The Science Diversity Leadership Award (SDLA) from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) will support Principal Investigators who are outstanding early- to mid-career biomedical researchers at U.S. universities, medical schools, or nonprofit research institutes who—through their outreach, mentoring, teaching, and leadership—have a record of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their scientific communities. They will have made significant research contributions to the biomedical sciences, show promise for continuing scientific achievement, and demonstrate leadership in efforts to diversify the sciences. CZI is committed to supporting representative science, which ensures universal benefits from scientific advances, such as studies of diseases that adversely affect underserved populations from specific ancestries, and promotes diversity among researchers toward more inclusive and comprehensive outcomes.
Each award consists of a $1.15 million USD grant distributed over five years ($230,000 total costs per year, including 15% for indirect costs) to the institution of selected awardees. The grant is to support the awardee’s research program with reasonable flexibility on how these funds are utilized, provided that funds are used to support the awardee’s overall academic program. CZI will convene a mixture of in-person and virtual meetings for which SDLA grantees are expected to participate.
Deadlines:
- Required Letter of Intent: Dec. 3, 2024
- Invited Applications: April 8, 2025
- All applicants must hold an MD, PhD, ScD, MD/PhD, DDM, DVM, or equivalent degree and have a faculty position or equivalent independent investigator status at a college, university, medical school, or other research facility. Note that non-tenured and tenured faculty are eligible to apply.
- Applicants should have been in their first independent position for at least three years and less than ten years as of the opening of the Letter of Intent application (after 10/03/2014 and before 10/03/2021).
- Independence in an academic setting is typically demonstrated by a full-time faculty appointment, a tenure-track position, allocated space, a start-up package, and institutional commitment as defined or verified in a letter from a department chair or equivalent. Independence may be defined differently in different types of organizations. Note: an upload of the letter or proof of independence is not required at the time of application.
- CZI will make exceptions to these criteria in cases of institutionally approved career breaks, e.g., family or medical leave, etc. (if this applies to you, please contact sciencegrants@chanzuckerberg.com).
- Applicants will perform research related broadly to biomedical sciences. Preference will be given to research programs that align with CZI Science and/or programs with diversity as a research component. Part of the applicant’s evaluation will include their research contributions and current research program. Note: Clinical trials and public health research are out of scope for this award.
- Applications must be submitted by domestic (based in the United States) nonprofit organizations, including public and private institutions, such as colleges, universities, hospitals, laboratories, and governmental agencies. For-profit organizations are not eligible to apply. All grants will be awarded to institutions, not individuals.
- An organization may submit more than one application (i.e., multiple applicants from the same organization may apply).
- Current or former Science Diversity Leadership grantees are not eligible for this RFA.
- Meta employees, including employees of any subsidiary Meta entities and employees of Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, LLC, are not permitted to apply.
- CZI reserves the sole right to decide if an applicant and applicant organization meet the eligibility requirements.
- CZI reserves the right to request budget changes prior to award.
CZI suggests that you consult your home institution to determine eligibility to apply for this grant, including your institution’s policy on indirect costs. For questions about eligibility for this award or the application process, please contact us before the proposal deadline at sciencegrants@chanzuckerberg.com. Deadline extensions will not be granted.
Each award consists of a $1.15 million USD grant distributed over five years ($230,000 total costs per year, including 15% for indirect costs) to the institution of selected awardees. The grant is to support the awardee’s research program with reasonable flexibility on how these funds are utilized, provided that funds are used to support the awardee’s overall academic program. CZI will convene a mixture of in-person and virtual meetings for which SDLA grantees are expected to participate.