LSRF Postdoctoral Fellowship 2026–27: $255,000 Award, Eligibility & Deadline

LSRF Postdoctoral Fellowship 2026–27 at a Glance

The Life Sciences Research Foundation supports early-career researchers conducting basic biological research through a three-year postdoctoral fellowship. The current 2026–27 application cycle is open.

How Much Funding Does the LSRF Fellowship Provide?

For awards beginning on or after 1 August 2026, LSRF provides $255,000 over three years, equivalent to $85,000 per year.

The award is paid to the nonprofit university or research institution where the fellow conducts the project. The host institution then administers the salary and research allowance.

If the institution’s required postdoctoral salary is higher than the LSRF stipend, the salary may be supplemented from appropriate institutional or mentor-controlled funding. LSRF must remain the fellow’s principal postdoctoral funding source.

LSRF Fellowship Eligibility for the 2026–27 Cycle

Applicants must meet all of the current LSRF eligibility requirements. LSRF states that it does not make exceptions to these requirements.

Nationality and research location

• U.S. citizens: may conduct the fellowship in any geographic location.
• Non-U.S. citizens: must conduct the proposed postdoctoral research in a U.S. laboratory.

Degree timing

Applicants must apply within five years of receiving their PhD, MD or DVM, using the degree awarded most recently where applicable.

For the 2026 application cycle, candidates whose relevant degree was awarded before 1 October 2021 are not eligible.

Candidates may apply before formally completing the degree, but they must have the PhD, MD or DVM by the fellowship activation date of 1 August 2027.

Postdoctoral laboratory start window

Applicants must have begun, or must plan to begin, work in their proposed postdoctoral laboratory between 1 August 2025 and 31 July 2027.

You must change laboratories

The proposed LSRF postdoctoral work must be undertaken in a laboratory different from the applicant’s graduate or thesis laboratory. A short transition period in the thesis laboratory after degree completion is permitted, but the LSRF-supported project itself cannot remain there.

Supervisor acceptance is required

Applicants must already have a proposed postdoctoral supervisor. The application requires a supervisor support letter confirming acceptance into the laboratory and the host institution’s willingness to administer the fellowship.

What Research Areas Are Eligible?

LSRF supports basic biological research across the life sciences rather than restricting the competition to one disease, organism or experimental approach.

Official broad research categories include:

• Biochemistry
• Cancer Biology
• Cell Biology
• Computational Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Immunology
• Microbiology
• Molecular Biology
• Neurobiology
• Organismal, Population and Evolutionary Biology
• Physiology
• Plant Biology
• Structural Biology
• Virology

Preliminary data are not mandatory. LSRF evaluates the full application, including the research proposal, publication record, CV and support letters.

Application Materials

The current application contains sections for applicant information, the research proposal, references and supervisor support, and demographic information.

Applicant information

Applicants provide contact and educational information, peer-reviewed publications, honours and awards, a thesis summary of up to 300 words, and contact details for the grants or sponsored-program official at the proposed host institution.

Research proposal

The application includes a 250-word abstract and a research-proposal PDF limited to seven pages in total:

• Five single-spaced pages for the research plan, including figures and tables.
• Two pages for literature cited.

LSRF specifies 0.5-inch margins and minimum font sizes of 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Arial for the proposal and references.

Four letters are required

The complete application requires:

• Three reference letters.
• One proposed-supervisor support letter.

One reference should normally come from the applicant’s thesis adviser. The proposed postdoctoral supervisor cannot serve as one of the three referees.

LSRF 2026–27 Application Timeline

How to Apply

1. Confirm that you satisfy every eligibility condition for the 2026–27 competition.
2. Secure acceptance from an eligible proposed postdoctoral supervisor.
3. Confirm that the proposed laboratory and institution can administer the LSRF award.
4. Prepare your CV information, publication record, thesis summary and research proposal.
5. Identify three referees and request the proposed-supervisor support letter.
6. Complete and finalise your application before 1 October 2026 at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.
7. Monitor the application system to confirm receipt of the four required letters.
8. Ensure all letters arrive before 1 November 2026 at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

Once the applicant deadline passes, LSRF states that applicants cannot return to the application to edit or add material or change the listed referees.

The official application portal and programme guidance are provided in the Official Sources and Application Links section below.

CareerAidHub Applicant Guidance

Check eligibility before drafting the proposal

Several LSRF conditions are absolute, particularly the degree date, postdoctoral-laboratory start window, change-of-laboratory requirement and nationality/location rule. Verify these first.

Secure your postdoctoral laboratory early

This is not a fellowship that can be submitted while the host laboratory remains undecided. Supervisor acceptance is part of the application itself.

Treat the two deadlines separately

Your application is due on 1 October, but the four letters have until 1 November. Finalising the application early gives your referees more time and reduces the risk of an incomplete submission.

Write for specialist reviewers

LSRF notes that proposals are reviewed by experts in the relevant broad scientific area. Use the limited proposal space for the scientific question, rationale, approach, innovation and feasibility rather than excessive introductory background.

Researchers comparing international early-career research funding can browse CareerAidHub’s
postdoctoral fellowship opportunities
and
research grants and funding opportunities.