Grass Fellowship Application – The Grass Foundation

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Priority Deadline October 15, 2025
Final Deadline December 1, 2025

Your Information

Your Name(Required)

First Last

Preferred Name

Your Email Address(Required)

Please provide the email you check most often, and notify The Grass Foundation (info@grassfoundation.org) if your email address changes.

Enter Email Confirm Email

Mailing Address(Required)

While most correspondence from The Grass Foundation will be conducted via email, please provide an address where you can reliably receive physical mail.

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Phone(Required)

Applicant's Institution(Required)

Department or Program(Required)

Current Position(Required)

Current Research Supervisor(Required)

ORCID Number(Required)

Education(Required)

Enter information about all degrees received, including dates, degree type/field (e.g. B.S. Biology), and institution(s) attended.

Gender Identity(Required)

Preferred Pronouns

Are you a first-generation college student?

Yes

Prefer not to say

Are you of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto-Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin?

Yes

Prefer not to say

Please indicate which race (or races) you identify with.

You may answer that you "prefer not to say."

Do you consent to be interviewed by Foundation Trustees about your application as part of the review process?(Required)

Yes

Have you previously submitted an application to the Grass Fellowship Program?(Required)

Yes

What changes, if any, have been made to your research proposal?

Have you spent time at MBL previously?(Required)

Yes

If yes, please explain:

Citizenship and Visa

Are you a U.S. Citizen?(Required)

Yes

What citizenship do you hold?

Do you hold a U.S. visa?

Yes

If you do not hold a US visa, please confirm that you agree to apply for a visa.

Confirm

If you hold an H1B, F1, E3 or TN visa, do you agree to also submit form GF-H1B?

Yes

N/A

GF-H1B Form

If you will be submitting form GF-H1B, please complete the application form and upload it below.

Upload

Max. file size: 50 MB.

Letters of Reference

Please list two individuals submitting letters on your behalf. They will be emailed with instructions for submitting their references. One letter should be from your current supervisor, if applicable. The deadline for receiving letters is December 15, 2025.

Reference 1 Name(Required)

First Last

Reference 1 Institution(Required)

Reference 1 Email(Required)

Reference 2 Name(Required)

First Last

Reference 2 Institution(Required)

Reference 2 Email(Required)

Research Proposal

In preparing your proposal, please keep in mind that the program is only 14 weeks. A strong proposal will be interesting and ambitious, but will propose experiments which can be accomplished within the summer. The MBL has considerable resources, but access to high-end microscopes and other shared equipment may be limited. The MBL has animal facilities for xenopus, zebrafish, rodents, cephalopods, and provides collection and housing for a wide variety of local marine species. It may be possible to house other small vertebrates or non-native marine species, but you should consult with MBL before making plans.

Title of Proposed Project(Required)

Abstract of Proposed Project(Required)

In 400 words or fewer, please briefly describe your project and why you want to conduct this work in the Grass Lab at MBL.

Upload Your Research Proposal(Required)

The proposal must be prepared by the applicant and include the following sections: Title, Summary of Research Experience, Research Proposal, and Justification. Please use fonts sized 11pt or larger.

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 25 MB.

Upload Your CV(Required)

The Curriculum Vitae may be prepared in any form but should include standard information such as education, positions, awards, funding, and publications. List peer-reviewed publications, abstracts, and review articles separately. Please use fonts sized 11pt or larger.

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 25 MB.

Dates and Research Location

The Grass Fellowship Program runs from Memorial Day Monday for 14 weeks to the Saturday prior to Labor Day. Any proposed deviation from these dates, including late arrival, early departure, or an absence during the program, must be disclosed and justified in the text box below. Please note that approval is required by the Grass Fellowship Program Director for any absences during the fellowship period.

Do you anticipate any deviations to the Fellowship dates?(Required)

No. I will be at the MBL from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Yes, I have a conflict.

Date Deviation Justification

Reasons that may be considered for approval include job interviews or previous commitments to deliver a talk.

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I will need space in the shared Grass Laboratory(Required)

Yes

I have made definite plans to work in the laboratory of an MBL scientist, who will submit a letter of reference.(Required)

Yes

Name of MBL scientist

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Would you be interested in extending your stay at MBL past the end of the fellowship program?(Required)

(Please note that extensions are not guaranteed and subject to approval.)

Yes

Laboratory Equipment

Please visit MBL's Resources and Research Facilities and Laboratory Operations pages for information about microscopes, animal care facilities, and other resources. Please research alternatives to specific vendors or specific equipment. Each year it becomes increasingly difficult to secure equipment loans, and the more we understand about what you need, the better can we provide appropriate solutions. Please provide as much detail as possible, including manufacturers and model numbers.

What laboratory equipment do you plan to bring from your home lab?(Required)

What laboratory equipment are you hoping to have provided by a vendor?(Required)

In the past, the Grass Lab has been able to obtain loaned equipment from various vendors, including Leica, Olympus, Sutter, Thorlabs, and Zeiss, but such loans are not guaranteed. Additionally, some loaned equipment is only available for a short time, and/or must be shared.

If your first choice for equipment cannot be secured, what are the alternatives?(Required)

What MBL facilities or equipment do you plan to utilize?(Required)

If you require shared MBL microscope access, please indicate the approximate number of hours needed for each type of microscope.(Required)

What other laboratory supplies would you require?(Required)

The Grass lab is equipped with shared standard lab glassware, shared equipment (scales, hotplate, fridge, freezer, etc.), common supplies (gloves, tubes, tips, etc.), and common reagents (salts, dextrose, ethanol, etc.). Please list specialized reagents, antibodies, drugs or fluorescent markers; fees to use core facilities or services such as microscopy or sequencing; occasional small or specialized items for your rig, particularly anything that could be damaged, changed, or used up and thus can't be loaned (surgical instruments, blades, electrode glass).

