Paano mag-apply

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. 

Suporta sa Application

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

View a recorded webinar to learn more about the Scholars Program and recommendations for the application process which is due November 3, 2026. The webinar contains advice from three McKnight Scholar Awards Committee members: Dr. Vanessa Ruta (Chair), Dr. Jennifer Raymond, and Dr. Marlene Cohen, as well as previous McKnight awardee, Dr. Abigail Person. This webinar was 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. Webinar was recorded August 27, 2026.

Pagiging karapat-dapat

Ang mga aplikante para sa McKnight Scholar Award ay dapat na mga independiyenteng investigator sa hindi-para-profit na mga institusyong pananaliksik sa Estados Unidos; dapat humawak ng posisyon sa faculty sa ranggo ng Assistant Professor (o katumbas, tingnan sa ibaba) at dapat na nagsilbi sa ranggo na iyon nang wala pang limang taon sa oras ng deadline ng aplikasyon (maaaring gumawa ng mga eksepsiyon para sa family leave). 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. Ang limang taong limitasyon ay pinagsama-sama, kaya kung ang aplikante ay nagsilbi bilang assistant professor sa higit sa isang institusyon, ang orasan ay magsisimula sa oras ng unang posisyon kahit na hindi iyon kung saan kasalukuyang naglilingkod ang aplikante. Ang aplikante ay dapat magkaroon ng opisyal na appointment bilang Assistant Professor (o katumbas) sa petsa ng pagsusumite ng aplikasyon upang maging karapat-dapat.

Hindi karapat-dapat ang mga indibidwal na may hawak ng iba pang mga titulo sa mga posisyon sa hindi panunungkulan gaya ng Instructor, Research Assistant Professor, Adjunct Assistant Professor, o Instructor. Kung ang host na institusyon ay hindi gumagamit ng mga titulong propesor, isang liham mula sa isang matataas na opisyal ng institusyonal (hal. Dean o Direktor ng Pananaliksik) ay dapat kumpirmahin na ang aplikante ay kumokontrol sa kanilang sariling nakalaang institusyonal na mapagkukunan, espasyo sa laboratoryo, at/o mga pasilidad. Mangyaring isumite ang liham na ito kasama ang mga materyales sa aplikasyon sa ibaba, at mag-email din sa jkrogstad@mcknight.org upang magbigay ng paunang abiso ng sulat. Sinisikap naming pahusayin ang heograpiko, kasarian, at pagkakaiba-iba ng lahi sa neuroscience, at hinihikayat namin ang mga kababaihan, miyembro ng mga komunidad ng kulay, at guro sa mga institusyong hindi pa nakatanggap ng McKnight award na mag-aplay.  

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.  

Walang limitasyon sa kung gaano karaming mga aplikasyon ang matatanggap namin mula sa parehong institusyon sa parehong round ng pagpopondo, at habang nagsusumikap kami para sa pagkakaiba-iba ng institusyon, maraming Scholar Awardees mula sa parehong institusyon ang maaaring igawad sa parehong panahon ng pagbibigay. 

Aplikasyon

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. 

Upang mag-apply, kakailanganing sundin ng punong imbestigador ang mga hakbang na ito sa sandaling magbukas ang portal: 

• Mag-set up ng isang username at password gamit ang link na "Start Application" na matatagpuan sa kanang sidebar. (Pakipanatili ang iyong username at password para magamit sa hinaharap.) 

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

1. 1. Ang panukala 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. Pahayag ng Pagkakaiba-iba at Pagsasama. 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 kasama ang lahat ng mga mapagkukunan (parehong suporta sa pagsisimula at panlabas na pagpopondo) na magagamit bilang suporta sa kanilang pananaliksik. Mangyaring isama ang mga halaga para sa bawat award na nakalista, hal, R01, $100,000 taunang direktang gastos, pamagat ng proyekto. Hindi mo kailangang ilista ang mga panukalang kasalukuyang isinasaalang-alang na hindi pa nagagawad. Ilista ang start-up na pagpopondo sa simula ng dokumento at pagkatapos ay sundin ang mga alituntunin ng NIH para sa panlabas na pagpopondo. Ngunit iba sa NIH, walang kinakailangang pirma.
   5. Titles and links to 5 recent publicly accessible publications (can include pre-prints e.g. on BioRxiv).

Hinihiling din namin tatlong sanggunian 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.

Walang kinakailangang badyet sa pagsusumite ng aplikasyon. Ang mga awardees ay kailangang magsumite ng taunang mga ulat sa pananalapi at siyentipiko sa McKnight para sa pangalawa at pangatlong pagbabayad. Ang mga pinahihintulutang item sa badyet ay kinabibilangan ng mga suweldo at karagdagang benepisyo (kabilang ang mga punong imbestigador), tuition, kagamitan, supply, gastos sa hayop, gastos para sa mga teknikal na serbisyo, atbp. Ang mga pondo ay hindi maaaring gamitin para sa mga hindi direktang gastos. 

Proseso ng pagpili

Ang Komite sa Review ng McKnight Scholar Awardssusuriin ang mga aplikasyon at mag-imbita ng humigit-kumulang 20 mga finalist sa pakikipanayam kay ang komite. Aabisuhan ang mga aplikanteng inimbitahan sa pakikipanayam in March 2027. The interviews magiging nakaiskedyul hindi nagtagal 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. 

Mga Tanong?

Email: Joel Krogstad, Program Manager, McKnight Endowment Fund para sa Neuroscience