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Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

Funding Opportunities

Funding Opportunities

  • A list of Vanderbilt University upcoming limited submission opportunities can be found at https://www.vanderbilt.edu/rds/limitedsubmission/.
  • A list of Vanderbilt University Medical Center upcoming limited submission opportunities can be found at https://www.vumc.org/oor/limited-and-external-funding-opportunities.
  • Visit the Edge Bulletin Board to check their current list of national research funding opportunities with upcoming deadlines, updated often. To submit national opportunities, email Edge for Scholars. Additionally, the Edge for Scholars Funded Grants Library has over 200 grants in the library including more than two dozen examples of NRSA fellowship applications (F30, F31, F32) written by Vanderbilt trainees that include original submissions, resubmissions, and summary statements. There are also a few AHA fellowship applications in the library. If a trainee is in the process of writing an application, they may review these shared grants by requesting access to the EFS Funded Grants Library. To again access to the Funded Grants Library email Adrienne Babcock. Postdocs should copy their primary mentor on the request so the mentor can confirm the need for access.
  • Visit the SPIN Database of Sponsored Funding Opportunities and search their database of over 40,000 funding opportunities from more than 10,000 global sponsors.

Funding Opportunities

Program Title: 

Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (APS-Ascend)

Synopsis of Program: 

The purpose of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (MPS-Ascend) program is to support postdoctoral Fellows who will broaden the participation of members of groups that are historically excluded and currently underrepresented in MPS fields in the U.S., defined in this solicitation as Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics, Latinos, Indigenous and Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Native Pacific Islanders, as future leaders in MPS fields. The program is intended to recognize beginning investigators of significant potential and provide them with experience in research that will broaden perspectives, facilitate interdisciplinary interactions, and help broaden participation within MPS fields. The program funds postdoctoral Fellows in research environments that will have maximal impact on their future scientific development and facilitates their transition into a faculty appointment. Awards will support research in any scientific area within the purview of the five MPS Divisions: the Divisions of Astronomical Sciences (AST), Chemistry (CHE), Materials Research (DMR), Mathematical Sciences (DMS), and Physics (PHY). Fellowships are awards to individuals, not institutions, and are administered by the Fellows.

For the Program Notice, visit https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2023/nsf23501/nsf23501.htm.

Supports postdoctoral research in the social, behavioral and economic sciences and/or activities that broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in these fields.

Synopsis

The Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) offers Postdoctoral Research Fellowships to encourage independence early in the fellow’s career by supporting his or her research and training goals. The research and training plan of each fellowship must address important scientific questions within the scope of the SBE directorate and the specific guidelines in this solicitation. The SPRF program offers two tracks: (I) Fundamental Research in the SBE Sciences (SPRF-FR) and (II) Broadening Participation in the SBE Sciences (SPRF-BP). See the full text of the solicitation for a detailed description of these tracks.

Program Notice: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2023/nsf23500/nsf23500.htm; https://beta.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/sbe-postdoctoral-research-fellowships-sprf

Applications for the 2023 L’Oréal USA For Women in Science program are now open and will close at 5:00pm ET on Friday, January 27, 2023.

The L’Oréal USA For Women in Science fellowship program honors female scientists at a critical stage in their careers with grants of $60,000 each. Since 2003, we’ve awarded 95 postdoctoral women scientists nearly $5 million in grants. We’re seeking five exceptional female scientists looking to advance their research and serve as role models for the next generation of girls in STEM.

I invite you to share the attached materials with your community and hope that with your help we can encourage some of your network’s outstanding women postdocs to apply.

Attached, please find:

  • Application Flyer (optimized for email forwarding or printing as an 8.5” x 11” poster)
  • Application FAQ
  • For Women in Science Program Fact Sheet

Candidates are selected from a variety of fields including the life and physical/material sciences, technology (including computer science), engineering, and mathematics. Candidates must have completed their PhD and have started in their postdoctoral position by the application deadline.

The application and more information about the L’Oréal USA For Women in Science program can be found at https://www.loreal.com/en/usa/pages/group/fwis/.

Should you have any questions or require additional information, please contact us at forwomeninscience@us.loreal.com.

The purpose of the Pathway to Independence Award in Tobacco Regulatory Research (K99/R00) is to increase and maintain a strong cohort of new and talented independent investigators conducting research that will inform the development and evaluation of regulations on tobacco product manufacturing, distribution, and marketing. This program is designed to facilitate a timely transition of outstanding postdoctoral researchers with a research and/or clinical doctorate degree from mentored, postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions. This program will provide independent NIH research support during this transition in order to help awardees launch competitive, independent research careers.

