Star-Friedman Challenge for Promising Scientific Research
The Star-Friedman Challenge funds bold, interdisciplinary, high-risk research in the life, physical, and social sciences at Harvard, supporting innovative projects that cross traditional scientific boundaries.
Funder: Harvard University
Due Dates (Anticipated): February 2027 (Full application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: $80,000–$150,000 per award (direct expenses, typical); larger awards possible in exceptional cases; ~5 awards annually; 1-year project period typical
Summary: Seed funding for high-risk, high-impact interdisciplinary research in the life, physical, and social sciences at Harvard.
Key Information: Internal competition for Harvard ladder faculty only.
Description
The Star-Friedman Challenge for Promising Scientific Research provides seed funding to catalyze innovative, high-risk, and high-impact interdisciplinary research projects across the life, physical, and social sciences at Harvard University. The program is designed to support faculty pursuing bold new directions—especially projects not yet ready for large-scale external funding—and aims to bridge traditional disciplinary boundaries. The initiative encourages proposals that represent a significant pivot or "forty-five degree turn" in the investigators' research trajectory.
