The Searle Scholars Program makes grants to selected universities and research centers to support the independent research of exceptional young faculty in the biomedical sciences and chemistry who have recently been appointed as assistant professors on a tenure-track appointment. 

The Searle Scholars Program supports high risk, high reward research across a broad range of scientific disciplines. Grants are $300,000 for a three-year term with $100,000 payable each year of the grant. Generally, fifteen new awards are granted annually.

Nomination for the 2025 competition will be opened to participating institutions on June 1, 2025. The application will be available online to selected individuals once nomination has been placed and the submission deadline will be September 30, 2025. Submissions are restricted to selected candidates from Participating Institutions only. Individuals who have not been nominated by a participating institution cannot apply. Individuals from participating institutions who are interested in submitting an application should consult with the contact at their institution who handles limited submission awards for information about how the nomination process works within their institution. Access to the online application will only be shared with nominated applicants. 

Applications will be screened by a scientific advisory board composed of experts in the fields of interest to the Program. All applications will be notified of competition results by the end of April of the award year.

Searle Proposal Deadline: 09/30/2025
UD White Paper Deadline: 07/11/2025
Link to FOA Here: https://searlescholars.org/competition/process/

Candidate Eligibility: Candidates must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

• Applicants for the 2026 competition (awards which will be activated on July 1, 2026) are expected to be pursuing independent research careers in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and related areas in chemistry, medicine, and the biological sciences. 
• Applicants should have begun their appointment as an independent investigator at the assistant professor level on or after May 1, 2024. The appointment must be their first tenure-track position (or its nearest equivalent) at an invited institution. 
• The Searle Scholars Program does not ordinarily support purely clinical research but has supported research programs that include both clinical and basic components. Potential applicants who are unsure if their research is appropriate for our Program are encouraged to examine the research interests of present and former Searle Scholars on the Searle website. 
• Applicants who were nominated for awards in the previous competition year but were not awarded may still meet the eligibility criteria for the current competition. Institutions should consult with the Scientific Director of the Program regarding renomination of such individuals.

Institutional Limit: UD is limited to one nominee.

Application Information:  All UD limited submission white papers must use this template found on the Research Office limited submission webpage. Applications not adhering to this requirement will be returned without review.

Merit Review Criteria: Internal white papers will be reviewed based on the criteria detailed in the solicitation.