Pew Biomedical Scholars Grant

Pew Biomedical Scholars Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Pew Charitable Trusts
Amount: US $75,000 - US $300,000
Last Updated: January 27, 2026

Summary

The Pew Biomedical Scholars Program offers significant funding of $300,000 over four years to support early-career researchers in biomedical sciences. The program encourages innovative and impactful research that contributes to human health, requiring nomination from one of the 212 participating institutions. Candidates must hold a doctorate, run an independent lab as an assistant professor, and demonstrate exceptional promise. This program fosters collaboration and annual meetings for scholars to present their findings.

Overview

NOTE: For the awards to be made in 2026, one nomination will be invited from each of the listed 212 institutions. The Pew Charitable Trusts selects participating institutions based on the scope of the institution’s work in biomedical research and recommendations by the National Advisory Committee. Institutions that would like to be considered for invitation may contact us. A letter of invitation and application instructions will be sent to the leaders and offices of sponsored research of the institutions invited to nominate a candidate for the 2026 class. Institutions are expected to complete a limited submission competition in order to identify and select one nominee. Interested applicants should submit pre-proposal material to an internal selection committee for consideration. Letter of Intent - This deadline represents the Nomination of the Candidate from the Institution.Full Proposal - This is when the Application submission is due. Pew Biomedical Scholars The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences provides funding to young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of human health. The program makes grants to selected academic institutions to support the independent research of outstanding individuals who are in their first few years of their appointment at the assistant professor level. Based on their performance during their education and training, candidates should demonstrate outstanding promise as contributors in science relevant to human health. Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches to basic, translational, and applied biomedical research. Candidates whose work is based on biomedical principles but who bring in concepts and theories from more diverse fields are encouraged to apply. Ideas with the potential to produce an unusually high impact are encouraged. Selection of the successful candidates will be based on a detailed description of the work that the applicant proposes to undertake, evaluations of the candidate’s performance, and notable past accomplishments, including honors, awards, and publications. In evaluating the candidates, the National Advisory Committee gives considerable weight to both the project proposal and the researcher, including evidence that the candidate is a successful independent investigator and has the skill set needed to carry out their high-impact proposal. Funding from the NIH, other government sources, and project grants from nonprofit associations do not pose a conflict with the Pew scholars program. Funding The current grant level is $300,000. An award of $75,000 per year for four years will be provided to the sponsoring institution for use by the scholar, subject to annual review of the scholar’s progress. Grant agreements will be issued in August of the award year. The awarded funds may be used at the discretion of the Pew scholar, for personnel, equipment, supplies, or travel directly related to the scholar's research and as to best advance his or her research and career. The amount of the award that may be used for the principal investigator’s salary is limited to $12,500 per year (including benefits) or $50,000 over the duration of the grant. There are no limits on student or postdoctoral salaries. Not more than 8 percent ($24,000) of the total award value may be allocated for facilities and administration (F&A) charges or indirect costs (IDCs). Should the funds not be immediately required, they may be accumulated and carried over through the grant period and, with written approval of the program office, the grant may receive a no-cost extension for one additional year (without additional funds). Subawards are allowed. During the four-year grant term, program participants are required to attend an annual meeting held in March or April. All eligible expenses for attendees’ travel, lodging, and meals are paid by Pew. The meeting provides Pew scholars with an opportunity to present their research and for scientific collaboration and exchange with other scholars and members of the National Advisory Committee.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Candidates must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:Candidates must meet all of the following eligibility requirements: Hold a doctorate in biomedical sciences, medicine, or a related field, including engineering or the physical sciences. As of the specified date, run an independent lab and hold a full-time appointment at the rank of assistant professor.May apply to the program a maximum of two times. All applicants must be nominated by their institution and must complete the current online application.It is expected that Pew scholars will spend at least 80 percent of their time in work or activities related to the accomplishment of their overall research goals (which are not restricted to the specific aims proposed for this award). However, Pew provides flexible support to the general research aims of the scholar and does not require effort reporting.One nomination will be invited from each of the following 212 institutions. The Pew Charitable Trusts selects participating institutions based on the scope of the institution’s work in biomedical research and recommendations by the National Advisory Committee.Institutions that would like to be considered for invitation may contact us.Participating Institutions:Albany Medical College Albert Einstein College of Medicine Allen Institute Arizona State University Auburn University Augusta University Baylor College of Medicine Benaroya Research Institute Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Binghamton University Boston College Boston University Brandeis University Brigham and Women’s Hospital Brown University Buck Institute for Research on Aging California Institute of Technology Carnegie Institution of