Kinship Foundation

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is pleased to announce this limited submission funding opportunity/award.  Limited submission programs allow only a select number of applicants from each institution.  In order to determine which PIs will be selected as the official applicants from UConn/UConn Health, an OVPR internal competition may be necessary (full process is described at our website).

All PIs who wish to be considered for this opportunity must submit a notification of intent to submit form through the UConn Quest Portal by the due date listed below.  PIs must be selected and approved by the OVPR to be eligible to submit to this sponsor.

Program Information/RFP: https://searlescholars.org/

Quest Portal Program Link: https://quest.uconn.edu/prog/searle_FY27

Keywords: biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, chemistry, medicine, biological sciences

Award Details: $450,000 ($150K/year for 3 years)

Number of UConn Applicants: 1 Total

Eligibility Requirements: Applicants are expected to be pursuing independent research careers in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and related areas in chemistry, medicine, and the biological sciences. Applicants should have begun their appointment as an independent investigator at the assistant professor level on or after May 1, 2025. The appointment must be their first tenure-track position.

Internal Notification of Intent Deadline: Monday, 6/15/2026 by 12 noon

Internal Pre-proposal (if necessary) Deadline: Monday, 6/29/2026 by 12 noon

Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: 9/30/2026

Program information: The Searle Scholars Program supports high risk, high reward research across a broad range of scientific disciplines. The Searle Scholars Scientific Advisory Board is primarily interested in the potential of applicants to make innovative and high-impact contributions to research over an extended period of time. 

The Searle Scholars Program does not ordinarily support purely clinical research but has supported research programs that include both clinical and basic components. Potential applicants who are unsure if their research is appropriate for our Program are encouraged to examine the research interests of present and former Searle Scholars on their website. 

Internal Competition Information: If a full internal competition is necessary, pre-proposals should be submitted that include:

1. A two-page project narrative briefly describing the project, its key aims/objectives, the methodologies/approaches that will be used, and how the project goals align with the goals of the program. Please see the sponsor guidelines for details about program goals and application components.
2. 1–2-page budget overview with justifications.
3. Biosketches/brief CVs for key personnel.

For more information about the limited submission process, please check out our FAQ page.

For additional assistance, please contact the Office of the Vice President for Research at research@uconn.edu.

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Submissions to this program are made via a third-party software application, SurveyMonkey Apply. The terms of use and privacy statements for this software apply to your use of it and to the information you provide in your application.  Before proceeding with your submission, please review their terms and privacy statements linked below.