Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities
Common Funding Opportunities for ZI Postdocs
Book a Service:
- Funding Search: Schedule a meeting with Arthur and Tori about grant options at your career stage or questions about funding opportunities you are considering
- Grant Kickoff Meeting: Upon request - a meeting with Tori and Arthur about a specific grant, to set up your Dropbox/Google Drive, receive a checklist, and plan your grant writing
- Grant Editing: Upon request - schedule a time for Tori to edit your grant. Please reach out as early as possible.
- Summary statement review + strategy: Set up a meeting with us to discuss the next steps after receiving your summary statement
Common Funding Opportunities for ZI Postdocs
- Mechanism
- Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
- Annual Deadlines
- Early – Mid June
- Eligibility
- Must have no more than ONE year of postdoctoral research experience at the time of the deadline for submitting the application
- Must have received a Ph.D. (or D.Phil. or equivalent) degree no more than TWO years before the deadline, or an M.D. degree no more than THREE years before the deadline
- Basic biomedical research
- Deadline Month
- 06
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- Simons Foundation Society of Fellows - Junior Fellow
- Annual Deadlines
- Early – Mid September
- Eligibility
- By nomination (ask your PI)
- At program start (~1 year after application), no more than ~2 years since finished Ph.D.
- Deadline Month
- 09
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Annual Deadlines
- Late January – Early February
- Eligibility
- No more than 12 months as postdoc at application deadline
- Ph.D. degree must not have been conferred more than 24 months prior to the application deadline
- Deadline Month
- 02
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- Life Sciences Research Foundation Postdoctoral Research Award
- Annual Deadlines
- Late September – Early October
- Eligibility
- Must apply within 5 years of receiving Ph.D. or M.D.
- You must have begun (or will begin) working in your proposed postdoc lab between August 1 of the previous year and July 31 of the upcoming year
- Post-doc must be in different lab than Ph.D.
- Deadline Month
- 10
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- NIH K32 - Academic Career Excellence (ACE) Award
- Annual Deadlines
- Early October +
Early February + Early June
- Eligibility
- U.S. citizen/permanent resident
- No more than 2 years of post-doc training
- Deadline Month
- 10 + 02 + 06
- International postdocs eligible?
- No
- Mechanism
- NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (Parent F32)
- Annual Deadlines
- Early December + Early April + Early August
- Eligibility
- U.S. citizen/permanent resident
- Deadline Month
- 12 + 04 + 08
- International postdocs eligible?
- No
- Mechanism
- NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB)
- Annual Deadlines
- Late September
- Eligibility
- Research focus area: Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Biological Sciences to Strengthen and Safeguard Biotechnology Innovations.
- U.S. citizen/permanent resident
- Cannot have worked in any position that requires the doctoral degree for a combined total of more than 15 full time months prior to the deadline
- Limited to a maximum of two submissions, regardless of the outcome.
- Deadline Month
- 09
- International postdocs eligible?
- No
- Mechanism
- NYAS Leon Levy Scholarships in Neuroscience
- Annual Deadlines
- Mid October
- Eligibility
- By the time of appointment on September 1 of the next year after application submission, the applicant must:
- Hold a doctoral degree (PhD, DPhil, MD, DDS, DVM, etc.)
- Hold a full-time postdoctoral position at an eligible institution in one of New York City’s five boroughs
- Possess no more than three (3) years of cumulative postdoctoral experience
- Conduct research in Neuroscience or one of its sub-disciplines
- Deadline Month
- 10
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- Charles H. Revson Foundation Revson Senior Biomedical Research Grants
- Annual Deadlines
- Call for submissions: Late January
Internal application: Early February
Final proposal: Early March
- Eligibility
- Deadline Month
- 02
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- HHMI Hanna H. Gray Transition Program
- Annual Deadlines
- Mid-December, every other year (even years, starting in 2026)
- Eligibility
- Deadline Month
- 12
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Grants
- Annual Deadlines
- Mid – Late March
- Eligibility
- Advanced post-doc or early faculty (assistant professor)
- Only three attempts at this BBRF grant are allowed
- Deadline Month
- 03
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- Simons Foundation Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain
- Annual Deadlines
- Early January
- Eligibility
- Research in the field of cognitive aging
- Postdoc intending to seek tenure-track research faculty position in upcoming academic job cycle (but not yet accepted a job)
- Deadline Month
- 01
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative Fellows-to-Faculty Award
- Annual Deadlines
- Early January
- Eligibility
- Autism research
- Postdoc intending to seek tenure-track research faculty position in upcoming academic job cycle (but not yet accepted a job)
- Deadline Month
- 01
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- NSF Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (SPRF)
- Annual Deadlines
- Late October – Early November
- Eligibility
- Social, Behavioral, Economic sciences
- U.S. citizen/permanent resident
- Must have obtained a doctoral degree in the SBE sciences within the 3 years prior to the proposal deadline or will obtain a doctoral degree within 12 months after the proposal deadline but before the anticipated start date
- Deadline Month
- 11
- International postdocs eligible?
- No
- Mechanism
- NIH K99/R00 Parent Pathway to Independence Award
- Annual Deadlines
- Early October +
Early February + Early June
- Eligibility
- No more than 4 years as postdoc
- Deadline Month
- 10 + 02 + 06
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- NIH Parent K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award
- Annual Deadlines
- Early October +
Early February + Early June
- Eligibility
- U.S. citizen/permanent resident
- Each NIH institute has different eligibility criteria for applicants. Check here
- Deadline Month
- 10 + 02 + 06
- International postdocs eligible?
