The 2026 Grass Fellowship Application window has now closed. 

The Grass Foundation will accept applications for the 2027 Grass Fellowship on September 1, 2026. 

How to Prepare Your Grass Fellowship Research Proposal

Review the Grass Fellowship Overview and Frequently Asked Questions before finalizing your research proposal.

• You will upload your research proposal as a PDF with size 11 point or larger. Your proposal should not exceed four pages.
• Include background and significance, specific aims, experimental plan, expected findings, and references.
• Describe your professional and scientific background and how you arrived at this research project. Describe the proposed study and provide a justification for why performing the proposed research in the Grass Lab at MBL is essential for your research at this point in your career.
• Provide a summary of research experience and clearly define your current career status (e.g., Ph.D. or M.D. student, a postdoctoral trainee, or early faculty member) and level. If your current position is nearing completion, include a description of your upcoming plans and how the Fellowship relates to these plans. Applicants should not combine a Grass Fellowship with writing a Ph.D. thesis.
• The Kavli Foundation supports Kavli-Grass Fellows whose work intersects with their Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems program. If you feel that your proposal is relevant to this issue, please provide a brief explanation (200 words max).
• If there is any additional information or are special circumstances that you feel will help the Selection Committee assess your application, explain here with a maximum of 300 words. If you are interested in extending your time at MBL, please include that here.

Note: The Selection Committee consists of Foundation Trustees. All sections of the application should be written so that they can be understood and evaluated by neuroscientists who may not be specialists in your particular field. Applications will be judged on attributes including overall quality, the applicant’s ability to organize and present pertinent information, ability to develop a strong experimental plan, the applicant’s promise in the field of neuroscience, the feasibility of the project, and likelihood of success. The project may build on an applicant’s current research or be in a new research area. The Selection Committee gives preference to research proposals appropriate to the facilities and organisms that can be accommodated at the MBL. If  unfamiliar with the MBL, visit their website: www.mbl.edu.Questions regarding the suitability of research projects or species should be directed to gfp@grassfoundation.org.