Starter Culture Microgrants
Starter Culture Microgrants support GSA member-led community initiatives benefiting students and faculty, funding in-person or virtual projects to meet shared needs and connect the genetics community.
This grant was recently updated
The application now requires you to indicate whether you used the checklist and select a statement about existing funding and other funding options. Newly added text says fully funded initiatives are unlikely to receive support and strongly encourages new initiatives benefiting communities that otherwise lack access to the information presented.
Funder: Genetics Society of America
Due Dates: December 31, 2026 (Q4) | March 31, 2027 (Q1) | June 30, 2027 (Q2) | September 30, 2027 (Q3)
Funding Amounts: Up to $2,000 per project; maximum $2,500 awarded quarterly and $10,000 annually
Summary: Starter funding for GSA member-led initiatives that benefit groups within the genetics community.
Key Information: The principal applicant or at least one corresponding applicant must be a current GSA member when applying.
Description
The Genetics Society of America (GSA) runs the Starter Culture Microgrant Program to support community initiatives and respond to member needs and changing contexts. It provides small starter awards for critical projects benefiting students and faculty, especially projects organized by or directed toward scientists in need of funding. Initiatives should have broad intellectual, practical, and geographic impacts rather than being limited to institutional events in a single location.
Projects may be in person or virtual, and GSA encourages creative ways to connect the genetics community with the Society. The program supports collective benefit, not individual research or personal professional development. Review emphasizes community need, potential benefits to genetics or the wider GSA community, practical planning, and equity and inclusion in project development and delivery.
