Call for nominations: Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholar Award

The UTHealth Houston Neuroscience Research Center is accepting applications for potential submission for the Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholar Awards in the Neurosciences.

The Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholars program will support individual scientists of exceptional creativity who have an MD or PhD degree (or both) who have completed a minimum of three years and no more than six years of a postdoctoral fellowship in the field of neurosciences by July 1, 2026, and hold a postdoctoral research position at a United States medical school, research institute, or academic hospital.

The awards are given as a transitional postdoctoral award for recipients to enable their advancement to a full-time faculty member at the assistant professor level or higher and/or to assist in the development of a laboratory program that would lead to independent funding. The medical school, research institute, or academic hospital appointing the scholar will be awarded $200,000 annually for two years to cover their salary, lab costs, and related expenses. Under certain circumstances, the awardee may transfer funding to support their faculty position. Indirect cost, of up to 15% of direct costs, may be included in the $200,000. All applicants are required to provide 75% effort.

UTHealth Houston may nominate one candidate. Eligible applicants should submit their research proposal to [email protected] no later than Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. The UTHealth Houston Neuroscience Research Center will establish an internal review committee to select the one individual who will be nominated to the Warren Alpert Foundation. Additional information can be found at the foundation’s website or by contacting [email protected].

Application Procedure
For the internal review, applications must include the following and should be single spaced, with one-half inch margins and 11pt. or greater font:

1. Title
2. Summary of the research (250-word limit)
3. Introduction, importance of the project, methods and likely presentation results (four-page limit)
4. One-half page on the background of the applicant and the special characteristics that they have for implementing the project and career plan
5. Bibliography
6. Biosketch in NIH format
7. A budget in G.300 R&R Format (aka: SF 4224 R&R Budget). Please be certain to include budget justification
8. Letter of support from mentor

Please submit internal documents to [email protected] as one PDF. Submissions should reference “Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholars” in the subject line of the email.

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