Innovator Awards - Individual Research Projects (Researchers) Grant

The Kenneth Rainin Foundation's Innovator Awards support groundbreaking individual research projects aimed at enhancing the understanding and treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Grants of up to $150,000 are available, with the potential for additional funding for successful projects. This initiative encourages researchers from diverse scientific disciplines to collaborate and innovate, fostering advancements in IBD research globally. Eligibility includes advanced degree holders and institutions dedicated to IBD-related studies.

The Kenneth Rainin Foundation believes that early support for innovative ideas can lead to improvements in preventing, predicting, diagnosing and treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Our Health grantmaking enables researchers worldwide to test ideas, gather and share data, and collaborate to advance the understanding of IBD. In 2022, we consolidated our Innovator Awards and Synergy Awards into one grant program—the Innovator Awards.
Innovator Awards support individual research projects with grants of up to $150,000 and collaborative projects involving multiple investigators with grants of up to $300,000. Grantees who demonstrate significant progress are eligible for up to two years of additional support.
Budget Amount
Innovator Awards support individual research projects with grants of up to $150,000.The budget must reflect the total amount requested, which may include up to 10% for indirect costs.The budget caps of $150,000, respectively, include all indirect costs.
Indirect Costs
The maximum indirect or overhead costs that can be requested are 10% of total direct costs.If there is a subaward, the lead institution can include an additional 10 percent of indirect costs on the first $25,000 USD of the subaward.
Once a grant has been awarded, funds cannot be transferred from direct costs to cover indirect or overhead costs, even if the indirect cost was less than the maximum allowed.
Use Of Human And Animal Subjects
Grant recipients using human or animal subjects must provide documentation of approval from the appropriate review committee within 90 days of award start date
Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Eligibility

Grantees who demonstrate significant progress are eligible for up to two years of additional support.Researchers:Researchers from any scientific discipline worldwide are eligible for funding.Typically, the researchers we fund hold advanced degrees (MD, PhD or the equivalent) and academic positions at universities, medical centers or research institutions.Innovator Awards may only have one Principal Investigator, and funding is awarded to their home institution. Additional investigators may be included as Co-Investigators, and the lead institution can create subawards.The Foundation welcomes proposals from Investigators from any scientific discipline who want to apply their work to Inflammatory Bowel Disease. If an applicant has not previously received funding for IBD-related research, it is strongly advised to include collaborators with expertise in IBD.All formerly funded Rainin Foundation grantees are eligible to apply for an Innovator Award.Current Rainin grantees who are in their third year of funding and expect that their grant funds will be fully expended by 5/31/2026 are eligible to apply.PIs may only submit one LOI.

Ineligibility

Postdocs are not eligible to apply as a Principal Investigator.Current Rainin grantees who are in their first or second year of funding are not eligible to apply.The Foundation Does Not Fund:Direct assistance to individuals or individual sponsorships
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