APEX International Post-Doctoral Fellow Grants

APEX is pleased to announce up to five $100,000 grants to support mentored post-doctoral research focused on basic or translational research in heme biosynthesis and relevant research into the pathogenesis or treatment of the porphyrias.

• Eligibility

  Applicants must be post-doctoral fellows working under the mentorship of an Associate or Full Professor (or equivalent) at a medical school or research institute. The mentor must have dedicated laboratory space and appropriate equipment to support the proposed research.

• Initial Grant Application

  Initial applications should include:

  1. ‍ A 3-5 page proposal outlining: Background & Significance, Specific Aims/Hypothesis, Preliminary Results (if any), Experimental Design (Overview), Expected Results & Timeframe For Each Specific Aims. New and innovative research is encouraged.

  2. Both the post-doctoral fellow’s and mentor’s NIH biosketch, and CV.

  3. A letter from the designated mentor confirming support for the post-doctoral fellow and documenting the availability of designated research space.

  4. A list of the post-doctoral fellow and mentor’s current and pending grant support.‍

• Selected Full Application Requirements

  The top reviewed initial applications, as evaluated by an international expert panel, will be requested to submit a full application in the format of an NIH post-doctoral fellowship application (For example: see the F32 Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award.)

  This application should include, at minimum:

  • NIH-Style biosketches of the post-doctoral fellow & mentor

  • Research Strategy (Significance, Innovation, Approach)

  • Statements For Mentorship And Training Plans

  • Project Summary

  • Specific Aims

  • Budget

• Research Budget

  A $100,000 total budget may be requested. The $100,000 grant is to fund research for a 1 year period. The award may be extended to 2 years to accomplish the initial specific aims, upon request.

  As APEX is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, indirect costs will be limited according to APEX policy.

  An initial award of $50,000 will be dispersed, the remaining amount will be distributed following the 6-month progress report describing the accomplishments for each specific aim.

• Grant Review

  Review of the initial 3-5 page applications will be conducted in February 2026. The invited full NIH-style applications will be reviewed in June 2026 with award and funding initiated by July 1, 2026.

  All reviews will be conducted by an international panel of experts in heme biosynthesis and the porphyrias with basic or translational research expertise.  

• Important Dates

  • Announcement: December 1, 2026

  • 3-Page Applications Due: February 1, 2026

  • Selected Full Applications Invited: March 15, 2026

  • Full Applications Due: May 15, 2026

  • Grant(s) Awarded: July 1, 2026

Initial (3 page) applications due February 1, 2026 at 11:59 EST.

For inquiries regarding this research prize, please contact APEX.

Application