Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
The Life Sciences Research Foundation (LSRF) fellowship is a competitive three-year postdoctoral award for early-career researchers in basic biological research. As described on the official program pages (checked 2026-11-07), the award totals $255,000 over three years: $85,000 per year, made up of a $79,000 salary and a $6,000 research allowance. Awards are funded by outside sponsors that LSRF matches with peer-selected finalists.
For researchers moving from doctoral training to independent scholarship, an external fellowship is a way to fund a project of one’s own. Within the biological sciences, the foundational questions covered in what is biology and the boundaries explored in biology vs biochemistry are the kind of basic work this fellowship exists to support.
Ask CASRAI · free to try
Ask about this guide — your first 2 questions are free.
Suggested question: “Can non-U.S. citizens apply for the LSRF fellowship?”
What It Is and Who Runs It
LSRF is a non-profit foundation founded by Donald D. Brown, who in 1981 sought to establish collaborations between industry and biology similar to those that existed in other fields. Its first call for proposals was in 1982, and the first awardees were announced in 1983. Sponsors are biotech and pharma companies, foundations and philanthropic individuals; each funds one or more postdocs for the three-year award.
LSRF operates in two steps:
- Merit-based selection: A peer review committee selects about 50 to 60 finalists each year.
- Sponsor matching: Sponsors then choose which finalists to fund. LSRF states that it has no endowment, so a finalist whom no sponsor selects receives no award.
Because all of the scientists involved serve without compensation, LSRF reports administrative overhead of about 4%.
Eligibility
Eligibility for the 2026-2027 cycle, as described on the official application page (checked 2026-11-07):
- Degree window: Apply within 5 years of receiving the PhD, MD or DVM (whichever was awarded later), measured at October 1, 2026. You may apply before defending, but must hold the degree by August 1, 2027.
- Different lab: The postdoctoral lab must differ from the thesis lab. A short gap of weeks or months after graduating is acceptable.
- HHMI labs: Postdocs in a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator’s lab are not eligible.
- One awardee per lab: A lab may have only one LSRF awardee at a time. If several applicants from one lab become finalists, only one will be funded.
- Citizenship and location: U.S. citizens may work in any location. Non-U.S. citizens must work in a U.S. laboratory. The host must be a non-profit university or research institution.
- Concurrent awards: The awardee may not hold another postdoctoral fellowship at the same time. Supplemental funding such as a meeting travel award is permitted.
What It Funds or Requires
- Total award: $255,000 ($85,000 per year) for fellowships beginning on or after August 1, 2026.
- Salary: $79,000 per year ($237,000 over three years).
- Research allowance: $6,000 per year ($18,000 over three years), for the awardee’s exclusive use.
- No indirect costs: The award is 0% IDC. No institutional overhead, taxes or registration fees may be taken from the research allowance.
- Salary supplements: The mentor or institution may supplement salary to meet institutional stipend levels, provided LSRF remains the awardee’s main source of support. Pay may not fall below the LSRF stipend level.
- Payments: Twelve quarterly payments of $21,250 are sent to the host institution, starting at the August 1 activation date. The award is not activated until LSRF receives the signed Institutional Agreement.
- Reporting: Annual scientific and financial reports are due August 15 for years one and two; the final report is due September 30 after the award period ends.
Application Steps
- Line up a host lab: Identify a proposed supervisor in a different lab from your thesis lab.
- Write the research proposal: Seven pages total: five for the research plan (including figures and tables) and two for literature cited, uploaded as a single PDF. A 250-word abstract and a 300-word thesis summary are also entered in the portal.
- Submit through the application portal by the October 1 deadline.
- Arrange four letters: Three reference letters (one from the thesis advisor, or an alternate faculty member if the advisor cannot write) and one letter from the proposed supervisor, who cannot also serve as a referee. Letters are typed or pasted into the portal rather than uploaded.
- Finalist notification and sponsor matching: Finalists are notified in late February, and LSRF then seeks sponsors from March to July.
Typical Timeline
For the 2026-2027 cycle the official page lists these dates (checked 2026-11-07); confirm them on the current page before planning:
- August 15: The application portal opens.
- October 1, 8:00 PM ET: Application deadline.
- November 1, 8:00 PM ET: Deadline for reference and supervisor letters.
- Late January: The committee selects about 50 to 60 finalists.
- Late February: Applicants are told whether they are finalists.
- March to July: LSRF seeks sponsors; awards are made as funding is secured.
- August 1: Award activation, the only activation date.
LSRF states that it does not extend deadlines or accept late submissions.
Common Mistakes
- Staying in the thesis lab: Proposing postdoctoral work in the thesis lab is not eligible.
- Missing the degree window: A degree predating October 1, 2021 is ineligible for this cycle.
- Using the proposed supervisor as a referee: The supervisor writes a separate supervisor letter and cannot be one of the three referees.
- Late letters: The letter deadline is separate from, and later than, the application deadline, and no late submissions are accepted.
- Assuming finalist means funded: LSRF states that being selected as a finalist does not guarantee funding.
Related Programs
Other fellowships worth reviewing alongside LSRF include the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund, the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation, the Damon Runyon fellowship, the EMBO postdoctoral fellowship and the NIH F32 NRSA. Each has its own eligibility and funding terms; check each funder’s own page. Casrai’s guides on the EMBO postdoctoral fellowship and on early-career foundation fellowships cover several of these, and the F32 postdoctoral NRSA fellowship entry explains the federal option. UK-based researchers may also look at funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can non-U.S. citizens apply for the LSRF fellowship?
Yes. Non-U.S. citizens must work in a U.S. laboratory, while U.S. citizens may work in any location. The host must be a non-profit university or research institution.
What is the difference between an LSRF finalist and an LSRF fellow?
The review committee selects finalists on scientific merit; sponsors then choose which finalists to fund. LSRF states that being selected as a finalist does not guarantee funding.
Does the LSRF allow host institutions to take indirect costs?
No. The award is 0% IDC, and no part of the salary or research allowance may be used for institutional F&A or indirect costs.
Can a postdoc hold an LSRF fellowship and an NIH F32 at the same time?
No. An awardee may not hold another postdoctoral fellowship concurrent with the LSRF award. Applying for other funding during the application process is allowed. Applicants who accept another fellowship between October 1 and July 31 are asked to notify LSRF. See the F32 NRSA fellowship entry for that program.
Can an institution supplement the LSRF salary?
Yes. The supervisor or host institution may supplement salary to match institutional levels, provided LSRF remains the main source of support and pay does not fall below the LSRF level.
How many reference letters are required?
Four in total: three reference letters and one letter from the proposed supervisor.
Sources
- Life Sciences Research Foundation. Home page: https://lsrf.org/. Checked 2026-11-07.
- Life Sciences Research Foundation. Apply (eligibility, deadlines, letters, proposal): https://lsrf.org/apply/. Checked 2026-11-07.
- Life Sciences Research Foundation. Award details: https://lsrf.org/apply/award-details/. Checked 2026-11-07.
- Life Sciences Research Foundation. FAQs: https://lsrf.org/apply/faqs/. Checked 2026-11-07.
