Office of Research

Searle Scholars Program

Limited Submissions

The Searle Scholars Program is a limited submission award program that makes grants to selected academic and research institutions to support the independent research of outstanding early-career scientists who have recently been appointed as assistant professors on a tenure-track appointment. 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.

Applicants for the 2026 competition (awards which will be activated on July 1, 2025) 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, 2024. The appointment must be their first tenure-track position (or its nearest equivalent).

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 this website.

Application Instructions

Please submit as one combined pdf labeled with PI’s Lastname, Firstname:

  1. A one‐page letter of intent with a description of proposed aims and approach.
  2. If the final application requires a diversity statement or statement of broader impacts, please summarize your plans to address the specific requirements on an additional page.
  3. CV (not biosketch) of the PI including past grant funding.
  4. A letter of support from the Dean or Chair that includes verification of the candidate’s start date. This letter of support signifies that the Dean or Chair have ensured that the nominee and application are likely to be of sufficient quality to be competitive nationally. Please be sure to address the funder’s stated selection criteria.

to limitedsubs@uw.edu by 5:00 PM Wednesday, August 6, 2025. Proposals are due to the sponsor 9/30/2025, so you will need to have your materials in to the Office of Sponsored Programs by 9/19/2025 if given the go‐ahead by the Limited Submissions review committee.

Opportunity Details

Program web page

Program Announcement No.

2026

Deadlines
08/06/2025 UW Internal Deadline Open
06/19/2025 OSP Deadline
09/30/2025 Sponsor Deadline
Sponsor

Kinship Foundation

Funding amount

$300,000 (over 3 years)

Maximum Number of Applications

2

Eligible groups
  • All campus

Inquiries and Contact Information

Investigators who identify a grant, award or fellowship program that restricts the number of applications that can be submitted from an Institution should immediately contact their Chairperson, Associate Dean for Research (or Dean, if no ADR) and the Office of Research (see below) if they intend to prepare a response. Failure to do so, or to meet the deadlines for submission of pre-proposal, will preclude submission of the application through the Office of Sponsored Programs.

For general inquiries, or to request a listing of a limited submission opportunity that should be but is not already listed, please email us at limitedsubs@uw.edu.