[Sontag Foundation](https://sontagfoundation.org)

March 18, 2026: Full application deadline (application portal closes at 11:59pm ET)

$750,000 total ($150,000/year for 5 years; includes up to $19,500/year indirect costs)

Supports early-career scientists pursuing innovative research on primary brain tumors with substantial funding and access to a collaborative scientific community.

--- ## Description This award recognizes and supports extraordinary early-career scientists with the potential to make significant contributions to brain cancer research. The Sontag Foundation’s Distinguished Scientist Award provides not only substantial independent research funding but also access to a vibrant, interdisciplinary scientific community. The program is designed to empower recipients to pursue new directions in brain cancer research, foster collaborations, and accelerate progress toward improved patient outcomes. The focus is on high-risk, high-reward projects relevant to primary brain tumors. --- ## Due Dates - March 18, 2026: Full application deadline (application portal closes at 11:59pm ET) - Application portal opens: January 12, 2026 - Funding awards announced: Fall 2026 --- ## Funding Amount - Total award: $750,000 per recipient - Disbursed as $150,000 per year, for five years - Up to $19,500 per year may be allocated for indirect costs (included in the annual payout) - Disbursements are made quarterly to the sponsoring institution - Funding period for 2026 grants: approximately October 14, 2026 – September 30, 2031 --- ## Eligibility - Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in a discipline applicable to brain cancer research. - First independent faculty appointment must be: - No earlier than March 1, 2021 - No later than January 1, 2026 - At a tax-exempt academic, research, or medical institution in the US or an equivalent institution in Canada. - If the institution grants tenure, the appointment must be on the tenure track. - No citizenship requirement, but the position must be at a US or Canadian non-profit institution. - The proposed research must be relevant to primary brain tumors (not metastatic brain cancer). - Clinical trials are not supported. - Applicants with backgrounds outside neuro-oncology are welcome, but must have a mentor with brain cancer experience (mentor letter of support required). - Re-applicants are allowed but must submit a substantively new or revised proposal. - Multiple applicants from the same institution may apply. --- ## Application Process - Applications must be submitted through the [online grant portal](https://sontag-foundation.wizehive.app/program/distinguished-scientist-award/info?cycleId=1CWpfs7g161Lr7p8poY7Gg). - All application materials—including letters of recommendation and institutional officer approval—must be received by the deadline. - Required documents include: - Research proposal (5 pages max, including figures; references not included in the page limit) - Personal statement (max 1000 words) - Project summary (layperson summary, max 300 words) - Letters of reference (from department chair/program leader, postdoc advisor/mentor, and a professional reference or collaborator) - Mentor letter (if applicant lacks neuro-oncology background) - The selection process includes peer review by a Scientific Advisory Board and a Foundation lay committee. - Awardees are required to attend an annual scientific retreat (travel/lodging covered). --- ## Additional Information - There is no fixed number of awards; typically, 2–6 are granted annually. - The award may be portable if the recipient changes institutions (subject to Foundation approval). - Indirect costs are capped at $19,500/year, included in the annual award. - Grantees must submit annual progress reports for continued funding. --- ## External Links - [Program Overview & Application Portal](https://sontagfoundation.org/about-dsa/) - [Application Guidelines & FAQ (PDF)](https://sontagfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/faq_2026_revised_11_18_25.pdf) - [Grant Application Process](https://sontagfoundation.org/grant-application-process/) - [Meet Sontag Distinguished Scientists](https://sontagfoundation.org/meet-the-grantees/) --- ## Contact Information | Name | Title | Email | Phone | Notes | |-------------------|---------------------|------------------------------------|-----------------|--------------------------------| | Georgia Pinner | Program Officer | [gpinner@sontagfoundation.org](mailto:gpinner@sontagfoundation.org) | 904-273-8755 | Main contact for applicants | | Shandra Koler | Senior Program Officer | [skoler@sontagfoundation.org](mailto:skoler@sontagfoundation.org) | 904-273-8755 | Grants/contracts, applicant support | | General Inquiries | | [info@sontagfoundation.org](mailto:info@sontagfoundation.org) | 904-273-8755 | |

The Distinguished Scientist Award

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