Development Office Funding Opportunities

Eligibility:

•Candidates must have a MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DO degree, or equivalent.

•At the time of funding, candidates must be:

oWithin 6 years of starting their first faculty position and currently have an academic appointment at an accredited medical school or other institution in North America,
oOR hold a postdoctoral fellowship appointment at an accredited medical school or other institution in North America.

•Candidates must be a NANETS member in good standing.

Eligibility:

•Candidates must have a MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DO degree, or equivalent.

•At the time of funding, candidates must be:

oWithin 6 years of starting their first faculty position and currently have an academic appointment at an accredited medical school or other institution in North America,
oOR hold a postdoctoral fellowship appointment at an accredited medical school or other institution in North America.

•Candidates must be a NANETS member in good standing.

Eligibility:

• PIs at any career stage are eligible to apply 

About: This funding call focuses on interventions that improve youth mental health by targeting circadian rhythms (such as, but not limited to, sleep timing, sleep quality and daily light exposure) and/or physical activity (such as, but not limited to, aerobic exercise, dance classes, walkinThis Request for Proposals (RFP) from Cures Within Reach (CWR) is seeking investigator-initiated, proof of concept, Phase I or Phase IIA clinical trials to validate artificial intelligence (AI)-driven repurposing opportunities in any unsolved disease, where the therapies supported by AI models are already approved. Eligible clinical repurposing trials must include AI-generated data as part of the preclinical support for the trial. Supporting data from any type of AI model is accepted for this RFP, including models that are:
• Developed/owned/controlled by nonprofit/academic/government institutions or for profit companies
• Open to public use or only accessible via collaboration

Eligibility:

•The AAMDSIF Research Grant Program is open to New Investigators only. New Investigators are post-doctoral fellows, instructors, and those who have been assistant professors for fewer than five (5) years. Preference will be given to those investigators who have not already received an individual research award from a major funding organization

About: In 2026, AAMDSIF will accept proposals addressing these bone marrow failure disorders:

•Aplastic Anemia, Myelodysplastic Syndromes/Neoplasms (MDS), or Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) Funding is available to support two projects focusing on either Aplastic Anemia, MDS, or PNH at $80,000 over two years ($40,000 per year) judged to have the highest scientific merit by the AAMDSIF Medical Advisory Board reviewers.

•Aplastic Anemia only Funding is available to support one project focusing on Aplastic Anemia at $80,000 over two years ($40,000 per year) judged to have the highest scientific merit by the AAMDSIF Medical Advisory Board reviewers.

The Foundation is interested in funding research with promising clinical impact and will prioritize projects that are translational in nature, study basic science with broad clinical implications, explore insights into the pathophysiology of bone marrow failure, or study clinical aspects of these disorders (including epidemiology, treatment, and health services research). Some examples of this type of research include but are not limited to:

•Discovery of biomarkers predicting response or resistance to existing therapies

•Correlative science on patient samples collected from clinical trials, to inform understanding of therapeutic mechanisms

•Late-stage pre-clinical research, with a goal of establishing proof-of-concept for a novel therapy

•Early stage clinical trials

•Basic research that reveals new mechanisms of disease likely to benefit patients

•Genetics of bone marrow failure conditions including both inherited and acquired mutations

•Analyses of large data sets to identify new risk factors for bone marrow failure or for their progression to higher risk disease

Investigators should be prepared to provide a rationale for the research as related to a gap in evidence for the proposed project. Applicants should clearly explain why the proposed research will address an important question that has not been answered by previous research.

Eligibility:

•Applications are invited from academic research teams with complementary expertise in immunology and IBD. Each application must include:
•One senior Principal Investigator (Professor, Head of Research, Associate Professor, or equivalent)
•At least one junior Co-Principal Investigator (Instructor or Assistant Professor)
•A multidisciplinary approach is encouraged, including integration of patient-derived data to inform and strengthen the proposed immune-based therapeutic strategy. U.S. and international investigators are eligible to apply.

