Howard Hughes Medical Institute
/OVERVIEW: The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is one of the wealthiest foundations in the United States. It funds biomedical and related research by supporting individual researchers with substantial long-term funding. It has recently broadened its scope to support science education and media.
IP TAKE: HHMI is best known for supporting rising stars in biology and related disciplines with generous, long-term funding; more than 30 HHMI award winners have gone on to win the Nobel Prize. While it continues to run these vital research programs, the institute has recently branched out to support science education more broadly, particularly at the undergraduate and graduate levels, where it has made large, collaborative efforts with colleges and universities to make biology more inclusive. HHMI has also branched out into science communications.
This is an accessible and approachable funder. It accepts applications for most of its awards and fellowships, providing guidelines and contact information on each of its program pages. Signature programs that don’t make grants usually provide opportunities for sharing and collaboration. Not all programs run annually, however, so keep up with programs of interest to monitor application windows and deadlines.
PROFILE: The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) was established in 1953 by the aviator and industrialist Howard Hughes. It aims “to advance basic biomedical research and science education for the benefit of humanity.” According to its website, it is “the largest private nonprofit supporter of science education and life science research in the United States.” In its earliest years, the institute focused more stringently on medical research. More recently, support has broadened to include funding for inclusive STEM education and science communications. Its stated areas of engagement include Scientific Research, Equitable Science and Film & Media. The institute also runs the Janelia Research Campus in Ashburn, Virginia, which serves as a hub for HHMI researchers, conferences and other events.
Grants for Scientific Research and STEM Education
HHMI’s support for scientific research overlaps with its giving for inclusive STEM education at the postsecondary level. Both the Scientific Research and Reshaping Research Culture programs work in these areas.
The Scientific Research program focuses on the careers of individual researchers, aiming to provide “generous, flexible research support for long periods of time, so they can pursue bold ideas and take their science wherever discoveries lead.” A secondary goal is to “equip them to mentor and train the next generation of research leaders.”
HHMI’s Investigator Program supports “established scientists” as they “push their research fields into new areas of inquiry.” The program runs every three years and accepts applications from PhDs and MDs who hold tenure track positions and who “have a track record of peer-reviewed funding.” Past recipients span various sub-disciplines of biology, biochemistry, genetics, neuroscience and virology. Investigators are “appointed to a seven-year renewable term” and “become employees of HHMI,” receiving additional salary and benefits that may total up to $9 million.
The institute links detailed information about eligibility, the application process, FAQs and past recipients to the program page. Applications are generally due in March, with finalists announced in November and final selections of investigators made the following April. The next application cycle will begin in 2025.
The institute runs two programs for early-career scientists.
The Freeman-Habrowski Scholars Program targets “outstanding early career faculty committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in science.” Launched in 2022, this program appears to run every other year and accepts applications from Ph.Ds and/or MDs who hold or have accepted tenure-track positions at an eligible institution. Candidates’ research may be “in any area of basic biomedical science, as well as plant biology, evolutionary biology, biophysics, chemical biology, biomedical engineering, and/or computational biology.”
This program appoints scholars for an initial five-year term and often renews appointments for a second five years after progress evaluations. Funding may total $8.6 million over ten years. Information about eligibility, application procedures, FAQs and past scholars is linked to the program page. The institute expects to launch its next application cycle for this program in February of 2024.
The Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program supports “early career scientists” with a focus on “equipping them to recruit, mentor, and inspire future generations.” This program runs annually and welcomes applications from scientists engaged in postdoctoral research “led by a tenured or tenure track faculty member” at one of HHMIs eligible institutions. A list of relevant scientific disciplines is also linked to the program page.
This award consists of two separate terms. The first term spans two to four years of postdoctoral training, during which recipients receive a salary of $80,o00 and a $20,000 allowance for expenses. The second term of the award spans the first two to four years of faculty appointment, during which fellows earn a salary of $250,000 and a $20,000 expense allowance. Applications are usually due in late February, with finalists notified in September and decisions announced in October. See the program page for detailed information about eligibility, guidelines, FAQs and former fellows.
The institute’s Equitable Science programs emphasize “advancing science through equity and inclusion.” It runs several programs that target “the development of future scientists who come from all backgrounds and who are provided opportunities to actively learn in an inclusive environment.” Programs are facilitated by the institute’s Center for the Advancement of Science Leadership and Culture.
Inclusive Excellence is a three-part program.
Inclusive Excellence 1&2 is a “[c]onvening of 57 colleges and universities and HHMI in designing, implementing, and sustaining institutional change for improving inclusion.” The program was launched in 2017 and ran through 2018. Participating institutions received $1 million in grants for a commitment to modify “institutional policies, practices, and cultures so that students of all backgrounds would be able to succeed in science.” A description of its accomplishments and findings can be read in the program’s Capstone Report. It is unclear if this program will run again.
