills and research competence. | ||||
Paralyzed Veterans of America Research Foundation | May | Spinal Cord Injury and Disease | Fellowship | $75,000 per year for up to 2 years |
From transplanting cells to regenerating damaged nerve fibers to designing adaptive canoe seats, the PVA Research Foundation supports innovative research and fellowships that improve the lives of those with spinal cord injury and disease (SCI/D). | ||||
Pew Charitable Trusts | October | Biomedical Sciences | The Pew Latin American Fellows Program | See guidelines |
The Pew Latin American Fellows Program in the Biomedical Sciences provides support for young scientists from Latin America to receive postdoctoral training in the United States. The program gives these individuals an opportunity to further their scientific knowledge by promoting exchange and collaboration between investigators in the United States and Latin America resulting in advances in research in Latin America. | ||||
PhRMA | Various- see guidelines | Drug Discovery and Development | Postdoctoral Fellowships | Various, see guidelines |
Post Doctoral Fellowships provide stipend support to well-trained graduates from Ph.D. programs who seek to further develop and refine their research skills through formal postdoctoral training. These fellowships are designed for individuals engaged in a multidisciplinary research training program that will create or extend their credentials. | ||||
Prevent Cancer Foundation | August | Cancer | Fellowships | $50,000 per year for 2 years |
The Prevent Cancer Foundation supports research grants and fellowships for cancer prevention and early detection and community grants for cancer screening or education projects on the local level. | ||||
RAND | February | Aging | Postdoctoral Training Program in the Study of Aging | |
The RAND Postdoctoral Training Program in the Study of Aging enables outstanding junior scholars in demographic and aging research to sharpen their analytic skills, learn to communicate research results effectively, and advance their research agenda. | ||||
Regeneron | March | Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation | $50,000, unrestricted prize. Finalists are awarded $5,000. | |
This is a recurring limited submission program. Contact Cornell Limited Submissions.* The Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation recognizes and honors Excellence in Biomedical Science conducted by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Regeneron seeks novel, inspiring projects. Each institution may nominate no more than two (2) PhD students and two (2) postdoctoral fellows. Applicants must prepare a description of their “dream” project and submit their full academic CV along with evidence of scholarly achievement. | ||||
Smithsonian | See guidelines | Research related to Smithsonian | Smithsonian Fellowships | 1-3 years; see guidelines |
Smithsonian fellowships are awarded competitively to graduate, pre-doctoral, or post-doctoral students – or granted non-competitively to visiting professionals, students, scientists, or scholars – are offered to individuals who design and develop proposals for independent study or collaborative research in fields pursued by and of interest to Smithsonian staff. | ||||
Social Sciences Research Council | Various - see guidelines | Social Sciences | Fellowships | Various; see guidelines |
Since 1923, SSRC has awarded more than fifteen thousand fellowships to researchers around the globe. Council fellowship programs are strategic—they target specific problems, promote individual and institutional change, and expand networks. SSRC’s varied fellowships and prizes share a core commitment to improving conditions for social science knowledge production worldwide. Programs engage themes ranging from global issues facing the United States and Japan to security in Africa and Latin America. | ||||
Tourette Association of America | November | Tourette's Syndrome | Postdoctoral Fellowship | $50,000 |
The Tourette Association funds basic and clinical research studies on all aspects of TS. Any study that has the potential to contribute to the treatment or understanding of TS will be considered. | ||||
University of North Carolina | September-November, annually | Various | The Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity | $44,000 per year |
As part of a continuing commitment to building an exceptional intellectual community and advancing scholars from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences in higher education, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity supports postdoctoral research appointments for a period of two years to develop scholars for possible tenure track appointments at the University of North Carolina and other research universities. Postdoctoral scholars will be engaged full-time in research and have the option to teach one course per fiscal year. | ||||
USDA | June and July | Food and Agriculture Sciences | Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) - Education and Workforce Development | $165,000 per project of up to 2 years |
The AFRI Education and Workforce Development Postdoctoral Fellowships program area helps to develop new scientists and professionals to enter research, education, and/or extension fields within the food and agricultural sciences within the private sector, government, or academia. The aim of these fellowships is to cultivate future leaders who are able to solve emerging agricultural challenges of the 21st century. Fellows are expected to build the professional skills necessary for career agility; explore opportunities available in academia, industry, government and other career paths; and forge mentorships with professional and business leaders and faculty. Citizenship restrictions apply. | ||||
Wenner-Gren | May and November | Anthropology | Post-PhD Research Grant | $20,000 |
Post-Ph.D. Research Grants for up to $20,000 are awarded to individuals holding a Ph.D. or equivalent degree to support individual research projects. Applicants must be engaged in research that contributes to anthropological knowledge. Applicants of any nationality or country of residence may apply. |