OVERVIEW: The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is one of the wealthiest foundations in the United States. It funds biomedical research and science education. HHMI supports promising scientists through substantial long-term funding, including salary, benefits and research budgets.
IP TAKE: HHMI funds highly competitive contests for individuals. Winners can earn generous multi-year research grants. This funder accepts applications for some of its awards. To qualify for science research grants, however, grantseekers must have appropriate research knowledge and have an advanced degree, such as a Ph.D, in their field.
PROFILE: The Howard Hughes Medical Institute was established in 1953 by the aviator and industrialist Howard Hughes. It aims “to advance basic biomedical research and science education for the benefit of humanity.” The institute disburses hundreds of millions of dollars yearly, mostly to science researchers and facilities in the United States, with a smaller portion dedicated to science education. Its funding programs are Biomedical Research and Science Education.
Grants for Science Research and Diseases
HHMI’s Biomedical Research program awards grants to give scientists “the time and freedom to pursue difficult, long-rage questions.” It aims to “support people, not projects,” and encourage creativity and collaboration. Its current programs include:
The HHMI Investigator Program broadly supports researchers conducting innovative research in fields such as “cells, the brain, the immune system, the development of organs, and the causes of human diseases.” Applicants must have an established faculty or research position at an eligible institution and be conducting ongoing research.
Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program promotes diversity in research by funding “recruiting and retaining individuals from groups underrepresented in the life sciences.” It seeks to support researchers from a variety of racial, ethnic, gender, or disadvantaged backgrounds who work in the life sciences, including plant biology, evolutionary biology, biophysics, chemical biology, biomedical engineering or computational biology.
Janelia Research Campus in Ashburn, Virginia, houses small teams of researchers and tool-builders to encourage collaborative approaches to narrow but difficult scientific questions, such as mechanistic cognitive neuroscience.
The Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program, the Institute’s newest opportunity, funds early-career researchers conducting basic research who “who have strong potential to become leaders in their fields and to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion through their mentorship and understanding of the experiences of trainees from races and ethnicities underrepresented in US science.” The program will fund up to 30 scholars, with awards announced every other year.
The Faculty Scholars program, in collaboration with the Simons Foundation and Gates Foundation, supports early-career researchers who the institute believes have the potential to make significant future contributions to science.
International Programs include the International Research Scholars program, which supports early-career biomedical scientists around the world, and the Africa Health Research Institute, which conducts interdisciplinary research into tuberculosis, HIV, and other diseases.
Grants for STEM Education
HHMI’s Science Education grants support science education at all levels, from pre-K to post-doctoral, through “lab-based research awards for individuals and science education grants for individuals and institutions.” Although the foundation prioritizes science research—with the unique tactic of putting scientists fully on the foundation’s payroll, it funds some work for STEM education. Its current programs include:
Gilliam Fellowships for Advanced Study are open to Ph.D. students from underrepresented groups in science. Students receive up to three years of support during their dissertation research. Compensation varies but averages around $50,000 per year.
The Medical Research Fellows Program funds one year of full-time “mentored laboratory research training to medical, dental, and veterinary students,” who are not currently enrolled in an M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent program. Fellows receive a $32,000 stipend, a $5,500 allowance for “research related enrichment activities,” and a $5,500 allowance for health insurance, as well as education and moving expenses.
The HHMI Professors Program is geared toward HHMI professors who are “deeply committed to creating effective ways to engage undergraduates in science.” Individual professors receive a $1 million grant over five years and teams of two professors from the same institution receive a five-year, $1.5 million grant.
The Inclusive Excellence grants capacity building support to educational institutions to increase the “inclusion of all students, especially those students who belong to groups underrepresented in science.” In addition to direct funding, IE grantees join a network of support that comes with resources and collaborative experiences.
The Science Education Alliance supports a network of faculty members and educators that aim to develop undergraduate students as “contributors of scientific discoveries and integrate their students in the research ecosystem as part of an engaging educational experience that promotes their persistence in the sciences.”
Driving Change aims to “drive genuine and lasting culture change on university campuses so undergraduate students from all backgrounds, particularly those who belong to historically excluded groups, will excel in STEM.” It works to promote stronger student support frameworks and a more inclusive learning environment in the sciences and engineering.
Important Grant Details:
HHMI awards vary significantly in amount depending on the award type and duration. Many past awardees have achieved some of the highest honors in the world of science, including the Nobel Prizes in chemistry and medicine.
Eligibility and application requirements vary by program; some awards run open application systems, while others require nominations by an institution. HHMI posts currently available opportunities on its open competitions page. General inquiries may be made via the institute’s contact page.
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