Funder: Stanford University
Due Dates: January 8, 2027, 11:59 PM PST (Proposal) | April 1, 2027 (Award notification) | May 1, 2027 (Anticipated funding start)
Funding Amounts: Up to $50,000 per project for 6–12 months, including postdoc salaries and 8% indirect costs
Summary: Supports Stanford postdocs’ interdisciplinary seed research using synthetic biology to make life on Earth more sustainable.
Key Information: Projects must be postdoc-developed and not already supported in or proposed as a faculty research grant.
Description
Stanford University’s Synthetic Biology for Sustainability Postdoctoral Scholars Program funds interdisciplinary seed research that uses synthetic biology to make life on Earth more sustainable, broadly defined. Made possible through the Shriram gift for Synthetic Biology for Sustainability, the program particularly seeks high-risk, high-impact projects and aims to foster collaboration among research teams while growing the synthetic biology community.
Projects can span molecular, cellular and cell-free, organismal, ecological, and planetary scales. Supported approaches include modeling nature, making or perturbing living systems, and measuring relevant parameters. Ideas may involve fundamental science and tools, technology development, humanities and arts, or applications. The program considers both sustainability impact and the potential to support a postdoc’s career progression.