About: The goal of this RFP is to develop therapeutic approaches for immune reprogramming, defined as reshaping immune memory, restoring tolerance, or selectively modulating antigen-specific responses—rather than broad immune suppression.
Proposed studies should be primarily preclinical and mechanistic in nature. In vivo models relevant to postoperative recurrence (e.g., IL-10 knockout, HLA-B27 transgenic rodent models, or other validated immune-driven recurrence models) are strongly encouraged.
Proposals can use organoid-based models by integrating patient-derived organoids with immune, stromal, microbial, and injury elements or through in vivo xenotransplantation in humanized (HIS) mouse models. Clinical studies will only be considered if postoperative patients are already enrolled and consented, and an IND is in place where required.
Proposals must focus on immunology-based approaches relevant to prevention of IBD recurrence following surgical resection, with an emphasis on shaping durable immune states rather than broadly suppressing immune activity. Proposals must clearly articulate how the work advances immune-based prevention of recurrence and connects to human IBD biology and is supported by strong preliminary data.

Amount: $100,000 over 1 year

Eligibility:

•This award is available to both established and early-career investigators. Early career investigators must have a mentor committed to advising the applicant. A clearly articulated mentorship statement from the mentor must be submitted along with the application. See RFP for details.

About: The Rare Epilepsy Partnership Award (1 year / $100,000) will support the development of necessary research tools, techniques, model systems, and data collection platforms to stimulate and accelerate research on rare epilepsies. Each award will be co-funded by CURE Epilepsy and one or more of the rare epilepsy advocacy groups (partners) identified in the Request For Proposals. Applications must focus on one or more of the specific rare epilepsies that are represented by each group as well as address CURE Epilepsy’s mission to cure epilepsy.

Amount: $75,000 over 2 years

Eligibility:

•Have a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent) in a related field.
•Have held a mentored research position with the title of postdoctoral fellow for at least 3 years or clinical research fellow for at least 2 years, placing them near the anticipated completion of such programs.

•Have completed their most recent doctoral degree within the past five years

About: The Fellows of the AACR Academy Cancer Research Impact Grants are intended to support promising early-career investigators who are nearing completion of their postdoctoral or clinical research fellowship training programs and are at a critical stage in their transition toward laboratory independence. This program is designed to provide financial support to sustain research momentum and enable talented early-career investigators to complete their academic training in cancer research during an often vulnerable period in professional development.

Eligibility:

•US community and academic institutions (including NCCN and non-NCCN Member Institutions).

•Health care professional organizations and other organizations related to health care improvement.

•Health care delivery organizations must serve as the lead applicant, if partnered with health technology companies and advocacy groups.

•Collaboration among institutions is strongly encouraged to foster interactive sharing of knowledge and expertise, and to utilize the combined strengths of the involved institutions.

•Junior faculty (i.e., Assistant Professors and below) are encouraged to apply.

•Trainees may participate as a sub-investigator under appropriate mentorship from a PI.

About: The overall aim of this RFP is to develop innovative, impactful, scalable, and sustainable quality improvement projects to advance the delivery of quality care to patients with mPCa. Funded projects should aim to address knowledge gaps, inefficiencies, and disparities in care delivery by focusing on one or more of the following areas:

•Optimizing provider adherence to standard of care testing and treatment strategies, ensuring access to up-to-date, evidence-based care.

•Enhancing patient–provider communication and health literacy, thereby improving patient understanding of disease, treatment options, and care pathways to optimize clinical outcomes.

•Improving strategies for toxicity mitigation, with the goal of increasing treatment tolerability and enabling patients to receive and remain on life-prolonging therapies.

•Increasing appropriate utilization of biomarker and genetic testing, to support access to targeted therapies for eligible patients.

Eligibility:

•The project must involve at least one person living with SCI/D, MS or ALS.
•All grant applicants must have a professional degree: Ph.D. or M.D. preferred.
•Post-doctoral scientists are eligible to apply for fellowship support within four years of receiving a Ph.D. or completing M.D. residency.

About: Supports clinical and functional studies of the medical, psychosocial, and economic effects of spinal cord injury or disease, and / or interventions proposed to alleviate these effects.

Eligibility:

•The project must involve at least one person living with SCI/D, MS or ALS.
•All grant applicants must have a professional degree: Ph.D. or M.D. preferred.
•Post-doctoral scientists are eligible to apply for fellowship support within four years of receiving a Ph.D. or completing M.D. residency.

