Early Investigator Funding Opportunities
This page will be revised in January 2019.
Federal agencies and private sponsors offer many funding opportunities to support early- and mid-career researchers. Many programs are especially helpful for late postdoctoral investigators and new faculty, usually those at or below the rank of assistant professor. The lists below will be updated periodically as agencies and sponsors announce their funding plans, and as new opportunities become available.
Please note: many of these opportunities are limited submission grants or awards, meaning the University may forward a limited number of candidates for competitive selection. Learn more about limited submission grants and awards.
| Program | Agency | Award Amount/Duration | Important Dates |
| Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) New Investigator Grants | Department of Agriculture; National Institute of Food and Agriculture | Varies | Deadline: Varies / None Posted |
| Air Force Young Investigator Research Program
FA9550-18-S-0002 |
Department of Defense; Air Force Office of Scientific Research | $120,000 per year for 3 years | Deadline: July 1, 2018 |
| Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Research Initiation Initiative (CRII) | National Science Foundation | $400,000 to $500,000, depending on project area | Deadline: August 8, 2018
Second Wednesday in August Annually |
| Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) Young Faculty Award | Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency | Typical: $150,000 per year for 2 years | Executive Summaries: September 10, 2018 by 4:00 p.m. EST
Full Proposals: November 13, 2018 by 4:00 p.m. EST |
| Early Career Research Program | Department of Energy Office of Science | $750,000 over 5 years | Pre-Application: January 25, 2018
Full Proposal: April 4, 2018 |
| Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) SF 17-537 |
National Science Foundation | Up to $175,000 for 2 years | Deadline: July 17 – 19, 2019 (see divisions for dates) |
| Fellowships for Early Career Researchers (ROSES) | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Up to $100,000 per year for up to 3 years | Deadline: March 29, 2018 Early Career Fellowship Start-Up Program for Named Fellows |
| NIH Director’s Early Independence Award Program | Department of Health and Human Services; National Institutes of Health | Up to $250,000 per year, for up to 5 years, in direct costs, plus applicable F&A costs | Limited Submission Letter of Intent (Agency): August 27, 2018 |
| NIH Director’s New Innovator Award | Department of Health and Human Services; National Institutes of Health | Up to $1.5M in direct costs, all disbursed in first year. Equivalent to $300,000 per year for 5 years. F&A costs to be determined at time of award. | Deadline: September 10, 2018 by 5:00 p.m. EST |
| Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) | Department of Defense; Office of Naval Research | Up to $170,000 per year for 3 years | Deadline: September 29, 2017 |
| Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP): Early Career Investigator Awards in Plant Genome Research | National Science Foundation | Budgets should be commensurate with activities proposed | Proposals accepted anytime |
| Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) | Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Education, and Health and Human Services; NIH; VA; EPA; NASA; NSF; and the Smithsonian Institution | $200,000 per year for 5 years | Each agency nominates candidates from its own young/early investigator awardees, and/or from its intramural laboratories |
| Program | Sponsor | Award Amount/Duration | Deadline |
| Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program | Carnegie Corporation of New York | Up to $200,000 for 1-2 years | Limited Submission Sponsor Deadline: November (anticipated) |
| Beckman Young Investigators Program | Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation | $750,000 for up to 4 years | Letter of Intent: June thru September (typical) |
| Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program | The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation | $75,000 for 1 year | Limited Submission Sponsor Deadline: February 8, 2018 |
| Cottrell Scholar Awards | Research Corporation for Science Advancement | $100,000 for 3 years | Pre-Proposal: May 1, 2018 Invited Full: July 20, 2018 |
| Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program | Greenwall Foundation | 50% of salary for 3 years | Limited Submission Letter of Intent (Sponsor): November 1, 2017 Full Proposal (Sponsor): January 15, 2018 |
| Packard Fellowships in Science and Engineering | David and Lucille Packard Foundation | $875,000 over 5 years (equivalent to $175,000 per year) | Limited Submission Request for Nomination (Sponsor): March 15, 2018 |
| Pew Scholars in Biomedical Research | Pew Charitable Trust | $240,000 over 4 years | Limited Submission Internal Deadline: June 4, 2018 See the Internal Call Sponsor Nomination: July 7, 2017 Sponsor Application: October 23, 2017 |
| Searle Scholars Program | Searle Funds at the Chicago Community Trust | $100,000 per year for 3 years | Limited Submission Internal Deadline: June 4, 2018 See the Internal Call Sponsor Deadline: September 29, 2017 |
| Mallinckrodt Research Grants | Mallinckrodt Foundation | $60,000 per year for up to 3 years | Limited Submission Internal Deadline: June 4, 2018 See the Internal Call Sponsor Deadline: August 1, 2017 |
| Simons Investigator in Mathematical Modeling of Living Systems (MMLS) | Simons Foundation | $100,000 per year for 5 years | Limited Submission Nominations (Sponsor): October 31, 2017 |
| Sloan Research Fellowships | Alfred P. Sloan Foundation | $60,000 for 2 years | September 17, 2018 |
| St. Baldrick’s Scholar Awards (Career Development) | St. Baldrick’s Foundation | $110,000 per year, 3 year minimum (potential for 2 additional years) | Limited Submission Letter of Intent (Sponsor): January 31, 2018 |
| Young Investigators Research Grants | Human Frontier Science Program | Up to $450,000, depending on size of team, for 3 years | Letter of Intent: March 28, 2018
You must obtain a reference number from the HFSP extranet by March 19, 2018 |
Last Updated: May 3, 2018