The Career Development Grant for Postdoctoral Women provides up to $2,000 to 5-8 postdoctoral women to travel to a meeting, visit another laboratory or take a course or event to hone their research and/or leadership skills. The grant will be awarded to enhance the careers of postdoctoral women with outstanding scientific accomplishments. The cash award must be used within the same year of receiving the award, from April 15–Dec. 31, 2027.
The deadline for the grant application is Feb. 17, 2027, 11:59 p.m. PT.
Career Development Grant for Postdoctoral Women Informational Session on Jan. 19, 2027
On Jan. 19, 2027, from 1-2 p.m. ET, we will be holding a virtual informational session for potential candidates, advisors and visiting PIs to ask any questions they have about the program, including the application and review process. Please register here for the informational session. The recording will be shared with those who have registered for the informational session.
Eligibility
For the Career Development Grant for Postdoctoral Women, the eligibility requirements are as follows:
- Identify as a woman scientist.
- Hold a doctoral degree.
- Have no more than 5 years of cumulative postdoctoral experience.
- Perform postdoctoral work in microbiology at a U.S institution.
- Be an ASM postdoc member.
Please note that those who have previously won the award are not eligible for a second award.
Responsibilities & Expectations
As an awardee of this grant, we would like you to be actively engaged with ASM as you continue your career in the microbial sciences. We request that you submit any ASM engagement activities to us annually for the next 5 years from the time of receiving the award.
You may be invited to contribute to the following activities:
- Participate as a speaker/moderator in ASM's virtual career panels, Career Pathways in Microbiology.
- Review future Career Development Grant for Postdoctoral Women applications.
- Write Career and Professional Development articles for asm.org.
Apply
The deadline for the Career Development Grant for Postdoctoral Women is Feb. 17, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. PT. The application portal will close on the deadline. Please review the required application materials thoroughly before applying.
Required Application Materials
- Candidate's Statement: A candidate’s statement, no more than 4 paragraphs, single-spaced (4,000-character max) that addresses the following components:
- Please describe your career and/or research goals including any experiences or accomplishments that have shaped your career and/or research goals.
- Describe the gaps toward achieving your career and/or research goals and state the proposed activity and how it will facilitate your career development. Include any parts of the activity that will help you make connections, improve your skills and overall knowledge of the scientific area.
- If you are proposing to attend ASM Microbe, please explain how this award will help you achieve your research and/or career goals at the current moment in your journey.
- Explanation of Professional Society Involvement: Explanation of candidate's involvement with professional societies within the last 3-5 years in 2,000 characters max, including the following activities:
- Attendance at professional society-sponsored meetings.
- Volunteer with professional society’s task force groups, committees or other working groups.
- Any other professional society’s activities not listed above.
- CV: A CV that includes:
- All publications, with candidate's name bolded.
- A list of all oral and poster presentations.
- List of all awards.
- Budget: A PDF document addressing these answers:
- Name of your proposed meeting/course/laboratory.
- Location of your proposed meeting/course/laboratory.
- Date(s) of your proposed meeting/course/laboratory.
- Links on your proposed activity if it’s a meeting/course.
- A letter from the visiting lab PI if you are proposing to visit a lab.
- A table that outlines your budget that includes costs for airfare/train, accommodations, meals and ground transportation.
- A bulleted list of other funding options you have.
- A statement from your postdoc advisor on whether they can provide additional funds to support the candidate in the proposed activity. If yes, they need to explain what and how much additional funds they can provide to support the candidate in the proposed activity. Please note the statement must be on letterhead and signed from the postdoc advisor.
- Completed Recommendation Form: The candidate's postdoc advisor, committee member or graduate advisor must address:
- The candidate’s accomplishments in research and outside of the research lab.
- How the proposed activity will make a difference in the candidate’s career—what are the candidate’s career goals, and how will the activity help them reach their career goals?
The selection committee will announce awardees by mid-April 2027. Please note that award amounts can vary from $250-1,350.
Learn More
If you have questions about the Career Development Grant for Postdoctoral Women, please email Shilpa Gadwal for more information.