Welch Foundation Postdoctoral Fellows Grant

The Welch Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship offers three-year funding of $97,000 annually for recent PhD graduates pursuing innovative chemical research in Texas. This program, in collaboration with the Life Sciences Research Foundation, supports fellows tackling significant chemistry-related challenges across various subfields. Successful candidates receive additional resources for research and professional development, fostering their academic careers. Applications are open to U.S. and international scholars committed to advancing chemical science through world-class training.

The Welch Foundation is a legacy to the world from Robert Alonzo Welch, a self-made man with a strong sense of responsibility to humankind, an enthusiastic respect for chemistry and a deep love for his adopted state of Texas.
The Welch Foundation, based in Houston, Texas, is one of the nation's largest private funding sources for basic chemical research. Since its founding in 1954, the organization has contributed to the advancement of chemistry through research grants, departmental programs, endowed chairs and other special projects at educational institutions in Texas.
The Robert A. Welch Foundation is launching a new postdoctoral fellowship program, in conjunction with Life Sciences Research Foundation (LSRF).
Purpose
The Postdoctoral Fellows Grant Program provides three-year fellowships to recent PhD graduates from around the world to support the development of their chemical research careers in Texas. The aim is to fund fellows who intend to tackle important chemistry-related problems in interesting and novel ways within laboratories that provide world-class training.
Chemical Research
As with other research programs funded by the Welch Foundation, ‘chemical research’ includes all subfields of Chemistry (organic, inorganic, physical, analytical, quantum, surface, theoretical, medicinal, catalysis, earth, space, and electrochemistry) and the allied fields of Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Chemical Physics, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, and Nanoscience (including Photonics and Plasmonics).
Funding
Successful candidates will be awarded three-year fellowships of $97,000/year. In addition to the stipend and research allowance provided through LSRF ($77,000/year), Welch will provide a supplemental research grant directly to the host institution ($20,000/year) with the fellow named as principal investigator.
This grant is intended to provide the fellow with additional resources for research (e.g., reagents and small equipment) and professional development (e.g., scientific meetings and publication charges). Funds can be carried forward to the next year and requests for no-cost extensions will be considered.
Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Eligibility

U.S. citizens are eligible to work in any geographic location. Non-U.S. citizens must work in a U.S. laboratory to be eligible for an award.
Applicants must apply within 5 years of receiving their PhD (or MD/DVM whichever was awarded later) as of October 1, 2024. If you received your PhD (or MD/DVM) before October 1, 2019, you are not eligible to apply. You may apply before defending your thesis, but must have your PhD (or MD/DVM) degree by the time the award is activated on August 1, 2025
The application requires a letter of acceptance from your proposed postdoctoral supervisor (the Principal Investigator of the lab where you will conduct your postdoctoral training).
You must complete your postdoctoral training in a lab different from that of your graduate (thesis) lab. Remaining in your thesis lab for a few weeks or months after receiving your degree, before moving to your postdoc lab, is acceptable.All complete applications received through our online application portal will be reviewed by our peer review committee. A complete application means that an applicant has completed and finalized their submission before 8:00pm EST on October 1, 2024 AND that the required three (3) reference letters and one (1) proposed supervisor letter were received before 8:00pm EST on November 1, 2024.

Ineligibility

Unlike the LSRF research allowance, the Welch grant cannot be used for out-of-pocket healthcare or childcare expenses and the funds cannot be escrowed for future use.Applicants planning to remain in their thesis labs for the duration of their postdoctoral training period are NOT eligible.