- No
- Mechanism
- Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholar Award
- Annual Deadlines
- Call for submissions: Early July
Internal application: Early August
Final proposal: November 1
- Eligibility
- Must have an MD, PhD, or both
- Must hold a post-doctoral research position at a United States medical school, research institute, or academic institution.
- Minimum of 3 years and no more than 6 years of a post-doctoral fellowship by July 1 of the year after the deadline (by award start date)
- Research focused in the field of Neuroscience
- Must be nominated by the dean of the medical school or equivalent institutional senior leader
- Deadline Month
- 08
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
Additional Funding Opportunities
- Mechanism
- Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships
- Annual Deadlines
- Application: Late August – Early September
- Eligibility
- Cannot have resided or carried out main activity (school/work) in country of the host institution (your postdoc lab) for more than 12 months within the past 3 years
- Deadline Month
- 09
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Awards at the Scientific Interface (CASI)
- Annual Deadlines
- Application: Late August - Early September
- Eligibility
- Must hold a PhD degree in: mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, statistics, or engineering. Exceptions will be made only if the applicant can demonstrate significant expertise in one of these areas, evidenced by publications, undergraduate major, or master’s degree.
- Candidates whose PhD is in biochemistry/biophysics/ biology/cell biology/etc. may be eligible if significant accomplishment or competence in one of the areas of mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, statistics, or engineering can be shown (i.e., papers published, advanced coursework, or undergraduate major), and if the proposal draws on that background. Work must be interdisciplinary and make use of nonbiological approaches.
- Must have completed at least 12 months but not more than 60 months of postdoctoral research by the date of the full invited application deadline
- Must have at least one first-author publication in a peer reviewed journal, including papers on which “first authorship” is shared. Candidates who have submitted a first-author manuscript from graduate or undergraduate studies, but it has not yet been published, may apply if the manuscript is accepted for publication or in press.
- Must be a U.S. citizen/permanent resident, or hold a valid visa
- Deadline Month
- 09
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation
- Annual Deadlines
-
- Call for submissions: Mid-January
- Internal application: Late January – Early February
- Eligibility
- Internal submission:
- Morningside competition: Postdoc or Ph.D. student conducting biomedical research on the Morningside campus
- OR
- VP&S competition: Postdoc or Ph.D. student conducting biomedical research at CUIMC or ZMBBI, and PI must have primary appointment in VP&S
- For either competition:
- Need at least 2 publications to submit for the competition
- Deadline Month
- 02
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- Burroughs Wellcome Fund Postdoctoral Diversity Enrichment Program
- Annual Deadlines
- Application: Mid-January
- Eligibility
- Must be citizen of the United States or Canada.
- Must have no more than 48 months of postdoctoral research experience at the time of application and not be more than 5 years from their Ph.D.
- Must have secured a postdoctoral position with funding (including support by the mentor’s existing research grants) at a degree-granting institution in the United States or Canada and must begin the postdoctoral position on or by the designated award commencement date.
- Deadline Month
- 01
- International postdocs eligible?
- No* (*Canadian citizens are eligible)
- Mechanism
- Human Science Frontiers Postdoctoral Fellowships
- Annual Deadlines
- Letter of Intent: Early MayApplication: Mid - Late September
- Eligibility
- Cannot apply to work in their citizenship/nationality country
- Must not have worked (consecutively or not) in the proposed host country for more than 12 months at the activation date of the fellowship. The award must be activated between April 1 of the following year and January 1 of the year after that.
- Example: If applying in 2026, the fellowship must be activated between April 1 2027 and January 1 2028. This means that the candidate must have started working in their lab on April 1 2026 or later.
- Citizenship: Must either be a national of an HFSP member country OR planning to do postdoc work in a member country (USA is a member country)
- Must propose to work in a country different to the one where they did their previous PhD work or first post-doctoral studies
- Doctoral degree must be conferred by start date (not required at application date)
- Must have at least one lead author publication by the Letter of Intent submission deadline: (1) published in a recognized OA preprint repository, or (2) accepted for publication, (3) in press, or (4) already published by a peer reviewed journal
- By full application date, the publication must be accepted/in press, or published
- A mentor/PI can only sponsor ONE letter of intent/application
- Two tracks:
- Long-Term Fellowships (LTF): PhD on a biological topic
- Cross-Disciplinary Fellowships (CDF): Doctoral degree from a non-biological discipline (e.g. physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering or computer sciences) and has not worked in the life sciences before
- Deadline Month
- 05
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
- Mechanism
- NIDCD Early Career Research (ECR) Award (R21)
- Annual Deadlines
- Mid-February + Mid-June + Mid-October
- Eligibility
- Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or valid U.S. visa holder
- Must be no more than 7 years* beyond the date that the first professional, advanced professional, or terminal academic degree was awarded
- Formal years of clinical training (Internship, Residency, and Fellowship) are not counted as part of the 7-year limit
- A resubmission application will be allowed even if the 7-year eligibility period has expired provided the resubmission application is received within 37 months from the original submission
* eligibility extension possible- Deadline Month
- 02 + 06 + 10
- International postdocs eligible?
- Yes