Research projects must address the research priorities related to the regulatory authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) as mandated by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA), Public Law 111-31.

The awards under this FOA will be administered by NIH using funds made available through the CTP and the FSPTCA (P.L. 111-31).

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is designed specifically for candidates proposing research that does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study to a clinical trial. Applicants to this FOA are permitted to propose research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor. Those proposing a clinical trial or an ancillary clinical trial as lead investigator, should apply to the companion FOA (RFA-OD-22-026).

For more information, visit: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-22-025.html

The purpose of the Pathway to Independence Award in Tobacco Regulatory Research (K99/R00) is to increase and maintain a strong cohort of new and talented independent investigators conducting research that will inform the development and evaluation of regulations on tobacco product manufacturing, distribution, and marketing. This program is designed to facilitate a timely transition of outstanding postdoctoral researchers with a research and/or clinical doctorate degree from mentored, postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions. This program will provide independent research support during this transition in order to help awardees launch competitive, independent research careers.

Research projects must address the research priorities related to the regulatory authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) as mandated by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA), Public Law 111-31.

The awards under this FOA will be administered by NIH using funds made available through the CTP and the FSPTCA (P.L. 111-31).

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is designed specifically for applicants proposing to serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or a separate ancillary study to an existing trial, as part of their research and career development. Applicants not planning an independent clinical trial, or proposing to gain research experience in a clinical trial led by another investigator, must apply to companion FOA (RFA-OD-22-025).

For more information, visit: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-22-025.html

DAAD’s Postdoctoral Networking Tour in Artificial Intelligence (Postdoc-NeT-AI, daad.de/ainet).

This offer addresses experienced PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers from all over the world. We want to make them aware of opportunities for research cooperation with German universities and research institutes. Each call has a specific theme, and the upcoming Networking Tour will focus on Generative Models in Machine Learning.

The DAAD AInet Fellows (find the previous fellows here) will get in touch with leading researchers and research institutions in Germany. The fellowship consists of participation in the DAAD AInet Virtual Networking Week from 24 – 28 April 2023 and a one-week travel stipend to visit German research institutions in person. All applicants will be invited to a comprehensive virtual information session on the German research system and what it has to offer.

More information on the program and the host institutions can be found at daad.de/ainet/apply.

There is a burgeoning need in cancer immunology for scientists with expertise and understanding in both quantitative and biological sciences. The combination of these two areas of research is seen as critical next steps to fuel the discovery of new immunotherapies.

The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Immuno-Informatics Postdoctoral Fellowship Program aims to support qualified young scientists at academic research institutions around the world who wish to receive dual training in immunology and data science. The fellowships will support both computational biologists who seek to strengthen their knowledge of immunology and cancer immunologists who seek training in computational biology, data science, and/or genomics under the mentorship of world-renowned scientists in these disciplines. We will also consider applicants from diverse PhD fields who will train at the interface of cancer immunology and computational biology. The program is designed to train and equip the next generation of scientists with the knowledge and practical tools to pursue novel research ideas bridging immunology and computational biology.

There will be two application deadlines per year: March 1 and September 1. Further details can be found at: CRI Immuno-Informatics Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Information about all CRI funding opportunities can be found at www.cancerresearch.org/apply-for-grants.

Supports postdoctoral researchers in performing work that will broaden their perspectives, facilitate interdisciplinary interactions, and help establish them in leadership positions within the atmospheric and geospace sciences communities.

Synopsis

The Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS), awards Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (PRF) to highly qualified early career investigators to carry out an independent research program. The research plan of each Fellowship must address scientific questions within the scope of AGS disciplines. These disciplines include Atmospheric Chemistry (ATC), Climate and Large-Scale Dynamics (CLD), Paleoclimate (PC), and Physical and Dynamic Meteorology (PDM) in the Atmospheric Sciences, and Aeronomy (AER), Magnetospheric Physics (MAG), Solar Terrestrial (ST), and Space Weather Research (SWR) in the Geospace Sciences.

The AGS-PRF program supports researchers (also known as Fellows) for a period of up to 24 months with Fellowships that can be taken to the institution of their choice. The program is intended to recognize beginning investigators of significant potential and provide them with experiences in research that will broaden perspectives, facilitate interdisciplinary interactions, and help establish them in leadership positions within the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences community. Fellowships are awarded to individual Fellows, not institutions, and are administered by the Fellows.