Washington Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Children’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Children's Mercy Kansas City Children's National Hospital Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center City of Hope National Medical Center Clarkson University Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University Columbia University Cornell University Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Dartmouth College Drexel University Duke University Emory University Florida State University Forsyth Institute Fox Chase Cancer Center Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Georgetown University George Washington University Georgia Institute of Technology Gladstone Institutes Harvard University Henry Ford Health Houston Methodist Research Institute Howard University Hunter College Indiana University Iowa State University Jackson Laboratory Johns Hopkins University La Jolla Institute for Immunology Lehigh University Louisiana State University Marine Biological Laboratory Marquette University Massachusetts Eye and Ear Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts Institute of Technology Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience Mayo Clinic Medical College of Wisconsin Medical University of South Carolina Meharry Medical College Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Michigan State University Monell Chemical Senses Center Montana State University Morgridge Institute for Research Mount Sinai School of Medicine National Institutes of Health National Jewish Health Nebraska Medicine New York Medical College New York University North Carolina State University Northeastern University Northern Arizona University Northwestern University Ohio State University Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Oklahoma State University Oregon Health & Science University Oregon State University Pennsylvania State University Princeton University Purdue University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rice University Roswell Park Cancer Institute Rush University Medical Center Rutgers University St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital St. Louis University Salk Institute for Biological Studies San Diego State University Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute Scripps Research Institute Stanford University State University of New York at Albany State University of New York at Buffalo State University of New York at Stony Brook State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn Stowers Institute for Medical Research Syracuse University Temple University Texas A&M University Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station The Graduate Center, City University of New York The Rockefeller University Thomas Jefferson University Translational Genomics Research Institute Tufts Medical Center Tufts University Tulane University University of Alabama at Birmingham University of Arizona University of Arkansas, Fayetteville University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Merced University of California, Riverside University of California, San Diego University of California, San Francisco University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz University of Central Florida University of Chicago University of Cincinnati University of Colorado, Boulder University of Colorado, Denver University of Connecticut University of Delaware University of Denver University of Florida University of Georgia University of Hawaii University of Houston University of Idaho University of Illinois at Chicago University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Iowa University of Kansas Medical Center University of Kentucky at Lexington University of Louisville University of Maine University of Maryland, Baltimore University of Maryland, College Park University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Massachusetts Medical School University of Miami University of Michigan University of Minnesota University of Missouri University of Missouri, Kansas City University of Montana University of Nebraska University of Nebraska Medical Center University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of New Hampshire University of New Mexico University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina, Charlotte University of North Dakota University of North Texas University of Notre Dame University of Oklahoma University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh University of Rochester University of Southern California University of South Carolina University of Tennessee Health Science Center University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of Texas at Arlington University of Texas at Austin University of Texas at San Antonio University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas University of Utah University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Washington University of Wisconsin-Madison University of Wyoming Upstate Medical University Utah State University Van Andel Research Institute Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University Medical Center Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Tech Wake Forest University Washington State University Washington University in St. Louis Wayne State University Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University

Ineligibility

Appointments such as research assistant professor, adjunct assistant professor, assistant professor research track, visiting professor, or instructor are not eligible.Must not have been appointed as an assistant professor and run an independent lab at any institution prior to the specified date, whether or not such an appointment was on a tenure track. Time spent in clinical internships, residencies, in work toward board certification, or on parental leave does not count as part of this four-year limit. Candidates who need an exception on the four-year limit should contact Pew’s program office to ensure that application reviewers are aware an exception has been given. Please note that the eligibility criteria above have been temporarily expanded to account for COVID-related lab shutdowns. This extension will end after this upcoming application cycle. Beginning next year, the eligibility window will revert to the three-year period.If applicants have appointments at more than one eligible nominating institution or affiliate, they may not reapply in a subsequent year from a different nominating entity.May not be nominated for the Pew Scholars Program and the Pew-Stewart Scholars Program for Cancer Research in the same year.This program does not fund clinical trials research.