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Grass Fellowship

The Grass Foundation

Grass Fellowships at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA, support investigator-designed, independent research projects by scientists early in their career. Supported approaches include neurophysiology, biophysics, integrative neurobiology, neuroethology, neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology, systems neuroscience, cellular and developmental neurobiology, and computational approaches to neural systems. The Foundation also has a longstanding interest in epilepsy-related research.

BENEFITS: Grass Fellowships provide research support including laboratory space, animals, equipment and supplies for one summer at the MBL. Additionally, the investigator, his/her spouse or legal domestic partner, and dependent children are provided housing, a daily meal allowance and round-trip travel to the MBL.

Fellows function as an intellectual and social group within the MBL scientific community while sharing space in the Grass Laboratory. In a weekly private seminar series, eminent investigators at the MBL discuss their work with the Fellows. In addition, a yearly Forbes Lecturer will spend a portion of the summer in the Grass Lab interacting with Fellows.

DURATION: The duration of the program is 14 weeks starting on Memorial Day.

SELECTION: The Trustees of The Grass Foundation judge an applicant’s ability to organize and present pertinent information, the scientific merit of the proposed research, and evidence of an applicant’s ability to work independently. Approximately 7-10 Grass Fellowships are awarded annually. Most Fellows share space in the Grass Lab; some arrange to work in the space of another MBL investigator.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong neuroscience significance and scientific quality

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical

The Grass Foundation explicitly evaluates the overall quality of the application and the applicant's promise in neuroscience. The research should address an interesting and meaningful neuroscience question rather than simply use a neuroscience technique.

A strong proposal should establish:

Important neuroscience problem
Clear knowledge gap
Strong biological rationale
Meaningful scientific question
Potential to generate new knowledge

2. An excellent independent research question

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical

The Grass Fellowship is specifically designed for investigator-designed, independent research projects. Fellows are expected to develop their own research direction rather than simply continue routine work from a supervisor's laboratory.

This makes the following particularly important:

Independent question → independent hypothesis → independent experimental plan

The proposal should make it obvious what the applicant personally wants to discover and why the project represents an important step toward scientific independence.

3. Strong experimental plan and methodological rigor

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical

The Foundation explicitly lists the development of a strong experimental plan as one of its evaluation criteria.

The proposal should clearly explain:

Specific aims
Experimental approach
Model organism/system
Controls
Measurements
Expected findings
Alternative approaches
How results will answer the central question

The current application instructions specifically request background and significance, specific aims, experimental plan, expected findings and references.

4. Exceptional feasibility within the 14-week MBL residency

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical

This is one of the most distinctive Grass Fellowship success factors.

The fellowship lasts only 14 weeks, so the proposal can be ambitious but must contain experiments that can realistically be completed during the summer. The Foundation specifically warns applicants to design projects achievable within the fellowship period.

A strong proposal therefore has:

Focused aims
Limited number of experiments
Existing or rapidly obtainable materials
Realistic sample sizes
Clearly defined endpoints
Minimal dependence on long-term experiments
A practical day-by-day/phase-by-phase research plan

Ambitious question + tightly scoped experiments is preferable to an enormous research program.

5. Strong justification for conducting the research at MBL

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very High

This is perhaps the most Grass-specific predictor.

Applicants must explain why conducting the research in the Grass Laboratory at MBL is essential at this point in their career. The Foundation gives preference to projects compatible with the facilities and organisms that MBL can accommodate.

A competitive application should identify:

MBL equipment needed
Available organisms
Laboratory capabilities
MBL scientists/collaborators where appropriate
Unique experimental environment
Why the project cannot be executed as effectively in the home laboratory

The proposal should answer:

Why Grass + why MBL + why now?

6. Strong potential for scientific independence and career development

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very High

The Grass Fellowship is explicitly aimed at scientists early in their careers and has historically provided researchers with an opportunity to develop independent projects and skills necessary for successful neuroscience careers.

A strong applicant should show:

Clear emerging scientific identity
Strong research experience
Evidence of intellectual independence
A developing research niche
Career plans compatible with the fellowship
How the MBL experience will advance the next career stage

7. Appropriate model organism and experimental system

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

Grass Fellows use a broad range of experimental organisms and approaches. The 2026 cohort included projects involving cephalopods, zebrafish, butterflies, water striders and Hydra, demonstrating the breadth of systems compatible with the program.

The Foundation specifically states that it prefers projects appropriate to the facilities and organisms that can be accommodated at MBL.

Potentially strong systems include:

Invertebrate neuroscience
Cephalopods
Zebrafish
Aquatic organisms
Comparative neurobiology
Neural circuits
Sensory systems
Behavioral neuroscience
Cellular neuroscience

The key is not the organism itself but the scientific question and suitability of the organism for answering it.

8. Interdisciplinary and technically innovative neuroscience

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

The Fellowship supports a wide range of approaches including:

Neurophysiology
Biophysics
Integrative neurobiology
Neuroethology
Neuroanatomy
Neuropharmacology
Systems neuroscience
Cellular and developmental neurobiology
Computational approaches to neural systems

The Foundation also has a longstanding interest in epilepsy-related research.

Innovative combinations such as:

Neuroscience + behavior + imaging

Neural circuits + computational modeling

Neurobiology + environmental physiology

can be particularly compelling when the interdisciplinary approach directly answers the research question.

9. Clear and accessible scientific communication

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

Grass applications are evaluated by neuroscientists who may not be specialists in the applicant's particular field. The Foundation therefore explicitly instructs applicants to write all sections so that nonspecialist neuroscientists can understand and evaluate them.

A strong proposal should:

Avoid unnecessary jargon
Explain the biological importance
Define specialized techniques
Clearly connect aims and expected findings
Make the logic easy to follow

This is especially important for highly specialized computational, molecular or organism-specific research.

10. Strong applicant promise and research trajectory

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

The selection committee evaluates the applicant's promise in neuroscience, research experience and career status in addition to the project itself.

The applicant should demonstrate:

Relevant publications/research experience
Technical competence
Intellectual curiosity
Evidence of scientific creativity
A coherent emerging research direction
Strong references
Potential for future independence

For the optional video component, the Foundation currently asks applicants to discuss who they are as a scientist, why Grass/why now, project tradeoffs, how they respond to constraints, and their contribution to a lab community.

Specialties

Neurosciences

Eligibility Requirements

Early investigators (late stage predoctoral trainees and beyond) are eligible to apply. This includes applicants with prior experience at MBL or with the Grass Foundation (MBL course alumni are encouraged to apply). Priority is given to applicants with a demonstrated commitment to pursuing a research career. Please see FAQ page on website or contact the Program Coordinator for more information. International Fellows (i.e., not US citizens or resident aliens) must hold a valid visa (e.g. J-1, H-1B, F1 or F1-OPT) for the entire duration of the fellowship. Please contact us early in case you need to adjust your visa status! The Grass Foundation values diversity in all of its programs.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: The Grass Foundation

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: P.O. Box 51 Woods Hole, MA 02543

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