Please explain any other special requirements for your proposal.(Required)

Laboratory Animals

Please visit the MBL's Marine Resources Center page to learn about the facilities and services available for aquatic animals. At the MBL, animal facilities for rodents and non-native marine species are limited. Also note that that space and care for cephalopods is limited and costly.

Species required(Required)

If this species is hard to obtain, are there alternatives?(Required)

Do you have prior experience working with this species?(Required)

Yes

If no, please explain how appropriate training will be obtained.

Will your experiments include survival surgery?

Yes

Is your species a vertebrate?(Required)

Yes

Do you have an animal protocol for this species at your home institution or are you named on an animal protocol covering this species?(Required)

Yes

If your application is successful, do you agree to prepare and submit an animal protocol for approval by the MBL Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (MBL-IACUC)?(Required)

Yes

If using a vendor, provide vendor name, website, or physical address.

What type of housing does your animal need?(Required)

Animals live in small tanks/containers and can be housed in the Grass lab (small, table top incubators can be requested)

Standard mouse/rat housing

Standard xenopus housing

Standard zebrafish housing

Standard housing (flowing seawater tanks) for native/local marine animals

Non-native marine animal housing (explain below)

Housing for other vertebrates (explain below)

Non-standard housing such as non-standard light cycles, temperatures, or other conditions (explain below)

Please further explain your animals' housing needs.

Would you require space for animal behavior work?

Yes

Describe the conditions and amount of space you need.

Please keep in mind that space is limited and mostly shared. Grass Fellows may need to construct a small chamber if they need to control light, sound, or other parameters.

Please use this space to explain any known issues or limitations with the animal species you intend to use.(Required)

Approximate number of animals needed during Fellowship.(Required)

Estimated total cost to purchase animals, including shipping and animal care.(Required)

Budget

If Grass is able to obtain the major equipment you need via loans, will other goods and services you need fall within the $5,000 supply budget?(Required)

This includes specialized reagents, small equipment and supplies, Central Microscopy Facilities charges, sequencing costs, and others.

Yes

Please explain and estimate the cost.

Travel

Please state where you will be traveling from and where you will be returning to after the program.

Traveling from(Required)

Returning to(Required)

Please estimate the cost for your travel. Not all categories will apply.

If you will be using a private vehicle, you will need to estimate your mileage cost: # miles x IRS mileage reimbursement rate.

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Airfare

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Private vehicle

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Taxi

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Bus/Train

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Loding/Meals en route

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Any other travel-related expenses

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Please explain the expenses.

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Total

Living Arrangements

For information about housing and other resources at MBL, visit https://www.mbl.edu/about/campus-facilities-resources/housing.

Will you have any family members accompanying you?(Required)

Please note that the expectation is that accompanying family members will be present for the entire program (unless you pay for travel and organize your own housing).

Yes

Please include the name(s), relationship(s) to you, and age of any children.

The Grass Foundation covers the costs of childcare for you and your family. Will you require childcare during the summer for children between the ages of 4-14 years old?(Required)

Please note that childcare for children under 4 years of age may not be available.

Yes

Please list child's/children's age(s) at time of Fellowship.

Do you have other sources of financial support (e.g. grants) that are available to help finance your fellowship research and/or personal expenses?(Required)

Yes

Please explain.

Submission Procedure

How did you learn about the Grass Fellowship Program?(Required)

Check all that apply

Grass Fellowship Alumnus

Faculty

Social Media

Grass Foundation Website

Other

Please explain.

Insurance Waiver

If selected as a Grass Fellow, the applicant's signature below indicates their understanding that The Grass Foundation does not pay health or accident insurance, that it is the Fellow's responsibility to obtain such insurance through the home institution or other policy, and that the Fellow waives any claims against The Grass Foundation for illness, accident or injury during the Fellowship tenure or during travel to and from the program.

Acceptance of Conditions

Checking the box below confirms that I have read and accept all conditions and policies listed in this application form and in the Grass Fellowship Program Overview, including required dates in residence. I understand that the housing supply at MBL is limited, and that I may be required to share housing with other Fellows. For applicants attending or employed by a non-profit institution of higher learning in the United States, your signature on this application form confirms your understanding that the Grass Fellowship shall be awarded as a grant to be administered by that institution, requiring that the applicant interface with the Office of Sponsored Programs or other appropriate administrator to permit disbursement of funds for the Fellowship according to a detailed budget to be prepared by the applicant and approved by the Grass Foundation upon acceptance of the award. For applicants who are either not citizens or are resident aliens of the United States, your signature on this application form also confirms your understanding that a valid visa must be held for the entire duration of the Program, and you agree to take, all necessary steps to obtain this visa and required health insurance. For applicants already holding an H1B, F1, E3 or TN visa for the duration of the Program, your signature on this application form confirms your agreement to submit a valid form GF-H1B.

Date(Required)

Please sign by entering your full name below.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Your Information

Citizenship and Visa

GF-H1B Form

Letters of Reference

Research Proposal

Dates and Research Location

Laboratory Equipment

Laboratory Animals

Budget

Travel

Living Arrangements

Submission Procedure

Insurance Waiver

Acceptance of Conditions

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