Whitehall Foundation Grant Programs - Grants-in-Aid

The Whitehall Foundation's Grants-in-Aid program supports early-career researchers in the life sciences, specifically in neurobiology. Aimed at assistant professors facing funding challenges, grants do not exceed $30,000 for one year. Applications are evaluated based on scientific merit and innovation. Eligibility requires independence as an investigator and Principal Investigator status. This program fosters research in areas underrepresented by federal funding, highlighting the Foundation's commitment to advancing biological research and supporting young scientists.

The Whitehall Foundation, through its program of grants and grants-in-aid, assists scholarly research in the life sciences. It is the Foundation's policy to assist those dynamic areas of basic biological research that are not heavily supported by Federal Agencies or other foundations with specialized missions. In order to respond to the changing environment, the Whitehall Foundation periodically reassesses the need for financial support by the various fields of biological research.
The Foundation is currently interested in basic research in neurobiology, defined as follows: Invertebrate and vertebrate (excluding clinical) neurobiology, specifically investigations of neural mechanisms involved in sensory, motor, and other complex functions of the whole organism as these relate to behavior. The overall goal should be to better understand behavioral output or brain mechanisms of behavior.
The Grants-in-Aid program is designed for researchers at the assistant professor level who experience difficulty in competing for research funds because they have not yet become firmly established. Grants-in-Aid can also be made to senior scientists. All applications will be judged on the scientific merit and innovative aspects of the proposal, as well as on past performance and evidence of the applicant’s continued productivity. Grants-in-Aid are awarded for a one-year period and do not exceed $30,000.
Applicants for the Grants-in-Aid program are reviewed and ranked together with the traditional research grant program. This program is not a pre-requisite to a two- or three-year research grant. The majority of the applications received are for a three-year research grant.

Eligibility

The applicant must meet all four of the following eligibility requirements in order to participate in the application process:Appropriate title - must be an Assistant Professor (or higher). If the institution does not use this title, a letter from the department chair confirming the applicant's eligibility is required.Independence – to be eligible for consideration an applicant must be considered an 'independent investigator’, as defined by the National Institutes of Health. The Foundation assesses independence based on the faculty appointment, commitment of the institution to the PI as an individual member of the faculty, and the allocation of lab space that is independent and free from the control of other members of the faculty. Each application will be assessed on its own merits but our emphasis on independence is particularly important when an applicant is continuing at the same institution as their doctoral or postdoctoral advisor. Please note that the Foundation does not consider lab space located within a former mentor’s or advisor's lab to be sufficiently independent even with the title of Assistant Professor or Assistant Research Professor. These expectations are in line with the Foundation’s goal of supporting young investigators as they launch their careers.Status - must hold Principal Investigator status.The Foundation does not fund investigators who have substantial (more than $200,000 per year) extramural funding calculated as total direct funds per year less any PI salary/fringe taken from these grants. If this amount is greater than $200,000 the PI would not be eligible for Whitehall Foundation funding. As of December 1st, 2024, the Foundation no longer includes indirect funding in the extramural funding calculation. Startup funds and internal funding should be disclosed but are not included in the extramural funding calculation.