The G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation seeks to advance knowledge in the life sciences and improve the human condition by funding basic science research with potential translational application in the biomedical sciences. Areas of research supported by the Mathers Foundation include immunology, microbiology and infectious disease, genomics, structural biology, cellular physiology, cancer biology, stem cell biology, and neuroscience.
The Foundation awards 3-year grants of up to $700K to independent investigators of any rank. Program details, priorities, and funded projects are found at The Mathers Foundation website.
UMB may submit 3 Letters of Intent to the current Mathers Foundation grant cycle, due July 31, 2026. If invited, full applications will be due September 18, 2026.
The UMSOM Office of Research Affairs will conduct an internal competition to select the 3 LOI applicants. Faculty who are interested in submitting a LOI to the Mathers Foundation Fall 2026 grant cycle should submit the following items by our internal application deadline of Tuesday, May 26, 2026:
- A Biosketch or CV
- A 2-page (max) project proposal
- These items will be used to select the UMB LOI applicants. Additional information, including a preliminary budget, will be required for the LOI to the Mathers Foundation.
- Please note, the Foundation does NOT award grants for medical imaging technology, drug discovery/development, vaccine development, human subjects research, clinical trials, or Covid-19-related research.
The project proposal and CV/biosketch must be submitted as a single pdf file to our online portal: Mathers Foundation UMB internal application submission
Internal applications will be reviewed by a committee, and the selected LOI applicants will be notified by July 1.