About: Supports laboratory research in the basic sciences related to spinal cord injury or disease.

Eligibility:

•The project must involve at least one person living with SCI/D, MS or ALS.
•All grant applicants must have a professional degree: Ph.D. or M.D. preferred.
•Post-doctoral scientists are eligible to apply for fellowship support within four years of receiving a Ph.D. or completing M.D. residency.

Eligibility:

•The project must involve at least one person living with SCI/D, MS or ALS.
•Fellowship applicants must apply within 4 years after receiving a PhD, or within 4 years of completing a formal medical residency program.
•Fellowship applicants must have a designated and identified mentor/sponsor
•All grant applicants must have a professional degree: Ph.D. or M.D. preferred.
•Senior fellows are encouraged to apply as principal investigators.

Eligibility:

Applicant must be an ACR or ARP member at the time of submission and for the duration of the award
•ACR Members:
oHave earned a DO or MD degree and who have completed a Rheumatology fellowship.
oIndividuals more than 7 years from the beginning of fellowship (or 8 years for pediatric rheumatologists) at the time of award start date may not apply
•ARP Members:
oHave earned a PhD*, DSc, or equivalent doctoral degree.
oMust be within 5 years of terminal degree at the time of award start date.

About: 
This award is intended to support early career investigators for the period between the completion of post-doctorate fellowship training and establishment as an independent investigator

This cycle, in partnership with the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), the Rheumatology Research Foundation (RRF) is pleased to issue a notice of special interest (NOSI) to highlight the availability of funds aimed towards driving the discovery and development of next generation lupus diagnostics and curative treatments. Please note that this NOSI complements but does not replace the RRF’s annual programs. Funded projects via this partnership will be in addition to those funded via the standard Scientist Development Award and Investigator Award.

Applications submitted through the LRA/RRF Empowering Lupus Research Partnership should aim to accomplish one or more of the following goals:

• Stimulate the investigation of underexplored pathways and novel concepts in lupus biology,
• Initiate transformative discoveries in autoimmune disease, driving the development of safer and more effective treatments for people living with lupus, and/or
• Aim to bridge the gap between the bench and the bedside in lupus and autoimmunity research.

Projects should be relevant to the mission of both the RRF and LRA and be applicable to the LRA’s strategic priorities:

• Defining human lupus heterogeneity by molecular pathology to stratify patients by active disease mechanisms, and
• Integrating the research continuum to bring advances to patients,
• Enabling global research/technology collaborations.

Eligibility:

Applicant must be an ACR or ARP member at the time of submission and for the duration of the award
•ACR Members:
oHave earned a DO or MD degree and who have completed a Rheumatology fellowship.
oIndividuals more than 7 years from the beginning of fellowship (or 8 years for pediatric rheumatologists) at the time of award start date may not apply
•ARP Members:
oHave earned a PhD*, DSc, or equivalent doctoral degree.
oMust be within 5 years of terminal degree at the time of award start date.

About:
This award is intended to support early career investigators for the period between the completion of post-doctorate fellowship training and establishment as an independent investigator

This cycle, in partnership with the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), the Rheumatology Research Foundation (RRF) is pleased to issue a notice of special interest (NOSI) to highlight the availability of funds aimed towards driving the discovery and development of next generation lupus diagnostics and curative treatments. Please note that this NOSI complements but does not replace the RRF’s annual programs. Funded projects via this partnership will be in addition to those funded via the standard Scientist Development Award and Investigator Award.

Applications submitted through the LRA/RRF Empowering Lupus Research Partnership should aim to accomplish one or more of the following goals:
• Stimulate the investigation of underexplored pathways and novel concepts in lupus biology,
• Initiate transformative discoveries in autoimmune disease, driving the development of safer and more effective treatments for people living with lupus, and/or
• Aim to bridge the gap between the bench and the bedside in lupus and autoimmunity research.

Projects should be relevant to the mission of both the RRF and LRA and be applicable to the LRA’s strategic priorities:
• Defining human lupus heterogeneity by molecular pathology to stratify patients by active disease mechanisms, and
• Integrating the research continuum to bring advances to patients,
• Enabling global research/technology collaborations.

