“Limited Submissions” occur when a sponsor limits the number of proposals the OU Health Campus may submit for a given funding opportunity. Because of these restrictions, and because some opportunities attract broad interest within the university, OU Health Campus follows a standardized internal selection process to identify proposals to submit on behalf of the University. The Limited Submission Opportunities currently available are listed below.
Opportunities
Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust – Searle Scholars Program
- Website: Searle Scholars Program
- Notes: Applicants should have begun their appointment as an independent investigator at the Assistant Professor level on or after May 1, 2025, and must be in their first tenure-track position; institutional nomination required.
The Searle Scholars Program makes grants to selected universities and research institutes to support the independent research of exceptional young faculty in the biomedical sciences and chemistry. The 2027 award will be in the amount of $450,000 ($150,000 per year for three years, with funding for years 2 and 3 contingent upon the receipt of acceptable progress reports after years 1 and 2, respectively). Details can be found in the attached announcement.
Applicants for the 2027 competition are expected to be pursuing independent research careers in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and related areas in chemistry, medicine, and the biological sciences. The Searle Scholars Program does not ordinarily support purely clinical research but has supported research programs that include both clinical and basic science components.
Internal pre-proposals must be submitted via the Limited submission application portal by 5 pm on July 17, 2026.
Pew Charitable Trusts – Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences
- Website: Pew Scholars Program
- Notes: Early-career biomedical investigators; typically 1 nominee per institution
Blavatnik Family Foundation – Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists
- Website: Blavatnik Awards
- Notes: Highly prestigious awards for young faculty across life, physical sciences, and engineering
W. M. Keck Foundation – Keck Foundation Research Program
- Website: W. M. Keck Foundation
- Notes: High-risk, high-reward science; concept paper → full proposal pipeline
G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Charitable Foundation / Edward Mallinckrodt Jr. Foundation