Limited Submission Opportunity: W.M. Keck Foundation Research Program – December Cycle 2025

URL: https://www.wmkeck.org/research-overview

OBJECTIVES

The W. M. Keck Research Program seeks to benefit humanity by supporting Medical Research and Science & Engineering projects that are distinctive and novel in their approach, question the prevailing paradigm, or have the potential to break open new territory in their field. Grants support pioneering biological and physical science research and engineering, including the development of promising new technologies, instrumentation or methodologies.

Examples of funded projects can be found on the Keck Foundation’s Grant Abstracts page.

FUNDING INFORMATION

Requests can be $1 to 1.3 million over 3 years, but larger grants will require stronger justification from applicants.

ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS

Funding is awarded to projects that:

  • Focus on important and emerging areas of research
  • Have the potential to develop breakthrough technologies, instrumentation or methodologies
  • Are innovative, distinctive, and interdisciplinary
  • Demonstrate a high level of risk due to unconventional approaches, or by challenging the prevailing paradigm
  • Have the potential for transformative impact, such as the founding of a new field of research, the enabling of observations not previously possible, or the altered perception of a previously intractable problem
  • Fall outside the mission of public funding agencies
  • Have been recently denied funding by a federal funding agency expressly because the project was judged too high risk or early stage. The foundation prefers to see the rejection in writing.

The Keck Foundation does not fund:

  • clinical or translational research
  • treatment trials or research for the sole purpose of drug development
  • disease-specific research
  • environmental conservation or monitoring
  • purely theoretical projects
  • follow-on funding
  • device development
  • Public Health-focused projects 

INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS

The internal selection process depends on whether your grants are managed by BU (CRC and BUMC) or Boston Medical Center. If you are unsure whether your grants are managed by BU or BMC, please consult the BUMC Home Institution Finder. Use that information to guide which process you follow below.

BU Process

BU may forward up to two total proposals, one in each of the following research areas: Medical Research, Science & Engineering Research.

Interested candidates should submit the following materials through InfoReady Review by 10/24/2025:

  • Information about any co-PIs
  • Proposal Alignment statement describing how your proposal fits with the mission of the Keck Foundation (1 paragraph)
  • Funding Statement explaining the need for support from the Keck Foundation; demonstrations of federal rejection of the project on the grounds that it is too high-risk or early-stage and that the foundation is the last resort are preferred (1 paragraph)
  • 1-page Concept Paper without images/illustrations, that includes the following:
    • Project Overview – emphasize any unique aspects and pilot studies (indicate area of emphasis for project) and background to put the research into perspective
    • Description of methodology – be specific about how the project will be conducted and how the PI will achieve their goals. Focus on the What and the How. For example, highlight project challenges and innovative ways the PI will overcome them.
    • Key personnel
    • Impact – how will this project be a scientific leap forward? How is this project transformational? What makes this project distinctive?
    • One additional page may be used for references
  • Updated CV for lead PIPrincipal Investigator View Boston University's policy on...

A faculty committee drawn from both campuses will review internal proposals and select nominees. All inquiries must be submitted through BU’s institutional liaison: Joe Loftus, Director of Foundation Relations at joloftus@bu.edu.

For more information on drafting a compelling application, refer also to the Keck Foundation’s Application Process, or review sample materials from previous successful applications in BU’s Proposal Library.

BMC Process

BMC may forward one proposal in the Medical Research category.

If you are a BUMC faculty member who works in BMC space or you are a fellow whose faculty advisor is a BMC investigator, please contact the Program Manager of strategic research growth, Carolina Giudice (carolina.giudice@bmc.org) by 11/1/2025.

BMC investigators do not need to submit applications through InfoReady Review for this LSO. The internal deadlines listed below only apply to investigators who submit grants through BU. BMC investigators should contact Carolina for guidance on next steps.

DEADLINES

Internal Deadline: Friday, October 24, 2025, by 11:59 pm ET

Anticipated Notification Date: Friday, November 28, 2025

Concept Counseling: January 1 – February 15, 2026

Phase 1 Application Deadline: May 1, 2026, by 4:30 pm PT

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