AGS has made it a priority to address challenges in creating an inclusive geoscience discipline through activities that increase belonging, accessibility, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (BAJEDI). Proposers are encouraged to explicitly address this priority in their proposed activities. Proposers who are women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), or who have attended two-year colleges and minority-serving institutions for undergraduate or graduate school, or plan to conduct their Fellowship activities at one of these institutions (e.g. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Alaska Native Serving Institutions, and Hawaiian Native and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions) are especially encouraged to apply.

Program Notice: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2022/nsf22639/nsf22639.htm; https://beta.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/atmospheric-geospace-sciences-postdoctoral

The Intelligence Community (IC) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program (IC Postdoc Program) was established in 2000 to support unclassified basic research in areas of interest to the IC. Funded primarily by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Program annually supports several Postdoctoral Fellows (Postdocs) from U.S. accredited colleges, universities, and U.S. Government laboratories across the country.

In collaboration with Research Advisors, Postdocs develop and submit technical research proposals that align with research opportunities proposed by the IC community. The research is conducted by the Postdocs while working in partnership with the Research Advisor, and collaborating with an advisor from the Intelligence Community (IC Advisor).

Participants in the IC Postdoc Program have achieved numerous significant accomplishments, including:

  • More than 450 articles in peer-reviewed journals
  • They publish in prestigious journals such as Nature, Science, The Journal of American Chemical Society and Physics Today.
  • Recognized by Forbes List of “30 under 30” in Manufacturing & Industry (2015)
  • Former IC Postdoctoral Fellows have won prestigious awards such as IEEE Intelligent Systems’ Top Ten, Science’s Top 10 breakthroughs, Presidential Early Awards for Scientists and Engineers.
  • An IC Postdoc Fellow recently received a Fulbright from their extraordinary research while in the program. (2018)

Postdocs who have completed their Ph.D. within the last 5 years are invited to apply. Applications are open now through February 28, 2023. You can learn more and apply here.

These instructions are for VU investigators. VUMC investigators should visit the OOR funding opportunity site.

Overview:

Vanderbilt University may nominate 1 Early Career Scientist and 1 Senior Scientist in a field of Cancer Immunology for the 2024 Innovators in Science Award, sponsored by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and administered by the New York Academy of Sciences. Awardees will receive an unrestricted prize of $200,000. The winning scientists will have distinguished themselves for the creativity and impact of their research.

Cancer remains the second-leading cause of death worldwide, and the global burden is expected to rise as the population grows and ages. Despite major advances in the drug development pipeline, about only 11% of new cancer therapeutics make it into the clinic. This Award recognizes bold, creative scientists seeking to increase our molecular and immunological understanding of cancer and inform novel therapeutic approaches. Each applicant’s research must advance one of the cancer immunology subcategories (see Eligibility below).

Each nominee will be evaluated based on the quality of their research, the impact of their research on human health, the novelty of their ideas and methods, and the promise they show for future contributions to their field. Full guidelines and review criteria are found on the program website.

Eligibility Criteria:

Note: Individuals in receipt of current or prior research support from Takeda, or its affiliates, are not eligible for nomination if the research support was in excess of US $10,000 (or equivalent in local currency) and was received within the last four (4) calendar years (2019-2022).

Early Career Scientist nominees must…

  • Currently hold a junior level Post-doctoral or Faculty position.
  • Have been engaged in active research for 10 years or less since gaining their doctorate degree
  • Hold a doctorate degree (PhD, DPhil, MD, DDS, DVM, etc.).
  • Have made impactful research contributions and show exceptional promise for significant future achievement in one of the cancer immunology subcategories (below).
  • In the event that an Early-Career Scientist nominee has taken a maternity, paternity, adoptive, family care, military, or extended sick leave (in line with their current institution’s policies) during the 10 years since gaining their doctoral degree or equivalent, they may qualify for an extension of the eligibility timeframe.
    • Please clearly note in your internal application if you qualify for an eligibility exception.

Cancer Immunology Subcategories:

Applicants will be required to select from the list below one (1) primary Cancer Immunology category that best represents the focus area of their research.

  1. Emerging immunomodulatory therapeutics
  2. Innate immunity as a therapeutic approach
  3. Immune mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment
  4. Next-generation cell-based therapeutics
  5. Epigenetic immune regulation in cancer
  6. Precision and translational medicine approaches to individualized immunotherapies
  7. Other

Internal Submission Instructions

Interested faculty should visit https://vanderbilt.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1893502  to submit an application for the internal LSO competition and to find additional information about the opportunity.  The deadline for the internal competition is February 16, 2023.

Selected candidates must submit their nomination form to the sponsor by the external deadline of March 31, 2023

Any questions about this opportunity or the LSO process may be directed to VU-LSO@vanderbilt.edu.

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