Funding Opportunities for Postdocs

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding Opportunities: 

• Did you know that the NIH has a grant program that pays your student loans while you are doing research? Learn more about the program here: http://www.lrp.nih.gov/index.aspx
• The NIH NRSA F32 individual postdoctoral fellowship has three submission deadlines each year, generally occurring in the first parts of the months of April, August, and December. Information on the F32 fellowship can be found here: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-14-149.html
   
  • Special note for Columbia Postdocs submitting an F32 fellowship application there is new required attachment necessary for submission, titled “additional educational information”. The F32 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) states to include in this attachment “a description of the resources available to the applicant including the availability of such resources as might be associated with an Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.” The following text about the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) can be included, in addition to information about the Postdoctoral program in which the applicant is enrolled (typically provided by the mentor or department chair): 

“Columbia University established an Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) in 2006, with a primary mission to serve the needs of the Columbia University postdoctoral community. OPA has annually coordinated an array of career development events for the Columbia postdoctoral community, including seminars and workshops focused on funding mechanisms, grantsmanship, networking skills, communication skills, career exploration and management, leadership, work-life balance, as well as full semester courses on grant writing and responsible conduct of research. Additional events for the current year include an individual development plan (IDP) seminar and workshop series and career panel networking events, as well as seminars and workshops on applying for faculty positions, how to conduct an effective chalk talk, scientific and medical writing, teaching, and Industry skill development. OPA also holds monthly research lunch hours as a venue for postdoctoral trainees to present their research and refine their scientific presentation skills. For individualized career support, OPA offers a career service to postdoctoral trainees through a dedicated career counselor who provides CV, resume and cover letter assistance, guidance on conducting job searches and mock interviews.” 

• The NIH K99/R00 career development award is a career transition award that allows for postdocs to complete the last 1-2 years of mentored training and begin a faculty position with research funding. Please note that the eligibility period for the K99/R01 award has been changed from 5 years to 4 years of postdoctoral training. More information on the K99/RO1 award can be found here: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-14-042.html
• The NIH also has other career development awards besides the K99, some of which are geared towards postdocs. Information on the whole K series of awards can be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/training/careerdevelopmentawards.htm

National Science Foundation (NSF) Funding Opportunities:

The NSF has a number of fellowship opportunities for postdoctoral researchers. Many of the submission deadlines for these fellowships are in October, however one notable exception is the Earth Science Fellowship, with a submission deadline in July. A full listing of the various fellowship opportunities can be found here: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/servlet/fastlane.pdoc.DisplayProgramType

Department of Defense (DOD):

The DOD has a number of funding areas, some of which may be open to postdoctoral submissions. Please look through the various funding opportunities if you are interested. They can be found here: http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/reftable.shtml

Other Government Agency Funding Opportunities:

A number of government agencies fund postdoctoral research projects including the Department of Energy (DOE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Learn more about a wide-range of funding opportunities that may be open to postdoctoral submissions here: http://www.science.gov/internships/graduate.html

Foundations:

• Numerous non-for profit foundations exist domestically and internationally that provide grant funding to research aligned with their specific interests. 
• The Health Research Alliance is a consortium of over 50 different foundations that collectively sponsor over $1.5 Billion dollars in research annually. Each foundation within the group has their own funding mechanisms, many of which are open to postdoctoral submissions. More information of the foundations that are part of the Health Research Alliance can be found at the following pages: http://www.healthra.org/ and http://www.healthra.org/download-resource/?resource-url=/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/HRA_fact_sheet_5_1_2014.pdf . 
• The chronicle of philanthropy is an online resource dedicated to the non-profit sector. Their webpage can be found here: http://philanthropy.com/section/Home/172/ . You can create a free online account and then login to search through their list of available grant opportunities, some of which may be open to postdoctoral submissions.