{"id":63164,"date":"2026-05-14T13:57:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T17:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/research\/?p=63164"},"modified":"2026-05-14T15:20:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T19:20:47","slug":"rita-allen-foundation-scholars-program-2027","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/research\/2026\/05\/14\/rita-allen-foundation-scholars-program-2027\/","title":{"rendered":"Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Program \u2013 2027"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>URL:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/ritaallen.org\/scholars\/\">https:\/\/ritaallen.org\/scholars\/<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"important notice\"><div class=\"important-wrap\"><p> <strong>NOTE: The foundation has not yet announced the 2027 cycle for this LSO but is expected to soon. The internal competition is announced in anticipation to allow prospective candidates sufficient time to prepare their applications. All information in this announcement is subject to change.<\/strong> <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<h2>Objectives<\/h2>\n<p>The Rita Allen Foundation Scholars (RAFS) Program funds basic biomedical research in the fields of cancer, immunology, and neuroscience. By investing in early-career biomedical scholars and their research, RAFS aims to advance transformative ideas and leverage them to promote breakthrough solutions.<\/p>\n<p>Past Rita Allen Scholars have gone on to make fundamental contributions to their fields of study and have won recognition including the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the National Medal of Science, the Wolf Prize in Medicine, the Lasker-Koshland Award for Special Achievement in Medical Science, and the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.<\/p>\n<h2>Funding Information<\/h2>\n<p>Up to <strong>$110,000 per year for a maximum of 5 years<\/strong> ($550,000 total).<\/p>\n<h2>Eligibility<\/h2>\n<p>To be eligible, the candidate must:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Have completed their training in one of the following relevant fields: cancer, immunology, neuroscience, or pain<\/li>\n<li>Be independent investigators in the early stages of their careers and research, preferably <u>within the first three years of their tenure track appointment<\/u>\n<ul>\n<li>Senior postdocs and associate professors are less likely to be selected as candidates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Must be employed at a US degree-granting or research institution; citizenship is not a requirement<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Rita Allen Foundation Scholars (RAFS) may not accept an award from the following programs that would <u>take effect in year one<\/u> of their RAFS:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Beckman Young Investigator Program<\/li>\n<li>Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences<\/li>\n<li>Searle Scholars Program<\/li>\n<li>Vallee Scholars Program<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>However, RAFS may apply for awards from the listed programs so long as they would take effect <u>beginning in year two <\/u>of the RAF award. Other sources of funding also may influence selection.<\/p>\n<h2>Internal Selection Process<\/h2>\n<p>The internal selection process depends on whether your grants are managed by BU or Boston Medical Center (BMC). Use the steps below to determine this information:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Step 1: Open the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/ohra\/look-up-an-investigators-home-institution\/\">BUMC Home Institution Finder<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Step 2: Log in to search the database \u2013 search using your last name<\/li>\n<li>Step 3: Follow <strong>one process<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>If you see BU or BU-CAMED, follow BU Process below<\/li>\n<li>If you see BMC, follow the BMC Process below<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>BU Process<\/h3>\n<p>BU may nominate <strong>one candidate.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Interested applicants should submit the following materials via <a href=\"https:\/\/bu.infoready4.com\/#freeformCompetitionDetail\/2016007\">InfoReady Review<\/a> by: <strong>7\/9\/2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>2-page <strong>Research Statement<\/strong> describing the candidate\u2019s proposed area of research and how that research represents a bold approach to basic scientific questions addressing problems of global concern significant work, achievements. References may be listed on one additional page<\/li>\n<li><strong>Program Fit Statement<\/strong> (250 words max) describing how your proposal differs or relates to your other supported projects, and how becoming a Rita Allen Scholar would enable you to pursue new ideas and take strategic risks<\/li>\n<li>Up-to-date CV<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As necessary, a faculty review committee will review internal applications and select the institutional nominee. Foundation Relations will work with the nominee to develop and submit the institutional nomination letter and applicant materials by 9\/3\/2026.<\/p>\n<h3>BMC Process<\/h3>\n<p>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 (<a href=\"mailto:carolina.giudice@bmc.org\">carolina.giudice@bmc.org<\/a>) by <strong>Friday, June 12<\/strong> to express interest in this opportunity.<\/p>\n<h2>Deadlines<\/h2>\n<p>BMC Expression of Interest Due: Friday, June 12, 2026<\/p>\n<p>Internal Materials Due: Thursday, July 9, 2026 by 11:59 pm ET<\/p>\n<p>Anticipated Notification Date: Friday, July 31, 2026<\/p>\n<p>**Anticipated External Materials Due: Thursday, September 3, 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Up to $550,000 to support early-career researchers conducting basic biomedical research in the fields of cancer, immunology, and neuroscience. Apply by Thursday, July 9 via InfoReady Review.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24171,"featured_media":63168,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[747],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63164"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24171"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63164"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63164\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63182,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63164\/revisions\/63182"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}