If you are an early career scientist with exceptional promise and a commitment to building an inclusive lab culture, then the Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program funded by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is your pathway to a transformative scientific journey. Applications are now open for this prestigious fellowship.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program, from eligibility and application guidelines to the benefits of becoming a Hanna H. Gray fellow!
Hanna H. Gray Fellowships Snapshot
Host Country: United States
Funded by: Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
Host Institutions: Various eligible institutions in the United States, including Puerto Rico
Level: PhD and Postdoctoral researchers
Research areas: Biological and biomedical sciences in many scientific disciplines.
Duration: Up to 8 years (postdoctoral training and early faculty years)
Funding and Salary: Up to $1.5 million in support, with initial salary support of $80,000 per year, and anticipated annual increases
Application Deadline: February 26, 2025
Eligibility to: Early career scientists with exceptional promise of becoming outstanding leaders in academic science.
The Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program Overview
The Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program is a transformational award designed to support early career researchers who demonstrate exceptional promise of becoming outstanding leaders in academic science. Named after Hanna Holborn Gray, former chair of the HHMI board of trustees and former president of the University of Chicago, the program aims to foster an inclusive scientific culture while making foundational discoveries.
The fellowship provides funding for postdoctoral training and the early years as an independent faculty member, allowing fellows the freedom to pursue challenging scientific questions at the forefront of their fields. Fellows will join the vibrant, multigenerational HHMI community, where they will learn with experts and each other how to build healthy research environments that are creative, bold, inclusive, and effective.
Research Areas and Eligible Institutions
The competition is open to basic researchers and physicianscientists in the biological and biomedical sciences in many scientific disciplines, at hundreds of institutions. Following the “people, not projects” philosophy of HHMI, fellows have freedom to change their research focus and follow their curiosity for the duration of the award.
Research Areas Include:
Biochemistry
Bioengineering
Biophysics
Cancer Biology
Cell Biology
Chemical Biology
Computational Biology
Developmental Biology
Evolutionary Biology
Genetics
Immunology
Eligible Institutions:
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) collaborates with a diverse array of institutions to advance scientific research. Among these, several are particularly notable for their contributions to the fields of biological and biomedical sciences. Here are some of the most prominent institutions affiliated with HHMI:
Johns Hopkins University
Harvard University
Stanford University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, San Francisco
Yale University
Princeton University
Johns Hopkins University
The Rockefeller University
University of Michigan
University of Chicago
University of Pennsylvania
Columbia University
Duke University
University of Washington
🌐 For a complete list of Eligible candidates and Scientific Disciplines, visit this webpage.
Fellowship Benefits
Participants in the Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program 2025 enjoy several benefits, including:
Comprehensive Funding: Up to $1.5 million in support over the course of up to eight years.
Salary Support: Initial salary support of $80,000 per year, with anticipated annual increases.
Professional Development: Opportunities to meet with leaders and experts, develop impactful projects, and build professional relationships.
Global Network: Access to the prestigious HHMI community of researchers, educators, students, and professionals.
Inclusive Environment: Training and support to build healthy, inclusive research environments.
Detailed Benefits
1. Postdoctoral Training Phase
Initial salary support of $80,000, with annual increases.
$20,000 annual expense allowance.
Duration: Minimum of 2 years, maximum of 4 years.
2. Faculty Phase:
Up to 4 years of research support.
Annual grant of $270,000, including:
$250,000 for research costs.
$20,000 annual expense allowance.
Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program 2025, applicants must meet the following criteria:
1. Field of Research:
Applicants must be basic science researchers or physician-scientists working in biological and biomedical sciences.
2. Postdoctoral Position:
Must have been accepted to join a laboratory led by a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at an eligible institution in the U.S., including Puerto Rico, by the application deadline.
3. Time Commitment:
Fellows must commit at least 75% of their total effort to research in a postdoctoral training position.
A minimum of two years in the postdoctoral role is required after the grant start date.
4. Educational Qualifications:
Applicants must hold a PhD and/or MD (or equivalent) conferred by the start of the grant term.
5. Citizenship
For U.S.-trained applicants: No citizenship restrictions; individuals of any nationality are eligible.
For non-U.S.-trained applicants: Must be U.S. citizens or nationals.
6. Experience:
For PostDoc: Must have no more than 24 months of postdoctoral research experience by February 26, 2025.
For PhD Applicants: Doctoral degree conferred between February 26, 2023, and January 15, 2026.
MD/MD-PhD Applicants: Can have no more than 24 months of postdoctoral research, clinical fellowship, or residency by the application deadline.
7. Institutional Requirements:
Research must be conducted at one of HHMI’s eligible institutions.
8. Reapplication Policy:
Previous applicants may reapply if they remain eligible.
Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program Application Procedure
📂 Required Documents and Materials:
1. Educational and Research Training Record:
A summary of educational and research achievements.
2. PhD Research Description:
Include up to three selected research articles.
3. Narrative Statements:
Motivation for pursuing a career in academic research.
Vision for building an inclusive laboratory culture.
How personal experiences relate to values, priorities, and career goals.
4. Postdoctoral Research Plan:
A detailed plan outlining research goals and methodologies for the postdoctoral training phase.
5. Mentor and Training Information:
A questionnaire completed by the postdoctoral mentor about the training environment and plan.
Curriculum vitae and lab census provided by the mentor.
6. Reference from PhD Advisor:
A questionnaire sent directly to the PhD advisor.
7. Curriculum Vitae:
Detailed CV highlighting academic achievements, research experience, and publications.
Applications
Applications for the Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program are submitted online through the designated online application portal on HHMI website.
🗓️ Application Deadline: February 26, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. (ET)
🗓️ Mentor Materials Submission:
Mentors must submit required materials by March 5, 2025.
🗓️ Finalist Notification and Interviews:
Finalists will be notified in September 2025 and invited for interviews on October 14–15, 2025.
Evaluation Criteria:
Applications are reviewed based on:
Scientific contributions and potential for academic research leadership.
Plans to build an inclusive research environment.
Alignment of personal experiences with career goals.
📂 Resources
ℹ️ For additional questions, contact HHMI program staff at: [fellows@hhmi.org]. And Visit the official website of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
🔗 OFFICIAL CALL LINK
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