Cómo aplicar

Changes to Application for 2027

In our new grantmaking system, applicants will need to submit their application first, and then the system will collect your letters of reference with the email addresses that you provide. 

Soporte de aplicaciones

If your institution has received one or fewer McKnight awards, you are eligible to request support from a previous McKnight awardee from a different institution to review your application materials prior to submission. Please send any requests to jkrogstad@mcknight.org before October 10, 2026 in order to be paired with a previous awardee. This is designed to help promote a greater diversity of applications from institutions who may have less in-house experience with our awards.

Webinar with Scholar Awards Committee- August 27, 2026

Spend the hour with McKnight Scholar Awards Committee Chair Dr. Vanessa Ruta from Rockefeller University and Program Manager Joel Krogstad from McKnight Foundation to learn more about the Scholars Program and recommendations for the application process which is due November 3, 2026. There will be a brief presentation, with time for questions from participants. This webinar is designed to be inclusive of applicants and development staff who have little to no prior knowledge of the Scholars program. The committee is especially interested in the addition of applications from institutions who have never received a McKnight award, as well as applicants underrepresented in the neuroscience field and neuroscientists committed to creating equitable lab environments as well as developing outreach programs aimed at changing the landscape of science. A recording of the webinar will be posted on this page if you cannot attend.  Register for Webinar Here

Elegibilidad

Los solicitantes del Premio McKnight Scholar deben ser investigadores independientes en instituciones de investigación sin fines de lucro en los Estados Unidos; deben ocupar un puesto docente en el rango de Profesor Asistente (o equivalente, ver a continuación) y deben haber servido en ese rango durante menos de cinco años al momento de la fecha límite de solicitud (se pueden hacer excepciones por licencia familiar). For this year’s round, that means that the applicant must not have started serving in the rank of Assistant Professor any earlier than December 1, 2021. El límite de cinco años es acumulativo, por lo que si el solicitante ha sido profesor asistente en más de una institución, el plazo comienza a contar desde la primera plaza, incluso si no es la que ocupa actualmente. Para ser elegible, el solicitante debe tener un nombramiento oficial como profesor asistente (o equivalente) en la fecha de presentación de la solicitud.

No son elegibles las personas con otros títulos en puestos no permanentes, como Instructor, Profesor Asistente de Investigación, Profesor Asistente Adjunto o Instructor. Si la institución anfitriona no utiliza títulos de profesor, se debe presentar una carta de un funcionario institucional de alto nivel (por ejemplo, Decano o Director de Investigación) que confirme que el solicitante controla sus propios recursos institucionales, espacio de laboratorio o instalaciones. Envíe esta carta junto con la documentación de solicitud a continuación y envíe un correo electrónico a jkrogstad@mcknight.org para notificar la carta con antelación. Buscamos promover la diversidad geográfica, de género y racial en neurociencia, y animamos a mujeres, miembros de comunidades racializadas y profesorado de instituciones que nunca hayan recibido un premio McKnight a que presenten su solicitud.  

Applicants to the Scholar Award may not apply in more than two rounds of competition, have already been granted tenure, or hold another award from the McKnight Endowment Fund. A candidate may not apply for both Scholar and Neurobiology of Brain Disorders Award during the same funding cycle.  

No hay límite para la cantidad de solicitudes que podemos recibir de la misma institución en la misma ronda de financiación y, si bien nos esforzamos por lograr diversidad institucional, varios becarios de la misma institución pueden recibir becas en el mismo período de subvención. 

Solicitud

The application process is completely online, and the portal will open for submission by early August 2026.    

Applications are due by no later than Tuesday November 3, 2026, at 5 PM Central. 

Para aplicar, el investigador principal deberá seguir estos pasos una vez se abra el portal: 

• Configure un nombre de usuario y contraseña utilizando el enlace "Iniciar aplicación" ubicado en la barra lateral derecha. (Conserve su nombre de usuario y contraseña para uso futuro). 

• Below are main application components that you will need to upload within the portal:

1. 1. los propuesta should be introduced with an abstract of 200 words or less, followed by a detailed statement of plans. The proposed work need not present a totally new line of research but should represent one of your lab’s most innovative and impactful directions. Successful proposals clearly communicate a vision of how success would advance our understanding of the brain, delineate clear hypotheses and consider alternative outcomes. Proposals are often most compelling when they are ambitious yet grounded in the applicant’s prior work or preliminary data and prioritize transformative potential over whether the full vision can be completed within the award’s time or budget. The proposal (abstract, narrative and figures, but not referenced literature) must not exceed four numbered single-spaced pages in 12-point font with 1-inch margins.
   2. Declaración de diversidad e inclusión. A defining principle of the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience is to foster community and support mentorship. Submit a half-page narrative with the same formatting guidelines as the proposal describing how you are addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion in science beyond the confines of your lab. Keep the focus on personal experience and specific actions you have taken, and not just philosophy or planned activities.
   3. CV. Please ensure it includes the following: header with applicant’s name, current position title, current institution/department, ORCID ID (if available), website (if available); listing of education and training (degree, institution, dates, advisor/mentor); Professional Experience and Scientific Appointments (title, institution, dates); Honors and Awards; Teaching Mentoring and Service; and a full bibliography as space allows. The CV should not exceed five pages.
   4. List of other support Incluya todos los recursos (tanto de apoyo inicial como de financiación externa) disponibles para su investigación. Incluya los importes de cada subvención indicada, por ejemplo, R01, $100.000 costes directos anuales, título del proyecto. No es necesario incluir las propuestas que se estén considerando y que aún no hayan sido adjudicadas. Indique la financiación inicial al principio del documento y, a continuación, siga las directrices de los NIH para la financiación externa. Sin embargo, a diferencia de los NIH, no se requiere firma.
   5. Titles and links to 5 recent publicly accessible publications (can include pre-prints e.g. on BioRxiv).

También requerimos tres referencias from former teachers, mentors, or senior colleagues familiar with the applicant’s work. Once you submit your application, the system will send an email to your references.  Please follow up with your references to confirm that they received the email and that they can submit your letter by the deadline.   Here is sample language you could send to your references:

The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience Scholar Awards support young applicants embarking on an independent research career in neuroscience. We would appreciate your candid comments on the applicant’s training and research accomplishments, and on the applicant’s potential as an independent investigator in neuroscience. We also welcome comments on the applicant’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in neuroscience. There is no specific format for the letter. The letter will be submitted directly to McKnight through the link that you will receive upon application submission. Your comments will be seen by the McKnight Scholar Awards Review Committee and will otherwise be held in confidence. You will need to submit your letter by no later than November 24, 2026.

No se requiere presupuesto en la presentación de la solicitud.Los beneficiarios deberán presentar informes financieros y científicos anuales a McKnight para el segundo y tercer pago. Las partidas presupuestarias admisibles incluyen salarios y beneficios complementarios (incluidos los de los investigadores principales), matrícula, equipos, suministros, costos de animales, costos de servicios técnicos, etc. Los fondos no pueden utilizarse para cubrir costes indirectos. 

Proceso de selección

los Comité de revisión de los premios McKnight Scholar Awardsevaluará las solicitudes e invitar a aproximadamente 20 finalistas a entrevista con El comité. Los solicitantes invitados a la entrevista serán notificados. en marzo de 2026. Las entrevistas será programado Poco después and will be conducted remotely. The committee will then recommend candidates to the Board of Directors of the Endowment Fund for final decision. Awards will start June 1, 2027. 

Preguntas?

Correo electrónico: Joel Krogstad, Gerente de Programa, Fondo de Dotación McKnight para Neurociencia