Funder: Harvard Medical School
Due Dates (Anticipated): February 2027 (Mary Kay application) | March 2027 (Spring cycle; Breast Cancer Alliance LOI) | August 2027 (Breast Cancer Alliance full application) | September 2027 (Fall cycle; Rita Allen LOI) | October 2027 (Rita Allen application)
Funding Amounts: Listed awards range from $40,000 to $875,000, with specified terms of one to five years
Summary: Limited-submission foundation opportunities support faculty research in biomedicine, neuroscience, cancer, bioethics, medical education, and youth healthcare inequality.
Key Information: Eligibility and institutional nomination limits differ by award; several HMS nominees also enter Harvard-wide competitions.
Description
Harvard Medical School’s HMS Foundation Funds Program offers limited-submission opportunities from foundations supporting research and scholarship across biomedical science, medical education, bioethics, and youth healthcare. The opportunities serve different faculty ranks and career stages, from instructors and early-career investigators to established professors. Research priorities include basic biomedical discovery, innovative neuroscience, breast cancer, translational cancer research, and biomedical science and engineering.
These are distinct foundation awards rather than a single funding competition. Some provide seed funding for new research directions, while others support career development or established laboratories pursuing speculative work. HMS nominees for selected awards proceed to a Harvard-wide competition administered through the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.