Eligibility:

Applicant must be an ACR or ARP member at the time of submission and for the duration of the award
•ACR Members:
oHave earned a DO or MD degree and by the start of the award term have completed at least 1 year of training in an ACGME accredited rheumatology training program.
oIndividuals more than 4 years from the beginning of fellowship (or 5 years for pediatric rheumatologists) at the time of award start date may not apply
•ARP Members:
oHave earned a PhD*, DSc, or equivalent doctoral degree by the time of award start.
oMust be within 3 years of terminal degree at the time of award start date.

About:
This mentored career development award is designed for individuals in the early stages of their career or those without significant prior research experience. Projects should help awardees generate scientific data and develop innovative research ideas necessary to transition to an independent research role in areas aligned with the stated goals of the LRA/RRF Empowering Lupus Research Partnership.

Applications submitted through the LRA/RRF Empowering Lupus Research Partnership should aim to accomplish one or more of the following goals:
• Stimulate the investigation of underexplored pathways and novel concepts in lupus biology,
• Initiate transformative discoveries in autoimmune disease, driving the development of safer and more effective treatments for people living with lupus, and/or
• Aim to bridge the gap between the bench and the bedside in lupus and autoimmunity research.

Projects should be relevant to the mission of both the RRF and LRA and be applicable to the LRA’s strategic priorities:
• Defining human lupus heterogeneity by molecular pathology to stratify patients by active disease mechanisms, and
• Integrating the research continuum to bring advances to patients,
• Enabling global research/technology collaborations.

Eligibility:

Applicant must be an ACR or ARP member at the time of submission and for the duration of the award
•ACR Members:
oHave earned a DO or MD degree and who have completed a Rheumatology fellowship.
oIndividuals more than 7 years from the beginning of fellowship (or 8 years for pediatric rheumatologists) at the time of award start date may not apply
•ARP Members:
oHave earned a PhD*, DSc, or equivalent doctoral degree.
oMust be within 5 years of terminal degree at the time of award start date.

About: 
This award is intended to support early-stage investigators with a faculty appointment during the period that they are developing a project that will be competitive for NIH and/or equivalent funding. It is not intended to be a second postdoctoral fellowship. The purpose is to provide support for basic science, translational, and clinical investigators engaged in research relevant to the rheumatic diseases for the period between the completion of post-doctorate fellowship training and establishment as an independent investigator.

Highlighted Topic: Adult Dermatomyositis
Investigators pursuing novel research ideas addressing the disease area of adult dermatomyositis are encouraged to apply for funding via the Norman Family Fund for Dermatomyositis Research.

Eligibility:

Applicant must be an ACR or ARP member at the time of submission and for the duration of the award
•ACR Members:
oHave earned a DO or MD degree and by the start of the award term have completed at least 1 year of training in an ACGME accredited rheumatology training program.
oIndividuals more than 4 years from the beginning of fellowship (or 5 years for pediatric rheumatologists) at the time of award start date may not apply
•ARP Members:
oHave earned a PhD*, DSc, or equivalent doctoral degree by the time of award start.
oMust be within 3 years of terminal degree at the time of award start date.

About:
This award is designed for individuals in the early stages of their career, typically Fellows, including those without significant research experience who plan to embark on careers in rheumatic disease research.
The purpose of this award is to provide a structured research training program for rheumatologists or health professionals in the field of rheumatology.

Highlighted Topic: Adult Dermatomyositis
Investigators pursuing novel research ideas addressing the disease area of adult dermatomyositis are encouraged to apply for funding via the Norman Family Fund for Dermatomyositis Research.

Highlighted Topic: Spondyloarthritis Research: Through a generous contribution by UCB, funding for one Scientist Development Award (SDA) has been provided for research focused on advancing the understanding and treatment of spondyloarthritis. Early career investigators who conduct research on spondyloarthritis, and meet all eligibility criteria, are encouraged to apply this cycle through the SDA mechanism. Please note, only applicants who were recommended for funding by the study section will be considered for this support, and UCB does not have any role or information regarding the scientific peer review process conducted by the Foundation.

