CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Funding Resources

Securing funding is paramount for advancing research and educational initiatives. The following compendium of resources has been meticulously curated to offer a comprehensive overview of both federal and non-federal funding opportunities, postdoctoral fellowships, and summer undergraduate research programs.

Additionally, the list encompasses valuable tools and recommendations for creating compelling grant figures and keeping reviewers' perspectives at the forefront. For those seeking to elevate their grant writing prowess, an assortment of renowned books on the subject, along with general writing resources, has been included. To bolster the understanding of the grant application process and enhance proficiency, the collection also features insightful tips, podcasts, and exemplary grant samples. These resources aim to streamline the funding acquisition process and position researchers for success.

This page includes information on:

  • Grants
  • Summer Research
  • Undergraduate/Graduate/Postdoc

Summer Undergraduate Research Programs

Pathways to Science (Searchable listing):

AAMC

AAMC (For students interested in MD/PhD)

Postdoctoral Fellowship Listings

Compilation for Biology

Listing by JHU

Harvard Internal & External Funding Resource

Loan Repayment Program (Repays up to $50,000 of a researcher’s qualified educational debt while engaging in NIH-relevant research)

Graduate Student Funding Opportunities

Listing by JHU

General Fellowship Database 

Cientifico Latino (With examples, searchable by citizenship/immigration status):

The Hub 

ARVO Funding Guide

ARVO

Federal Funding

Federal Funding (Federal-wide portal for advertising funding opportunities)

NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts 

NIH Website 

List of Grant-Making Agencies

Non-Federal Funding

Science Magazine List of Resources 

Pivot-RP Database

Programs to Create Figures (BioRender/Adobe Illustrator)

Webinar for creating grant figures (Using BioRender)

Learn to Use BioRender

Resources for keeping the reviewer in mind

NIH Review Criteria at a Glance

NIH Review Guidelines

NIH Slides

Important Resources

Early Status Investigator Status Information

Application Guides for NIH Grants: This includes general instructions as well specific instructions for different types of grants (e.g., K awards, R awards, training awards, multi-project awards, etc.)

Formatting Requirements (NIH): This includes specifics on citations, page formatting, font, images, hyperlinks and URLs, page limits, and more. 

NIH RePORTER: This resource lists all NIH-funded grants (both active and previous). You can use to see who has been funded for specific grants, look at project summaries, and projects funded by specific institutes. 

NIH Study Section Information

Books on Grant Writing

  • The Elements of Style by William Struck and E.B. White
  • The Grant Application Writer’s Workbook by Stephen W. Russel and David C. Morrison
  • The Craft of Scientific Writing by Michael Alley
  • Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace or Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace by Joseph Williams

General Writing

  • The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
  • Grammarly Blog
  • NIH Writing Resources
  • Duke Scientific Writing Resource

Podcasts

All About Grants Podcast

Tips for Grant Writing

  • Know all pertinent internal and external submission dates (internal administrative deadlines can be upwards of 2 weeks before the actual grant deadline)
  • Set aside time for writing at a dedicated workspace
  • Have a checklist of documents including page limits
  • Start working with Grant Administrator early and create a shared folder on the cloud
  • Pick a font and format before starting
  • Draft one thing at a time
  • Reach out to collaborators early for letters of support
  • Aim for a completed draft early to review with colleague

Specific Aims

  • Make sure they are not dependent on each other
  • Start each aim with a different action (i.e. Determine, elucidate, dissect, define, characterize, investigate, assess, etc.)
  • Make sure they are feasible and captivating
  • Leave some white space so it appears visually clear
  • Don’t propose “fishing” experiments

Sample Grants

Sample Grant Application