Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award
The Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award funds innovative, high-risk biomedical research pilot projects by junior faculty in Massachusetts, Brown, or Yale, aiming for major advances in basic or translational science.
Funder: Health Resources in Action
Due Dates: February 10, 2026 (Initial Stage) | June 25, 2026 (Full Stage)
Funding Amounts: Up to five awards of $400,000 each for 2 years; indirect costs capped at 5% of direct costs.
Summary: Supports innovative, high-risk pilot projects by junior biomedical faculty in Greater Boston, aiming for major advances in basic or translational science.
Key Information: Applicants must be 4–9 years from first Assistant Professor appointment, with <$750K/year in external direct costs.
Description
The Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award, administered by Health Resources in Action, funds high-risk, high-reward pilot projects led by junior faculty in the basic or translational biomedical sciences. The program is designed to empower promising early-career researchers at nonprofit institutions in Massachusetts (and at Brown or Yale University) to pursue creative, innovative research that could lead to significant breakthroughs and new directions in biomedicine. The award particularly encourages projects that represent a distinct and novel off-shoot from the applicant’s current research.
