The Kenneth Rainin Foundation invites Letters of Inquiry for our Innovator Awards Program from August 1 through September 30, 2024. Funding enables researchers to test innovative ideas and collaborate to advance the understanding of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Innovator Awards provide grants of up to $150,000 for individual research projects and up to $300,000 for collaborative projects. Investigators who demonstrate significant progress in their first year of funding are eligible for up to two years of additional support.
How We Define Innovative Research
The Rainin Foundation believes that innovation is crucial to enhancing quality of life for IBD patients. Innovative ideas spur new lines of thinking and introduce novel methods or technologies that might transform how we understand IBD. They have the potential to lead to scientific breakthroughs in predicting, diagnosing, treating and eventually preventing the complex disease. Innovator Awards applications are evaluated based on innovation, scientific merit and the principal investigator’s capability to execute the project.
Other Funding Priorities And Eligibility
The Foundation supports diverse perspectives from researchers worldwide. We encourage early career investigators as well as those who are underrepresented in science to apply for funding. Previous grants have supported research projects in areas such as:
- Bioengineering
- Diet and nutrition
- Molecular biology
- Immunity and inflammation
- Microbiome
- Therapeutic development and delivery
- Gut-brain axis
“The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of supporting novel ideas and early career investigators,” said Laura Wilson, PhD, Director, Health Strategy & Ventures. “The Innovator Awards are designed to address this need, fostering groundbreaking advancements in the biomedical research field.”
Current and former Rainin Foundation grantees are eligible to apply for a new research project. Researchers may submit multiple proposals as long as there are distinct aims and objectives for each.
Explore past Innovator Award grantees and visit the Rainin IBD research portal to explore the research areas and researchers we have supported, as well as our vision and strategy for solving IBD.
How To Apply For A Grant
Applying for an Innovator Award is a two-step process.
- In the first phase, applicants submit a Letter of Inquiry, which includes a project description, budget and biosketch. Letters of Inquiry are accepted through the Foundation’s online application system from August 1-September 30, 2024, at 5 PM PST.
- In the second phase, applicants selected by the Scientific Advisory Board will be invited to submit a full proposal by February 3, 2025.
Awards will be announced May 1, 2025, for the June 1-May 31, 2025, grant period.
Read more about the Innovator Awards’ funding criteria, eligibility requirements and guidelines. We also invite you to explore frequently asked questions before applying.
About The Kenneth Rainin Foundation
Kenneth Rainin Foundation is a family foundation that collaborates with creative thinkers in the Arts, Education and Health. We believe in taking smart risks to achieve breakthroughs. In 2024, the Foundation is celebrating 15 years of formal grantmaking that supports visionary artists in the Bay Area, creates opportunities for Oakland’s youngest learners and funds researchers on the forefront of scientific discoveries. Since 2009, the Foundation has awarded over $45 million in funding to support innovative IBD research. Learn more about the Rainin Foundation’s grantmaking.