Inclusive Excellence 3 furthers the work of the initial programs to 134 two- and four-year institutions. The schools work in seven “clusters” aiming to foster “inclusive STEM learning environments.” A main thrust of the program concerns “new approaches to the content of introductory science courses, evaluation of effective and inclusive teaching, and partnerships between 2- and 4-year institutions.” This program was launched in 2019 and will run for six years. It is not currently accepting applications.
Driving Change aims “to support undergraduate students, including people who have historically been excluded from science because of their background, so that they may excel in STEM and assume leadership roles in the field.” HHMI works exclusively with 38 institutions to pursue specific goals including the development of student-centered programs and greater institutional and faculty involvement in “responsibility for the success of all students.” In 2022, a subset of 12 institutions each received a grant of $2.5 million “to further their institution- and student-focused efforts.” This program is not currently accepting proposals, and it is unclear if HHMI will run it again.
The Gilliam Fellows Program consists of “paired awards to graduate students and their thesis advisers who, together, are committed to advancing equity and inclusion in science.” The program aims to nurture graduate students as future leaders of “more inclusive scientific ecosystem” and support their advisors with opportunities “to enhance their mentorship skills and act as change-makers to develop more inclusive and healthy scientific training environments.” Grants are awarded in the amount of $53,000 annually for up to three years of funding.
This program accepts applications from students who are in their second or third year of a PhD program and their advisors. Detailed information about eligibility, application procedures and FAQs are linked to the program page. This program is expected to run again in the fall of 2024, with an expected application due date in early December.
The Science Education Alliance (SEA) helps faculty to “to scale student access to high-impact educational experiences” in science education. Specifically, this program aims “to embed research as a fundamental component of early undergraduate science curricula.” This program appears to change focus from time to time, although not every year. A recent iteration of SEA involved a two-semester program though which students worked to “uncover the genetic diversity and evolution of bacteriophages.” The program provided participating instructor training, on-line resources, technical support, course materials and opportunities to participate in an annual SEA Symposium and sponsored faculty meetings.
This annual program accepts applications from two- and four-year colleges with due dates usually falling at the end of October.
The HHMI Professors program is “a community of accomplished scientists committed to engaging undergraduates and advancing inclusive science education.” Launched in 2002, about 70 participants “have built and sustain a vibrant community of science education innovators and advocates committed to sharing ideas and collaborating with their peers to improve science education broadly.” This program is not currently accepting applications, but prospective participants may email the program at profcomp@hhmi.org for additional information. Profiles of past participants are available at the program page.
Finally, HHMI’s Forums for Advancing Cultural Competency are meant “to enable higher education faculty, staff, and administrators to explore cultural identity and differences, practice the skills of listening and learning, and consider how each person can contribute to the creation of an equitable learning environment.” Grants of up to $35,000 are awarded to institutions of higher education and/or professional scientific societies for the purpose of creating “meaningful opportunities for participants to explore topics such as systemic racism, unintended bias, privilege, cultural identities and stereotypes, and micro-/macro-aggressions.” This program accepts applications on an ongoing basis, but the specific focus of the program may change from year to year. Be sure to check the program page for its current proposal guide or email forums@hhmi.org for up-to-date information.
Grants for Journalism, Film and Media
HHMI’s Film & Media program runs three subprograms focused on “[p]romoting greater understanding of the living world and our role in sustaining it.”
BioInteractive is HHMI’s signature education media platform. It provides “free classroom resources and professional development for high school and undergraduate biology educators.” The BioInteractive website features sections for classroom resources, teaching tools, professional development and an educator resource library. Educators need only create an account to use materials.
Tangled Bank Studios is HHMI’s “mission-driven production company dedicated to telling powerful, inspiring stories about science and nature.” The studio was founded in 2012 and pursues “projects based on the power of a story, its scientific and societal importance, and the project’s potential for impact.” A main priority is “stories that illustrate what can be done to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity.” This program welcomes contact from potential collaborators via its contact page. It also accepts screening requests for its documentaries.
Finally, the Science Journalism focus area supports journalism with the goal of “inspir[ing] broad audiences about science, the natural world, and biomedicine.” In this vein, the institute partners with “media organizations that generate high-quality stories and make them freely available to a broad swath of the public.” This program does not maintain a dedicated webpage or run an application program.
Important Grant Details:
HHMI’s grants range from $10,000 to about $3 million.
Many of this funder’s awards go to individual researchers who are paid salaries through HHMI vehicles including the Janelia Research Campus.
HHMIs education funding, much of which focuses on increasing inclusivity in science, reaches hundreds of colleges and universities across the U.S.
While HHMI generally accepts applications for its awards and links guidelines and materials to its program pages. However, not every program runs annually. Check relevant program pages periodically for updates on application windows and due dates.
The institute’s newest area of engagement, Film & Media, does not make grants per se but presents opportunities for collaboration and support for educators and others in the area of science education and public outreach.
Grantmaking and engagement are national in scope.
Information about past recipients is generally available at each program page.
This funder provides contact information for individual programs on its program pages. For general inquiries, use the institutes contact page.
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