Shore Program - Current Award Opportunities
Applications open Wednesday, January 6, 2027, 10:00 AM. This program runs annually. Check back to apply.
Shore Program awards support Instructors and Assistant Professors in their early careers with funding for protected time and academic work. Most are awarded through a single application managed by the Office for Faculty Affairs, described below.
Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants must meet all of the following at the time of application:
- Hold an HMS or affiliated-institution academic appointment at the rank of Instructor or Assistant Professor. Check your appointment on Harvard Catalyst Profiles.
- Hold an MD, DMD, PhD, or equivalent advanced degree.
- Not currently hold an R01 or similar mid-career grant.
- Not have previously received a Shore Program award.
- Be endorsed by a project mentor.
- Provide IRB or IACUC approval status, if applicable to the project.
Choose one award category
You may apply in only one category per cycle. Applying in more than one makes you ineligible.
- HMS-Sponsored awards — apply through the application below. Past HMS-sponsored recipients are not eligible.
- Department & Institutional awards — also apply through the application below.
- Additional (externally-managed) awards — apply directly with the sponsor, not through the application below. See the list at the bottom of this section.
Awards in the centralized application
HMS-Sponsored awards
- Harvard Medical School Award
- Stolberg Family Award
Department & Institutional awards — your personal-need score (not its content) is shared with the sponsor.
- The opportunities list has not yet been finalized. It will appear here when the cycle opens.
For each award's funding amount, number of awards, funding period, and specific eligibility, see the Award Details (RFA).
How to apply
Start from these two templates:
- Application Questions (.docx) — draft your answers, then paste them into the form.
- Academic Project Template (.docx) — use this to build your project PDF.
- Confirm your eligibility and choose your award category using the sections above.
Prepare your single project PDF containing:
- Project title
- Project description (max 2 pages)
- Budget narrative (max 1 page)
- Budget proposal (max 1 page)
- Faculty of Medicine CV (not an NIH Biosketch)
- IRB/IACUC approval, or confirmation of submission
Budget: direct costs only (no indirect/F&A). If you qualify for awards at different funding levels, submit a budget for each. See “Building your project proposal and budget” below.
- Submit the online application by Wednesday, January 27, 2027, 5:00 PM.
The application is not yet open. It will appear here when the cycle opens. - Your mentor submits the statement of support by Wednesday, February 3, 2027, 5:00 PM. Enter your mentor's name and email in the application; the system emails them a link to complete it online. Letters are not accepted. Notify your mentor early.
- Watch for notification in June 2027.
The application form cannot be saved before submission. Have your answers and project PDF ready before you open it. An application stays incomplete until every required item is in, and incomplete applications are not reviewed.
Important dates
Application opens | Wednesday, January 6, 2027, 10:00 AM |
Application closes | Wednesday, January 27, 2027, 5:00 PM |
Statement of support closes | Wednesday, February 3, 2027, 5:00 PM (submitted online by your mentor) |
Award notifications | June 2027 |
Additional (externally-managed) awards
These do not use the application above. Each is managed independently by the sponsoring department or institution. To apply, contact the sponsor directly (or follow its link, where provided). Applying for one of these makes you ineligible for the HMS-Sponsored awards this cycle.
- The opportunities list has not yet been finalized. It will appear here when the cycle opens.
Questions?
Brian R. Crete, Faculty Development Program Manager
HMSOFA_Programs@hms.harvard.edu
Additional Information
Applications in the centralized review are scored on two components:
- Academic promise — two-thirds of the score. Evaluated from your project description, budget, Faculty of Medicine CV, and your mentor's statement of support.
- Personal need — one-third of the score. Evaluated from your responses to the online Personal Need Assessment, which asks about challenges and obstacles you've faced while pursuing an academic career.
This is why the application asks for information most award programs don't request — personal need is a scored part of the review, not optional background.
The Personal Need Assessment is completed online and covers caregiving responsibilities, personal and family health issues, and financial challenges.
Your responses are confidential. They are seen by only three reviewers, are kept separate from the academic portion of your application, and are not shared with your department. For department- and institution-sponsored awards, only your personal-need score — never the content — is shared with the sponsor.
Award amounts vary by sponsor, typically ranging from $25,000 to $60,000 in direct support for a 12-month funding period (most run July 1 – June 30; some exceptions apply).
Funds may be used for:
- Protected time from clinical, teaching, or other responsibilities to pursue academic work
- Additional laboratory assistance when independent funding isn't yet available
- Travel costs for dependents, up to $1,000, where this would otherwise prevent you from presenting professionally
Funds may not be used for:
- Total salary support (the award is not intended to provide full support)
- Tuition, childcare, or medical expenses
- Cost-sharing of existing projects
Most awards do not allow indirect (facilities & administrative) costs; any that do will say so in the award description. For each award's exact amount, number of awards, and funding period, see the RFA.
When you enter your mentor's name and email, the system emails them a link to complete their statement of support online by the date posted above. They will answer four questions:
- The anticipated impact of this funding on your career development. (100 words)
- What will help you complete the project in the funding year — and what challenges they anticipate and how they or the institution will help address them. (200 words)
- Their level of time commitment to mentoring you on this project, and what resources they or the institution can provide. (100 words)
- Any additional information helpful to the selection committee. (100 words)
Your mentor sees only your name, project title, and project summary — not your full proposal or your personal-need responses. A mentor may support more than one applicant.
Project description (1–2 pages, excluding references). Include your hypothesis, methodology, plans for publication or presentation, and a realistic timeline. If the project will extend beyond the 12-month funding period, you may briefly describe your plans past that point.
Budget. Budget details, the direct-costs rule, and multiple funding levels are covered in "How to apply" above. Allowable examples include buying back time from clinical, teaching, or laboratory duties to write a grant, prepare a manuscript, complete a project, or develop a curriculum, and additional laboratory assistance before independent funding is in place.
Where relevant, describe in-kind support from your department or institution (such as supplies or facilities not covered by the budget). You are not required to use any particular budget format.
Do I need an active appointment to apply?
Yes. Confirm your appointment on Harvard Catalyst Profiles before submitting; if it's missing or incorrect, contact the program office to resolve it before the deadline.
Is priority given to certain applicants?
Given how competitive these awards are, priority goes to applicants who don't already hold early-career development grants (such as K awards). If most of your time is already grant-supported, explain the added benefit a Shore award would provide.
If I move to another institution during the award period, do I keep the funding?
No. The funding must be relinquished if you accept a position at a different institution during the award period.