Funding and Career 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 gain 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.
  • Visit Grant Forward and search their database of over 9,000 sponsors and funding opportunities. 

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

  • Cancer Research Institute Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship | Applications due September 1

    Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Postdoctoral Fellowships Apply by September 1

    CRI fellowships provide critical support for early-career scientists working at the intersection of immunology, cancer, and computational biology.

    The CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship Program supports qualified young scientists at leading universities and research centers around the world who wish to receive training in fundamental immunology or cancer immunology.

    A panel of scientists drawn from our Scientific Advisory Council rigorously evaluates each candidate, the intended sponsor and training environment, and the nature and feasibility of the proposed project.

    The Cancer Research Institute recognizes that getting to the next great breakthrough in cancer treatment will require continued investment in fundamental research and training. CRI, therefore, invites postdoctoral fellows working in both fundamental immunology and tumor immunology to apply for funding. 

    CRI seeks hypothesis-driven, mechanistic studies in both immunology and tumor immunology. The applicant and sponsor should make every effort to demonstrate the potential of the proposed studies to directly impact our understanding of the immune system’s role in cancer.

    Eligibility

    Applicant Eligibility

    • Applicants for the CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship Program must be working in areas directly related to immunology or cancer immunology. An eligible project must fall into the broad field of immunology with relevance to solving the cancer problem.
    • Applicants must have a doctoral degree by the date of award activation and must conduct their proposed research under a sponsor who holds a formal appointment as an assistant professor or higher rank at the host institution.
    • Applicants with 5 or more years of relevant postdoctoral experience at the time of award activation are not eligible, with the exception of M.D. applicants, who should not include years of residency in this calculation.
    • Only in exceptional circumstances will applicants who have already spent 3 or more years in a sponsor’s laboratory by the start date of fellowship be considered for a fellowship award.
    • The fellowship can be performed in the United States or abroad but must take place at a non-profit institution. There are no citizenship restrictions.
    • Only one fellow per sponsor may apply per application round, and faculty sponsors may not have more than three CRI-supported fellows at any time.
    • Resubmissions: Applicants are permitted to resubmit their fellowship application at a subsequent deadline provided that the new application is improved to reflect progress. Changes to the application should be addressed within the subsequent application.

    Financial Information

    Fellowships are for three years. Beginning with the March 1, 2025, deadline (for new awards beginning July 1, 2025), newly awarded fellowships provide a stipend of $74,000 for the first year, $76,000 for the second year, and $78,000 for the third year. An allowance of $5,000 per year is allotted to the host institution for use at the sponsor’s discretion to help pay for the fellow’s research supplies, travel to scientific meetings, health insurance, and/or childcare. CRI provides additional support for fellows to attend CRI’s annual International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference (CICON), and to participate in CRI’s Bioinformatics Bootcamp.

    Deductions for administrative overhead are not allowed from either the stipend or the institutional allowance. Payments are made monthly in U.S. currency to the host institution.

    For more information or to apply, visit https://www.cancerresearch.org/cri-irvington-postdoctoral-fellowship. 

  • Cancer Research Institute Immuno-Informatics Postdoctoral Fellowship | Applications due September 1

    Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Postdoctoral Fellowships Apply by September 1

    CRI fellowships provide critical support for early-career scientists working at the intersection of immunology, cancer, and computational biology.

    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. 

    Eligibility

    Project Criteria 

    Project must be hypothesis-driven in basic or translational cancer immunology or immunology. The applicant should make every effort to demonstrate the potential of the proposed study to directly impact our understanding of the immune system’s role in cancer by leveraging the use of innovative technologies and/or computational methods including high throughput “omic” methods and data analyses. A successful proposal will include how the project intends to address the current gaps in cancer immunology.

    The application should also address new skills expected to be gained by the applicant in either immunology and/or computational biology including theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Applicants are encouraged to identify a secondary co-mentor in addition to their primary sponsor that addresses the gaps in their knowledge of either immunology or computational biology.

    Applicant Eligibility

    • Applicants for the CRI Immuno-Informatics Postdoctoral Fellowship must be working in areas directly related to immunology or cancer immunology. An eligible project must fall into the broad field of immunology with relevance to solving the cancer problem.
    • Applicants must have a doctoral degree by the date of award activation and must conduct their proposed research under a sponsor who holds a formal appointment as an assistant professor or higher rank at the host institution.
    • Applicants with 5 or more years of relevant postdoctoral experience at the time of award activation are not eligible, with the exception of MD applicants, who should not include years of residency in this calculation.
    • Only in exceptional circumstances will applicants who have already spent 3 or more years in a sponsor’s laboratory by the start date of fellowship be considered for a fellowship award.
    • The fellowship must be performed at a non-profit institution in the United States or abroad. There are no citizenship restrictions.
    • Only one fellow per sponsor may apply per application round, and faculty sponsors may not have more than three CRI-supported fellows at any time.

    Before you can access the online application form, you will first be asked to answer six questions that will help determine whether you are eligible to apply for a CRI Fellowship. If you meet the required criteria, you will be directed to the online application. If you do not meet the required criteria, please do not apply, as your application will be eliminated for administration reasons. 

