ORCA does not offer support to students applying for external funding opportunities. Please consult your faculty or academic advisor if you choose to apply to a program.
Searle Scholars Program
The University of Nebraska (across all four campuses) has been invited to select one candidate to apply for the 2027 Searle Scholars Program Competition.
The Searle Scholars Program is a limited submission award program that makes grants to selected academic and research institutions to support the independent research of outstanding early-career scientists who have recently been appointed as assistant professors on a tenure-track appointment (on or after May 1, 2025). The Searle Scholars Program supports high risk, high reward research across a broad range of scientific disciplines. Grants are $450,000 for a three-year term with $150,000 payable each year of the grant. Searle Scholars are expected to attend the Annual Searle Scholars Meeting, normally held in Chicago in April. Scientific reports, which consist of an abstract and headshot, are requested prior to the annual meeting.
Applicants for the 2027 competition (awards which will be activated on July 1, 2027) are expected to be pursuing independent research careers in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and related areas in chemistry, medicine, and the biological sciences.
The Searle Scholars Program does not ordinarily support purely clinical research but has supported research programs that include both clinical and basic components. Potential applicants who are unsure if their research is appropriate are encouraged to examine the research interests of present and former Searle Scholars: See https://searlescholars.org/current-scholars/
Those who are eligible and wish to be considered as the University of Nebraska's nominee should plan to submit their CV and statement of future research via NuRamp by August 1, 2026. We encourage applicants to discuss their intent to apply with their Department Chair/Head and their Office of Research.
The Provost and Vice Provost will review the applications and identify NU's nominee no later than August 30. Once nominated, the NU applicant will receive an email with instructions on how to access Searle's online system; NU's nominee is encouraged to refine his/her application materials with the assistance of campus proposal/award support staff.
The NU nominee's application should be submitted online (to Searle) so that it is received prior to their September 30 deadline. A copy of the nominee's final/submitted materials also should be forwarded to the Provost's Office.
Please complete the following by August 1, 2026:
1. Attach your CV (as a PDF file) to the NuRamp application form in the "File Upload" space. The NuRamp competition number is 1308.
2. Research Program: Provide an overview of the specific areas of research you would like to perform in your laboratory in the next few years. Please explain why this work is particularly novel and important. (Note that the entire proposal, if submitted to Searle, including inserted figures, should total no more than six pages. Once completed, please attach your Research Program Overview document (as a PDF file) to the NuRamp application form in the "File Upload" space.)
Questions? kendraschmid@nebraska.edu
NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP)
EGFP supports Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) in EPSCoR jurisdictions by providing fellowship funding to support EGFP-eligible students pursuing research-based master’s and/or doctoral degree programs in NSF supported disciplines. EGFP awards will be made to institutions in EPSCoR jurisdictions. Awards will provide three years of stipend and associated cost-of-education allowance for each NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellow. Stipends must be budgeted at the level of $37,000 per year per Fellow and cost-of-education allowances must be budgeted at the level of $16,000 per year per Fellow.
Current EGFP awardees/opportunities can be found: Programs | NSF Education & Training Application | ETAP
There are four ways to learn more about EGFP:
- Review the Solicitation
- Review the Webpage
- For program specific questions contact: EGFP@NSF.GOV.
- EGFP Office Hours
- Designed to spend ~45 discussion the program and how to apply. The last 15 minutes are for Q and A. The same information will be presented at each office hour.
- FAQs. Note that the dates listed here are past tense, however, the information has not changed.
- Office hours are currently set for:
America's Startup
America’s startup is a national collegiate startup competition created to spotlight early-stage business ideas. Undergraduate students enrolled at a US institution are eligible.
More information about America's Startup