Application materials for the McKnight Scholar Awards are available in August/September each year. Applicants must demonstrate interest in solving important problems in relevant areas of neuroscience.
To apply, the principal investigator will need to follow these steps:
- Download the “Application and Guidelines” document located on the right sidebar. These guidelines will provide further critical details regarding the steps listed below. Please reference the guidelines document throughout.
- Set up a username and password using the “Start Application” link located on the right sidebar.
(please retain your username and password for future use)
- Upon login, complete an online face sheet.
- Upload the entire application as ONE PDF, including:
- Completed face sheet.
- Biographical sketch in NIH format.
- Description of the proposed research project. Applicants should propose experiments based on their best work. The proposal should be introduced with an abstract of 200 words or less, followed by a detailed statement of plans for the three-year research program. The proposed research does not need to present a totally new line of research, but it should not be identical to projects supported by other funders. The proposal (abstract, narrative and figures, but not bibliography) should not exceed six numbered, single-spaced pages, in 12-point font with one-inch margins.
- Proposed budget. The applicant should indicate how he/she/they proposes to use the McKnight Scholar Award funds ($225,000 paid in equal installments of $75,000 in 2022, 2023, and 2024). Allowable budget items include salaries and fringe benefits, equipment, supplies, animal costs, costs for technical services, etc. The application should include itemized budgets for each year, in a tabulated column/dollar amount format; narrative budgets are not acceptable. Funds cannot be used for overhead or indirect costs.
- List of Active and Pending Funding (annual direct costs to lab).
- Statement from responsible financial officer at sponsoring institution.
- Supporting information from applicant’s chairperson at sponsoring institution.
- Five recent publications.
- Four references from former teachers, supervisors, or senior colleagues familiar with the applicant’s work. Letters of reference must be sent separately and in confidence by the four individuals listed as references on the face sheet of the application.