Rita Allen Faculty Scholars

Sponsor: The Rita Allen Foundation
Internal Deadline: 08/18/2025
Institutional Submission Limit: 1
Sponsor Deadline: 09/03/2025
Program Website

Since 1976, the Rita Allen Foundation (RAF) has awarded millions of dollars in grants to early-career biomedical scholars. These grants allow them to establish labs and pursue research directions with above-average risk and promise. 

The RAF Scholars program funds basic biomedical research in the fields of cancer, immunology, and neuroscience. The Program supports research scientists in the early stages of their careers and aims to advance transformative ideas and leverage them to promote breakthrough solutions.

The Foundation seeks bold, above-average-risk research that challenges the status quo by supporting innovative, cutting-edge projects with groundbreaking potential. RAF Scholars are distinguished by their bold approaches to basic scientific questions that address problems of global concern, as well as their potential for learning, leadership, and collaboration. 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.

Eligibility:
•    Appointment: The nominee must hold a full-time tenure track academic appointment.
•    Career Stage: Candidates should be independent investigators in the early stages of their careers and research, preferably within the first three years of their tenure track.
•    Training: Candidates must have completed their training and provided persuasive evidence of distinguished achievement or extraordinary promise in research in one of the relevant fields (cancer, immunology, or neuroscience).
•    Employment: United States citizenship is not required; however, awardees must be legally employed at the time of application at a U.S. degree-granting or research institution that is an invited participant in the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Program.
•    Institutional Support: Candidates must have received committed startup funds and lab space from their respective institutions.

Award Amount:
•    An unrestricted research award of $110,000 per year for a maximum of five years.
•    Entire grant is for direct project expenses, including up to 50% of the Scholar’s compensation.
•    No overhead is provided.

Note: Rita Allen Foundation Scholars may not accept an award from the Beckman Young Investigator Program, Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences, Searle Scholars Program, or Vallee Scholars Program that would take effect beginning in year one of the RAF award. Rita Allen Scholars may apply for awards from these organizations that would take effect beginning in year two of the RAF award. Other sources of funding also may influence selection.

Important Deadlines
•    USC Internal: August 18, 2025
•    Letter of Inquiry Due: September 3, 2025
•    Full Application Due: October 15, 2025

For questions about this opportunity, please contact Jenni Asman, Senior Director of Development, Corporate and Foundation Relations at asmanj@mailbox.sc.edu.

 

Submission Process

Limited submissions MUST be coordinated with the Office of the Vice President for Research.

If interested in applying for this opportunity, please submit the following to the Office of Corporate & Foundation Relations USCCFR@sc.edu by 5pm on the INTERNAL DEADLINE above:

• A letter of support from dean/chair - This should include an assessment of the candidate that can be used for the LOI.
• Project summary (no more than 3 pages including references and supporting materials). The proposal should include how the award would enable the candidate to pursue new ideas and take strategic risks, and an explanation of how this proposal differs from or relates to the candidate's other supported projects.
• A detailed curriculum vitae, including the candidate’s address and telephone numbers, date of appointment to tenure track position (month and year), confirmation of institutional start-up funds and lab space.
• Details of past, current and pending support from other funding sources, both public and non-public, and the candidate’s role (PI or co-PI); on current projects, provide what percentage of time the candidate is devoting to each.