Johns Hopkins University will invest $80 million annually for each of the next two years in groundbreaking basic and applied research across a vast array of life science disciplines—from immunology to neuroscience, oncology to epidemiology, bioengineering to population health, the university announced today.
The launch of the Life Sciences Research Initiative—made possible by generous support from more than 120 alumni and friends via the university's Research Saves Lives effort—comes as Johns Hopkins and its research enterprise contend with challenges related to significant declines in federal research funding.
"We know well that there is no replacement for the partnership between the federal government and American research universities that has kept the United States at the forefront of global scientific, medical, and technological leadership for more than eight decades," JHU President Ron Daniels wrote in a message to the university community today. "But we can and will marshal all the tools at our disposal to sustain our research enterprise and the faculty, students, and staff who do this impactful work."
Life sciences research makes up approximately 80% of all federally funded research at Johns Hopkins. The Life Sciences Research Initiative will provide internal awards for projects designed to unleash breakthroughs and discoveries that can lead to new treatments and improved health outcomes within our lifetimes. A broad range of proposals will be considered for support, from lab-based science to applied research or initiatives.
The initiative offers two options for grant-seeking faculty:
Transformational Science Team Awards will provide up to four years of support for cross-disciplinary teams pursuing large-scale, milestone-driven initiatives designed to transform critical fields and sustain momentum toward novel discoveries. The university will allocate up to $40 million in each of the next two years to large-scale, multi-PI research projects, with awards starting at $10 million per project.
High‑Impact Individual Awards will support faculty working on emergent research projects that address specific challenges and opportunities across the life and health sciences. Designed for higher-risk, high-reward projects—both basic and applied—proposed by individual faculty or small teams, these awards of between $200,000 and $500,000 are designed to fuel a broad pipeline of innovative research focused on the advancement of human health. For the next two years, the university will allocate up to $40 million each year in individual awards.
Applications will be reviewed by a faculty oversight committee made up of distinguished scholars from Johns Hopkins and peer institutions. The faculty committee will adhere to the same rigorous standards and competitive process used by JHU's existing internal awards programs, including the Catalyst, Discovery, and President's Frontier awards. Led by Ashani Weeraratna, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Cancer Biology, the committee will evaluate proposals based on transformative potential, innovation, strength of approach, and the likelihood of catalyzing meaningful scientific or translational progress, at the individual or population level.
"This initiative comes at a critical moment: We stand on the brink of so many exciting scientific breakthroughs, while facing an uncertain funding landscape for science, public health, and medicine," Weeraratna said. "I'm incredibly excited about what becomes possible when we invest in our faculty and their innovative research, leading to lifesaving interventions for our patients and communities. I am so deeply honored to steward this initiative."
