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If you’re an early career researcher (ECR) trying to secure funding, your best options are federal agencies like NIH, foundations and trusts like Sloan, and research societies, as well as seed funding and university-provided grants. We’ll look at each of these in this article, and also provide tips for the grant application process.
Federal funding for early career researchers
Foundations supporting early career researchers
Specialized societies and foundations supporting early career researchers
Seed funding for early career researchers
University funding for early career researchers
How can PhD graduates in the US secure funding?
1. Federal funding for early career researchers
The key agencies that support ECRs are
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
The NIH Career Development Awards (K series) provide ECRs salary and research support for 3 to 5 years, helping them transition from students to independent investigators. The most popular of these are the Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00), Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08), and Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Development Award (K23).
National Science Foundation (NSF)
NSF’s CAREER Program supports teacher-researchers, i.e., untenured early career faculty. It’s considered one of the most prestigious NSF awards and provides a federal grant of minimum $400,000 over five years.
Department of Energy (DOE)
DOE’s Early Career Research Program, the largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the US, is intended for untenured, tenure-track assistant or associate professors at a US academic institution who are within 10 years of having earned a doctorate degree. The fields covered include, among others, advanced scientific computing research, basic energy sciences, high energy physics, and nuclear physics.
Department of Defense (DOD)
DOD provides substantial funding to ECRs whose research shows exceptional promise for defense-related technologies. Grants are awarded main through the Young Investigator Program managed by the Army Research Office, Office of Naval Research, and Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
2. Foundations supporting early career researchers
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
The Sloan research fellowships are two-year $75,000 fellowships provided annually to ECRs in fundamental research. The amount can be used for staffing, professional travel, lab expenses, equipment, or summer salary support. Fellows are required to submit an annual substantive report of their research as well as a financial report of how they have spent their funds.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program supports postdoctoral researchers seeking facility roles. This program has recently joined with the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program. Hanna Gray Fellows receive up to 2 years of postdoctoral support and up to 10 years of faculty support as Freeman Hrabowski Scholars.
Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Burroughs Wellcome Fund supports ECRs in the biomedical sciences. The most popular of these are the Career Awards for Medical Scientists, which provides $700,000 over five years to physicians who commit to an academic career, and Career Awards at the Scientific Interface, which provides postdoctoral fellows with $560,000 over five years to bridge advanced postdoctoral training and the first three years of faculty service.
3. Specialized societies and foundations supporting early career researchers
Funding is also available from societies and foundations with specific goals or target populations. Some examples are
American Thoracic Society
This society offers several grants for ECRs who focus on specific diseases, such as the Respiratory Health Equity Research Award ($100,000 per year for two years), Research Grant in Sarcoidosis ($50,000 for 1 year), and the Alveolar Capillary Dysplasia Research Grant ($50,000 for 1 year).
American Heart Association (AHA)
AHA offers postdoctoral fellowships to enhance the training of postdoctoral members who want to combine a career in both academic research (cardiovascular, cerebrovascular or brain health research) and clinical service.
American Physical Society (APS)
Some of APS’ awards are specifically for ECRs, such as the Irwin Oppenheim Award (meant for an ECR who gets published in the journal Physical Review), the Thomas H. Stix Award (for ECRs who have made outstanding contributions to plasma physics), the Stuart Jay Freedman Award (for ECRs in experimental nuclear physics), and the Francis M. Pipkin Award (for ECRs in precision measurement and fundamental constants).
American Epilepsy Society
The American Epilepsy Society offers Junior Investigator Awards of up to $50,000 for one year to support the direct costs of research. The award also comes with free membership and registration to the AES Annual Meeting for one year. ECRs in basic, translational, and clinical epilepsy research are eligible.
4. Seed funding for early career researchers
What is seed funding for research?
Seed funding is early-stage financing for a research project. The amount is small but it can cover the basic startup costs. As an ECR, it could be a good idea to secure seed funding for a pilot project and then use the results of that project to secure a bigger, more competitive grant.
What are the sources of seed funding for early career researchers?
The two main sources of seed funding for ECRs are
- Federal agencies: One example is NIH grants like R03 (Small Research Grant) and R21 (Exploratory/Developmental Grant), which fund short-term innovative research projects without requiring preliminary data. R03 provides up to $50,000 for direct project costs per year for up to 2 years. R21 offers up to $275,000 over 2 years.
- Private foundations and societies: The AABB Foundation provides seed funding of up to USD 100,000 for ECRs who can launch promising research projects in blood banking, transfusion medicine, or biotherapies. An advantage of this funding is that it is open to ECRs who haven’t received substantial research grants previously. The organization’ definition of ECR is also quite encompassing: those within 10 years of terminal degree/residency.
5. University funding for early career researchers
A number of universities provide grants or seed funding to their own PhDs. Some examples are:
- Caltech: Caltech’s Presidential Postdoctoral Fellows program provides stipends, mentoring, and other services to postdoctorates for their professional development. Caltech also offers the Pioneer Postdoctoral Fellowship is open to PhD graduates in the field of sustainability.
- Cornell University: The Kavli Institute at Cornell provides fellowships to ECRs in the field of nanoscale science, covering 50% funding of the Fellow’s salary, an annual expense account, and various other fringe benefits.
- Harvard University: The Harvard Kennedy School provides various fellowships to recent PhD recipients, such as the Arctic Initiative Fellowship, Ernest May Fellowship in History and Policy, and International Security Program Fellowship.
How can PhD graduates in the US secure funding?
Funding for ECRs is highly competitive, and to secure a grant, you need to
- Utilize your university’s resources: Many universities have dedicated staff to help PhD graduates and faculty secure grants and maintain exhaustive lists of all the funding opportunities available.
- Stay updated: Track the major grants or fellowships available to ECRs in your field and be on top of submission deadlines
- Take your grant application seriously: Carefully review the requirements before you start writing. Collect any data you need. Proofread your application thoroughly before submitting it and make sure you’ve followed the style/format required.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the right time for a PhD graduate to apply for funding?
There’s no single right time to apply for funding or grants. Application deadlines for grants differ, and there’s a cutoff for a grant application practically every month of the year. Start identifying the best sources of funding in your field and stay on top of their grant applications deadlines constantly.
Do I need to pay back grants or fellowships?
Unlike student loans, you don’t need to pay back grants or fellowships. They are like prizes for research excellence; awardees win them through their own hard work and innovative thinking.
What are my funding options if I don’t secure a grant?
You can also get funding through teaching assistantships and research assistantships, as well as through external employment.