    Financial Information

    Fellowships are for three years. Beginning with the March 1, 2023, deadline (for new awards beginning July 1, 2023), newly awarded fellowships provide a stipend of $74,000 for the first year, $76,000 for the second year, and $78,000 for the third year. An allowance of $5,000 per year is allotted to the host institution for use at the sponsor’s discretion to help pay for the fellow’s research supplies, travel to scientific meetings, health insurance, and/or childcare. CRI provides additional support for fellows to attend CRI’s annual International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference (CICON), and to participate in CRI’s soon-to-be-launched Bioinformatics Bootcamp.

    Deductions for administrative overhead are not allowed from either the stipend or the institutional allowance. Payments are made monthly in U.S. currency to the host institution.

    For more information or to apply, visit https://www.cancerresearch.org/immuno-informatics-postdoctoral-fellowship.

  • Burroughs Wellcome Fund - Career Awards at the Scientific Interface | LOI due September 2 by 3:00 p.m. EST

    LOI due September 2, 2025 by 3:00 p.m. EST. 

    BWF's Career Awards at the Scientific Interface (CASI) provide $560,000 over five years to bridge advanced postdoctoral training and the first three years of faculty service. These awards are open to U.S. and Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents.

    The Burroughs Wellcome Fund launched the Career Awards at the Scientific Interface in 1999 to foster the early career development of researchers who are transitioning from training environments in the physical, mathematical, computational sciences and/or engineering into postdoctoral work in the biological sciences, and who are dedicated to pursuing a career in academic research. 

    To understand the expectations of the Career Awards at the Scientific Interface program, it is important to read the eligibility requirements below, in addition to the proposal elements, terms of grant, and selection process. The FAQs may also provide eligibility clarification.

    Candidates are expected to draw from their training in a scientific field other than biology to propose innovative approaches to answer important questions in the biological sciences. Examples of approaches include, but are not limited to: physical measurement of biological phenomena, computer simulation of complex processes in physiological systems, mathematical modeling of self-organizing behavior, building probabilistic tools for medical diagnosis, developing novel imaging tools or biosensors, developing or applying nanotechnology to manipulate cellular systems, predicting cellular responses to topological clues and mechanical forces, and developing a new conceptual understanding of the complexity of living organisms.

    BWF’s Career Awards at the Scientific Interface (CASI) provide $560,000 over five years to bridge a scientist’s advanced postdoctoral training and the first three years of faculty service.

    For detailed information on eligibility requirements, selection process, funding use, and instructions to submit the proposal, visit https://www.bwfund.org/funding-opportunities/interfaces-in-science/career-awards-at-the-scientific-interface/. 

  • Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship | LOI due September 5, 2025

    Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship

    LOI Due Sept 5, 2025

    The Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Sciences or Chemical Instrumentation Award Program supports advanced research by postdoctoral scholars within the core areas of fundamental chemistry or the development and build of chemical instrumentation.

    For more information, visit https://www.beckman-foundation.org/programs/beckman-postdoctoral-fellows/. 

  • Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (AGS – PRF) - Proposals Accepted Anytime

    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://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/atmospheric-geospace-sciences-postdoctoral

Grant Submission Resources & Guidelines

All proposals submitted for external funding require the review and approval of the Sponsored Program Administration (SPA) for Vanderbilt University (VU) and the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) for Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). SPA and OSP are responsible for providing the official signature, electronic or physical, for all proposals submitted on behalf of VU and VUMC respectively. With very few exceptions faculty members/principal investigators, or their designee, are not authorized to sign or submit any form of a request for external funding that does not also include SPA or OSP’s official approval since awards are made to the institution and not the individual.

Direct-to-individual funding mechanisms (such as NSF postdoctoral fellowships), while not submitted through SPA or OSP, require VU or VUMC to be notified of the submission. The link to submit such a notification is provided below.

Before beginning the grant writing process, postdocs should consult with the relevant departmental/program administrator to determine if their current funding source enables effort to be expended on writing and preparing grant applications. Postdocs funded 100% on a federal research grant cannot devote effort to grant writing and should work with their faculty mentor to determine if alternative funds are available during the proposal preparation period to support a percentage of their effort.

Please submit the Fellowship/Grant Submission Form before the application is submitted to the funding agency.

In preparing your grant application please note:

  • A postdoc may serve as the principal investigator (PI) of a grant, upon written approval of the faculty mentor and the department chair (VUMC) or the relevant dean (VU). There should be clear evidence that the postdoc has the experience and expertise to function as PI and manage the responsibilities to direct the proposed research program, direct the budgeted personnel, manage the budget, and ensure that the research is carried in compliance with all applicable University rules and regulations as well as those of the sponsoring agency.
  • A postdoc may serve as a co-PI without prior approval, as long as another Vanderbilt faculty member (typically their mentor) is the PI.  Should a postdoc leave the University, any awarded grant funds would remain at Vanderbilt unless otherwise negotiated between the PI, co-PI and funding agency.
  • If an externally funded program requires that a postdoc be listed as a principal investigator (PI) or co-PI, no specific approval is required. SPA or OSP notification of the submission is required.

For NRSA Individual Fellowships, childcare supplements may be requested. Visit NIH Notice NOT-OD-21-074 for more information. 

Job Opportunities

A full listing of Vanderbilt career resources can be found on the OPA Resources website.

Visit the National Postdoc Association (NPA) Career Center for up-to-date listings of job opportunities and the career portal, a one-stop career resource center to prepare you for your next opportunity. 

Additionally, please check out the Postdoc Portal for information on open positions, connecting with faculty, and more.

 

Check back soon for open job opportunities!