About: We support research that advances the scientific understanding of fundamental characteristics or behaviors of living or synthetic systems. We are especially interested in emergent properties that cannot be fully explained by the known characteristics of a complex system’s individual parts (e.g., an organism’s individual genes or cells).
In 2026, the emergent properties prioritized by Life Sciences are agency, consciousness, and intelligence, with particular interest in poorly understood emergent phenomena such as non-neural forms of intelligence and agency, and the physical, biological, and computational processes that underlie consciousness.
In 2026, we are prioritizing foundational research with a focus on mechanistically understanding the genetics behind protein activity. We are particularly interested in research that connects genome regulation and RNA-regulatory mechanisms to their downstream effects on protein activity. In turn, our interests extend to how these effects impact cellular and organismal characteristics that contribute to human health and disease (including disease risk and resistance). Understanding the interplay between these layers of regulation will create powerful opportunities to translate fundamental discoveries into practical applications that enhance human health.

Deadline: July 30, 2026

Eligibility:

•This application is open to global academic institutions, for-profit organizations, and other entities. Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and internal or external resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as a Principal Investigator (PI) is invited to submit an application through their institution.”

About: This RFA seeks applications at the intersection of PROTACs and male contraception in three strategic areas:

•Development of PROTACs acting against specific male contraceptive targets Example projects may include:

•Demonstration of target-specific degradation in relevant cell types and/or sperm
Evidence of functional impact on fertility-relevant phenotypes
In vivo or in vitro proof-of-concept data supporting contraceptive potential

•Characterization of testis- or sperm-enriched Ubiquitin E3 ligases Example projects may include:
Cell type-specific expression profiling and localization studies – Assessment of function and essentiality for male reproduction
Assessment of feasibility as recruiting partners for degraders

•Discovery and validation of new E3 recruiting elements (E3REs) Example projects may include:
Development of tool compounds or assays to screen for E3 ligase engagement
Screening or development of novel molecules that may act as E3REs for E3 Ligases specific to the male reproductive tract.
Characterization of binding, selectivity, and cell permeability of potential E3REs.

About: CEPI’s Innovations to Prepare for Future Epidemics and Pandemics Call for Proposals aims to support CEPI’s mission by advancing a broad range of vaccine innovations for pathogens with epidemic or pandemic potential, including novel pathogens capable of infecting and causing disease in humans (i.e., Disease X). It will support vaccine research, development and manufacturing innovations for CEPI’s priority pathogens and contribute towards the 100 Days Mission, thereby helping the world prepare for known and future epidemic and pandemic threats.

The objective for Focus Area 2 is to advance new vaccine candidates for CEPI priority pathogens and viral families, aligned with CEPI’s strategic objectives to accelerate development of vaccines against known high-risk pathogens and to build a library of exemplar vaccines against prototype viruses from high-risk viral families to give a head-start on novel threats (Disease X).

CEPI offers support for vaccine candidate research and development through the following award mechanisms:

•Exploratory Award: Up to US $1M over a maximum of 18 months to support the design and early stage testing of new vaccine candidates. In-scope activities include immunogen design, candidate characterization studies, and immunogenicity studies. CEPI may be able to provide immunogen designs, access to its adjuvant library (that can be screened for optimal adjuvants for a particular candidate), and access to standardized assays through its centralized lab and animal model networks where applicable. Applicants must discuss these opportunities with CEPI staff prior to application submission.

•Preclinical Development Award: Up to US $5M to demonstrate preclinical proof of concept. In-scope activities include preclinical efficacy studies, studies that support regulatory filing (e.g., INDenabling studies), and CMC development related to analytical methods, process optimization, characterization, and scale-up, and/or formulation. CEPI may be able to provide access to animal challenge models and standardized assays through its centralized lab and animal model networks. Applicants must discuss these opportunities with CEPI staff prior to application submission.

•Clinical Development Award: Up to five years of support for clinical testing of a vaccine candidate. In-scope activities include conduct of Phase I through Phase III studies, production of clinical trial material, immunobridging studies, and CMC development related to analytical methods, process optimization, characterization, and scale-up, and/or formulation.