LSRF Postdoctoral Fellowship Award

Application Process

#### Timeline

1. August 4, 2026: Changes to award cycle posted on website
2. August 15, 2026: Online application system opens
3. October 31, 2026: Application submission deadline (8:00pm EST)
4. November 1, 2026: Proposed supervisor and reference letters deadline (8:00pm EST)
5. Late November 2026: Applications sent to Peer Review Committee
6. Early February 2027: Peer Review Committee selects ~50-60 finalists
7. Late February 2027: Applicants notified of finalist/non-finalist status
8. March-August 2027: LSRF solicits sponsors to fund finalists
9. August 1, 2027: Award activation date

#### Application Components

Complete applications require:

1. Applicant Information Tab
- Current contact information
- Education history
- Peer-reviewed publications list (may include "in press" and preprints from BioRxiv, ChemRxiv, etc.)
- Honors and awards received
- 300-word thesis dissertation summary
- Name and contact of grants/sponsored programs official at host institution

2. Research Proposal Tab
- 250-word abstract: Broad long-term objectives, specific aims, research design and methods
- Research Proposal File: 7 pages maximum (PDF)
- 5 single-spaced pages: research plan, figures, tables
- 2 pages: literature cited
- Formatting Requirements:
- 0.5-inch margins on all sides
- Text: 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Arial minimum
- Figures/tables: 10-point Times New Roman or 9-point Arial
- Content: Complete literature citations (all authors, title, journal, year, volume, pages)
- Upload as single PDF file (max 5MB recommended)

3. Letters of Reference and Supervisor Letter Tab
- Total of 4 letters required:
- 3 reference letters
- 1 proposed supervisor letter
- Reference Letter Requirements:
- One from thesis advisor (or alternate faculty familiar with thesis work if advisor unavailable)
- Must critically appraise applicant's qualifications
- Proposed supervisor may NOT serve as referee
- Proposed Supervisor Letter Requirements:
- Confirms acceptance of applicant to laboratory
- Confirms institutional willingness to administer award
- Indicates expected role of applicant
- Notes size of research group and degree of independence
- Co-supervisors: Only one supervisor letter; must state each supervisor's role and include names/contact for both
- Submission Method: Typed or copy/pasted into application field (NOT PDF upload)
- Deadline: November 1, 2026 (8:00pm EST)
- Letter writers receive confirmation emails upon submission

4. Demographics Tab
- Complete all required fields
- Important: This information is NOT used in review process and NOT visible to peer review panel
- Used only to assess outreach, diversity of applicants/institutions, research trends, and fundraising focus
- Gender and race data may be provided in aggregate to organizations like FASEB, AAAS, Chronicle of Higher Education (no identifying information)

#### Application Submission Process

1. Create account in online application portal
2. Complete Applicant Information tab
3. Complete Research Proposal tab with abstract and upload PDF
4. Enter names and emails of 4 letter writers (3 referees + 1 supervisor)
5. Complete Demographics tab
6. Finalize application before October 31, 2026 (8:00pm EST)
7. Upon finalization, LSRF sends emails to letter writers with submission links
8. Letter writers submit letters online by November 1, 2026 (8:00pm EST)
9. Receive confirmation emails when application finalized and when each letter is submitted

#### Important Application Notes

• No extensions: Submission deadline is absolute; no exceptions made
• No edits after deadline: Cannot access application after October 31 to edit/add material
• Reference changes: Cannot add or change reference names after October 1
• Complete applications: Must have applicant submission AND all 4 letters by respective deadlines
• Incomplete applications: Will NOT be reviewed
• Sample proposals: LSRF does not provide samples of funded applications
• Feedback: Non-finalist applicants do NOT receive proposal critiques
• Tracking: LSRF does not track applicants year-to-year; reapplicants reviewed fresh
• Multiple submissions: May not hold another postdoctoral fellowship concurrently
• Multiple labs: Only one LSRF awardee per lab at a time; if multiple applicants from same lab selected as finalists, only one will be funded
• Co-mentors: If project requires co-mentor, discuss with proposed supervisor; if another applicant or current awardee has same proposed supervisor as co-mentor, only one will be awarded

#### Tips for Success

• Submit early: Submit well before October 31 deadline to account for technical issues
• Letter writers: Contact potential referees and supervisor far in advance to confirm availability and meet November 1 deadline
• Letter writer info: Inform letter writers they will receive email from "apply@lsrf.org" with subject "LastName, FirstName has Requested a Letter of Reference"
• Sponsor office: Notify your sponsored programs office of submission (approval not required)
• Other funding: May hold outside funding during application process but cannot hold another postdoctoral award if awarded LSRF fellowship
• Notify LSRF: If accepting another fellowship during application/review process (Oct 31-Jul 31), email apply@lsrf.org
• Browser issues: Try different web browser if upload/access issues occur
• Proposal file size: Keep PDF under 5MB; most successful applications 1-3MB