External Deadline: Portal Registration due date: July 17, 2026; Due date for LOI applications: July 31, 2026
Internal Deadline: May 26, 2026
Instructions for electronic submission: To apply for the Mathers Foundation Grants, please submit the materials requested below to this link no later than May 26, 2026, at 11:59 PM.
Budget: The maximum allowable budget is $700,000 (inclusive of 10% maximum IDC for direct costs). The grant award is not intended for purchasing capital equipment for the lab and is intended only to support the actual investigation. While external collaborators are technically allowed, it would have to be a smaller percentage of the total grant budget, in proportion to the effort of the PI.
Number of Applications: 3 applications from WCM (not shared with Ithaca)
Program Description:
The mission of The G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation is to advance knowledge in the life sciences by sponsoring scientific research that will benefit mankind. The Foundation primarily supports basic science, ideally with potential translational applications. Immunology, microbiome, genomics, structural biology, cellular physiology, neuroscience, are some examples of current research support.
Research projects related to Covid-19, medical imaging technology, global warming, clinical trials, or drug discovery will not be considered for support. Projects that received federal funding and/or applications pending federal approval will not be accorded priority consideration.
Funding Priorities:
The Mathers grants should be considered seed money to get big ideas off the ground and provide the preliminary data necessary to obtain subsequent federal funding. Typically, Assistant Professors are in greater need of start-up funding, and more seasoned investigators have ample NIH funding. While the foundation supports young investigators, they also fund mid-career and senior investigators. In that case, it would usually have to be a new direction from their previous work or a truly transformative or paradigm-shifting investigation.
Eligibility
- WCM faculty members at all levels. Please refer to the Funding Priorities section above for mid to senior level faculty eligibility.
- Applicants must have their own fully functional and equipped labs.
Application Requirements
WCM is limited to submitting 3 nominations. Due to this limitation, an internal selection process will be coordinated. Chairpersons/Division Heads/Institute and Center Directors may submit no more than one nomination from their department/division.
Margins should be at least one inch and a font size no less than 12 points. Page limits do not include figures and references.
Submissions should contain the following information:
- 30-lines scientific abstract explaining the qualifications of the applicant and fit of the project for this funding mechanism
Letter of nomination signed by the Department Chair/Division Head/Institute and Center Directors detailing why the candidate should be considered (1-2 pages).
- Include a brief mention of the candidate's most impactful discoveries and/or publications. This information does not necessarily need to relate to the proposed project.
Candidate’s Biosketch with Other Support section.
Project Summary (2 pages). Provide a short summary of the proposed research project. Include project title.
- Include a brief discussion of preliminary work or proof of concept for the project.
- NOTE: For Associate and Full Professor applicants, please explain how the proposed project is a new direction from their previous work.
Aims of Project (1 page)
Provide a preliminary three-year budget estimate, which should include any indirect/overhead expenses (up to 10% of direct expenses).
Submit the items listed above here no later than May 26, 2026, at 11:59 PM in the order listed as one PDF document using the naming convention: PI last name-first initial_Mathers2026Fall.pdf (see example below).
Example: Smith-J_Mathers2026Fall.pdf
Past Recipients
- Basic Science
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology/Cell Biology
- Neuroscience
- Faculty
- Junior Faculty
- New Investigator