Updated October 16, 2026
Postdoc Fellowships and Research Grants
Fellowships and grants open to postdoctoral researchers, from NIH and NSF fellowships to foundation awards. Updated automatically as new funding opens.
Portable funding changes what a postdoc can be. A fellowship in your own name buys protected research time, strengthens your independence case, and travels with you if you change labs. In 2026, with faculty hiring slowing and federal grant odds tightening, postdocs who bring their own funding have a real edge in a difficult market.
Featured grants
Updated automatically from Atom's grant database. Summaries are AI-generated.NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships
NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships support early-career researchers in conducting independent research and education in astronomy or astrophysics for up to three years.
American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship
American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship supports early-career women scholars with a year of independent postdoctoral research to advance scholarship and gender equity in higher education.
Postdoctoral Fellowships
Postdoctoral Fellowships from the American Cancer Society support new investigators with research training that broadens their experience and prepares them for independent careers in cancer research.
The funding landscape for postdocs spans two very different worlds. On the federal side, mechanisms like the NIH F32 and the K99/R00 pathway to independence continue on their standard cycles, alongside NSF, DOE, and DOD fellowship programs in specific fields. On the private side, foundations and scientific societies fund postdoctoral fellowships across the life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering, often with simpler applications and faster decisions than their federal counterparts.
This collection lists opportunities currently open to postdoctoral researchers. Pay close attention to the fine print: most postdoc fellowships restrict eligibility by years since PhD, and citizenship or residency requirements vary widely between funders. Forecasted opportunities are labeled so you can plan ahead for cycles that have been announced but are not yet accepting applications.
Postdoc-to-Faculty Transition Awards
Supports postdocs transitioning to faculty as they launch independent research on cystic fibrosis pathogenesis, treatment, and related complications.
Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants (PRF)
The Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants (PRF) by the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research support mentored cancer research projects by early-career scientists at New Jersey institutions.
Fellowship Program (Predoctoral, Postdoctoral, and Postdoctoral Associate Grants)
This fellowship program funds predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers in New Jersey to advance innovative and inclusive autism research, supported by the Governor's Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism.
Postdoctoral Fellowship - Robert L. Fine Cancer Research Foundation
Postdoctoral Fellowship - Robert L. Fine Cancer Research Foundation supports postdoctoral researchers with training and innovative basic or translational pancreatic cancer research to advance their scientific work.
Postdoctoral Fellowship
A 12-month fellowship for new physical therapy researchers to pursue full-time, mentored research and training aimed at advancing the field.
Parkinson’s Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships
The Parkinson’s Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships support mentored research training for early-career scientists focused on advancing Parkinson’s disease understanding or treatment.
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Award
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Award supports postdoctoral researchers in mentored basic cystic fibrosis research to deepen disease understanding, explore treatments, and prepare for independent careers.
Autism Postdoctoral Fellowship Research 2027
Autism Postdoctoral Fellowship Research 2027 supports postdoctoral researchers through mentored autism research and training to advance understanding of ASD and prepare fellows for independent research careers.
Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
Postdoctoral Fellowship Program supports early-career researchers with basic research funding in mammalian reproductive biology to advance fertility regulation and progress toward independent funding.
Fellowship Grant
The Larry L. Hillblom Foundation Fellowship Grant supports postdoctoral research in diabetes or aging at California institutions, emphasizing independent research and strong mentorship.
Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Wealth and Income Inequality
Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Wealth and Income Inequality supports early-career economists conducting a year of research at NBER to advance understanding of disparities and how policies and shocks affect them.
Postdoctoral Fellowships - Washington Research Foundation
Postdoctoral Fellowships - Washington Research Foundation support early-career scientists’ own research in Washington state, advancing discoveries with potential for public benefit through new products or practices.
Small Grants Program for Early Career Scholars
Small Grants Program for Early Career Scholars supports child development researchers through exploratory, pilot, and extension research to build independent research programs and advance developmental science.
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Innovation Grants
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Innovation Grants support early-career researchers through training and suicide-focused studies to advance understanding and prevention and prepare independent investigators.
2026 ASTRO-AAPM Physics Resident/Post-Doctoral Fellow Seed Grant
2026 ASTRO-AAPM Physics Resident/Post-Doctoral Fellow Seed Grant supports physics residents and postdoctoral fellows in novel physics-related research to advance radiation oncology and independent research careers.
Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant
Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant supports clinical and postdoctoral fellows studying lymphoma and CLL treatment, diagnosis, or prevention to advance understanding, improve care, and train new investigators.
Postdoctoral Fellowships
Breakthrough T1D’s Postdoctoral Fellowships fund mentored research projects to train early-career scientists in advancing type 1 diabetes research.
Frequently asked questions
A fellowship is funding awarded to you, usually covering your salary and some research costs, that you bring to a host lab. A position is funded from a PI's grant. Fellowships give you more independence and are a strong signal on a faculty application.
Federal sources include NIH individual fellowships and pathway-to-independence awards and NSF postdoctoral fellowships. Foundations, disease organizations, professional societies, and universities also run postdoctoral programs, often with smaller applicant pools.
Some programs are open to any nationality, while many federal fellowships require US citizenship or permanent residency. Each listing's eligibility section spells out citizenship requirements.
Ideally before or early in your postdoc. Many programs limit eligibility to the first few years after your PhD, and review cycles often take six months or more, so plan a year ahead of when you want funding to start.