Extramural Coordinated Funding


UM Submission Instructions: Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists 2026

Sponsor:
Blavatnik Family Foundation
Award Title:
Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists
Amount:
$250,000
UM Deadline:
11/03/2026
Sponsor Deadline:
12/02/2026
Description:
The Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists recognize the United States' most promising faculty-rank researchers in Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Chemical Sciences. One Blavatnik National Awards Laureate in each disciplinary category will receive $250,000 in unrestricted funds, and additional nominees will be recognized as Finalists, and will receive $15,000 in unrestricted funds. A UMN faculty member received this award in 2023.

Eligibility:
The nominee must have been born in or after 1985 and hold a doctorate degree (PhD, DPhil, MD, DDS, DVM, etc.). Must currently hold a tenured or tenure-track academic faculty position at an eligible institution in the United States. Currently conducting research as a principal investigator in one of the disciplinary categories in Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, or Chemistry.

The Blavatnik Awards strongly encourages all those submitting nominations to the Awards—including institutional nominators, Scientific Advisory Council members, and past Blavatnik Awards Laureates—to diversify the population of candidates nominated for this Award.

Age limit exceptions will be considered by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in exceptional circumstances upon a detailed written submission from the nominating institution received by The New York Academy of Sciences by November 11, 2026. Exceptional circumstances can include but are not limited to: maternity/paternity leave, prolonged absence due to severe illness, etc.

For nominees holding a dual or joint appointment at more than one institution, the nominee must be employed by the nominating institution at least 50% full-time effort.

Non-winning nominees from prior Blavatnik Awards nomination cycles are eligible to be re-nominated by their institutions as one of their three nominees, provided they still meet all eligibility requirements.

Nominees previously recognized as Finalists of the Blavatnik National Awards are eligible for re-nomination by their institution for the 2027 Blavatnik National Awards, provided they meet the following requirements:

Nomination of returning Finalists must be pre-approved by The New York Academy of Sciences.
Number of Applicants University is Allowed to submit:
3
Additional Requirements:
1 per category, no resubs
Sponsor Guidelines:
https://blavatnikawards.org/awards/national-awards/nomination-guidelines/ (opens in a new window)
UM Nominations Process:
The dossier for internal review is to include everything listed in the nomination instructions EXCEPT the letters, which are not required with the submission due to the sponsor on December 2. (Letters are due to Blavatnik by December 16.)

Also, for internal purposes, the CV does not need to be in the exact format requested by Blavatnik (see "CV Format Example" in the nomination instructions), but should include the same information. If you use Works, you may submit your Works CV.

For internal review, include the names, email addresses, and institutions of two individuals who are familiar with the nominee’s scientific contributions who are committed to providing letters of support if the nomination is chosen for submission. It is highly recommended that you contact letter writers early in the process, as nominees from other institutions may ask for letters from the same people.

Questions may be directed to Chris Bremer at breme006@umn.edu or 612-470-9147.
Peer Review Coordination:
Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost contact email
Status:
Open
Please note:
To be considered for peer review and internal selection, faculty must follow the above submission guidelines and meet the UM deadline as set by the office coordinating the peer review for this opportunity.

General Information


  • Each posting has information about the external sponsor and opportunity as well as the internal application instructions.
  • Opportunities can be sorted by column headings; just click on the heading to re-sort by that column.
  • When a link redirects you to another site, it opens in a new browser window.
  • If you know of an opportunity that is not on the list, please contact Kristin Mead.

Internal Requirements


  • Sponsor: Name of funder.
  • Award Title: Funding opportunity nameAmount: Range/Maximum dollar amount awarded.
  • UMN Deadline: Submission deadline for internal proposal as determined by the coordinating office.
  • Sponsor Deadline: External deadline identified by the sponsor.
  • Description: General information about the sponsor and the funding opportunity. Usually describes the purpose of the funding opportunity, overview of what the sponsor is looking for, including distinctive criteria. This is not meant to take the place of the sponsor guidelines; please read the sponsor guidelines before deciding to apply.
  • Number of Applicants University is Allowed to Submit: The maximum number of applications the sponsor will allow the university to submit.
  • Additional Requirements: Identifies any special requirements such as cost sharing, partners, etc.
  • Sponsor Guidelines: Link to the sponsor’s funding opportunity website.
  • UMN Nominations Process: Contains specific internal submission requirements including internal proposal instructions, deadline, eligibility, internal nomination process, contact information.
  • Peer Review Coordination: The name and contact email of the office coordinating the funding opportunity. RIO coordinates most limited submissions, but opportunities coordinated by other offices or programs are also posted on this webpage.
  • Status:
    • Open: UM deadline has not passed and the opportunity is open for application.
    • Forecasted: The funder has not yet formally published the opportunity. The deadline has yet to be determined.
    • Archived: The opportunity has been archived by the funder.
    • Spots Remaining: UMN deadline has passed, with some applicant spots still available. Contact collabor@umn.edu if interested
    • First-Come, First-Served: Applicants accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact collabor@umn.edu if interested
    • Contact Us: The internal deadline has passed, but no applicants were selected. Please contact the office coordinating the peer review for more information.
    • In Review: Peer review process is in progress for the opportunity.
    • PI Selected: The PI(s) have been selected as the official UMN nominees.
    • Closed: UMN is no longer accepting applications.

UMN Selection Process


  • Once the internal deadline has passed, if the number of applicants is less than or equal to the number of spots the university is allowed to send forward, the applicants automatically become the UMN nominee(s).
  • If the status of an opportunity is "First-Come, First-Served", there was not time to hold an internal review. Applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • If there are no applicants, the status will change to "Contact Us". At this point, the opportunity changes to a first-come, first-served opportunity.
  • If there are multiple applicants, the office coordinating the nomination will determine the review criteria and coordinate the review process. The status will change to "In Review".
  • Once the review has been completed all parties will be notified via email.
  • Nominees will be provided with an email from RIO (or the designated coordinating office) indicating that they are the university's nominee. This letter should accompany the nominee's proposal.
  • SPA is notified of the university's nominee(s) and the status is updated to "PI(s) Selected".