Funder: McKnight Foundation
Due Dates: October 10, 2026 (Support requests) | November 3, 2026, 5:00 PM Central (Application) | November 24, 2026 (Reference letters)
Funding Amounts: Supports research expenses, including PI salary and equipment; indirect costs excluded
Summary: Supports scientists beginning independent neuroscience careers through innovative research with transformative potential to advance understanding of the brain.
Key Information: Applicants must be untenured independent investigators at U.S. nonprofit research institutions, holding Assistant Professor or equivalent appointments.
Description
The McKnight Scholar Award, administered through the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience, supports scientists embarking on independent research careers. Proposed work should represent one of a laboratory’s most innovative and impactful directions and explain how success would advance understanding of the brain. It need not establish an entirely new line of research. The program prioritizes transformative potential over whether the complete research vision can be achieved within the award’s time or budget.
Proposals should present ambitious ideas grounded in prior work or preliminary data, communicate clear hypotheses, and consider alternative outcomes. Alongside scientific innovation, the program emphasizes community, mentorship, equitable laboratory environments, and outreach that changes the landscape of science. It seeks geographic, gender, and racial diversity in neuroscience.
