BioME Seed Grant

Seed grant awards for life science majors

Seed grants play a critical role in accelerating novel ideas and training the future workforce. The BioME Seed Grant provides funding to college graduate and undergraduate students who are conducting original research projects in the field of life sciences.

Bioscience Association of Maine funds up to $6,000 Seed Grants to cover costs associated with research-related expenses. Applicants must be enrolled in a Maine academic institution and reside in Maine for 6 months prior. Applicant research must be under mentorship at a Maine research or academic institution.

  • Residency – must have resided in Maine for at least 6 months prior to application.
  • College Enrollment – must be enrolled in an accredited college program in a life sciences field at a Maine academic institution. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to apply. Undergraduate students must be enrolled full-time. Graduate students must be actively enrolled in a graduate program.
  • Life science majors only. Some life science majors include biology, biomedical sciences, bioengineering, ecology, virology – for a full list please see examples HERE.
  • Project – Must be conducting original research in the field of bioscience under mentorship at a Maine research institution. Project must incur financial cost.
  • Note: Applicants may apply to multiple scholarships but are eligible to receive only one BioME Scholarship (any category) per academic year.
  • Note: Awardees may not apply for a second BioME Seed Grant for the same project. Please note that in order to receive a second Seed Grant, your research project will beed to be conducted in a different lab or with a different PI.
  1. Rolling applications – apply as needed.
  2. Applications are reviewed on a biyearly basis in February and September.
    • Winter Application Deadline: February 15, 2024
    • Fall Application Deadline: September 26, 2024
  3. We will start the process of disbursing funds within 14 days of award notification. We will coordinate with recipient and faculty member(s) to send full award (up to $5,000) is via check.
    • Bioscience Association of Maine does NOT grant any indirect or F&A costs to institutions.
    • This award is to be deposited as an unrestricted gift to support research project.
  4. Follow up: Within 30 days from project completion, recipients are required to submit a 1-2 page project summary, research findings, how the grant helped research project, and how the budget was used.
  • Can the research be performed outside of Maine?
    • No, research must be performed at a Maine research/academic institutions only.
  • Can a candidate attend a school out of state?
    • No, not for this type of scholarship.
  • What do I need to submit with my application?
    • Resumé or CV
    • Proposed Projects Budget
      • An estimate on what the grant would cover, breaking down by item. Please note that no more than 30% of the grant amount can be used for personnel. Please see HERE for a sample budget justification
    • 1-2 page Research Project Overview
      • What is the context/ background of this project?
      • What is the goal of this project and what is your role?
      • What is the rationale/ need for this project?
      • What methodology/ timeframe is envisioned for this project?
      • Work plan/ Action plan / Scope of work
      • Identification of mentor/teacher/advisor, collaborators and their contributions
      • What results are you expecting from this initiative / Evaluation plan
    • Letter of Recommendation
      • We are requiring a letter of recommendation from your research mentor/teacher/advisor. This letter should be sent directly to BioME via email to [email protected], or by mail to Bioscience Association of Maine, PO Box 3362, Portland, ME 04104.
    • Note: Please title attachments with last name and document type ex. Smith Resume

BioME Seed Grant Application

If you are experiencing technical difficulties when submitting this form, please email [email protected].