Emerging Leader Award
Forecasted
Emerging Leader Award supports rising scientific leaders pursuing proof-of-concept research to advance diagnostics, treatments, and patient solutions for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
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Funder: Bay Area Lyme Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): February 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $150,000 per award; two awards in 2026; proof of concept within 12–24 months
Summary: Supports rising scientific leaders pursuing proof-of-concept research to improve diagnostics and treatments for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
Key Information: Applicants must be postdoctoral through associate-professor level, or private-sector equivalent, with a U.S. institutional or corporate affiliation.
Description
Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s Emerging Leader Award supports rigorous proof-of-concept research intended to accelerate high-impact discovery in Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. The annual program identifies rising scientific leaders whose work demonstrates innovation, scientific rigor, and the potential for measurable progress toward better diagnostics, therapies, and other urgently needed patient solutions. It welcomes both established Lyme researchers and scientists entering the field with fresh perspectives and approaches validated in adjacent disciplines.
The 2026 program offered separate awards for Lyme disease and non-Borrelia tick-borne pathogens. Diagnostics and therapeutics are particular priorities, though all research areas relevant to patients are considered. Supported work includes pathogen biology, rapid diagnostic development, combination treatments for persistent infection, and methods for evaluating new babesiosis drug candidates.
