Verified

Next Gen Pregnancy Initiative

Burroughs Wellcome Fund

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund's Preterm Birth Initiative, launched in 2009, marked the Fund's first major investment in reproductive sciences. This award mechanism operated every other year from 2009-2019. Originally developed through a series of scientific convenings that brought together leaders in the field, the program supported research aimed at better understanding the biological mechanisms underlying preterm birth.

In 2019, building on the original goals of the Preterm Birth Initiative, the Fund convened a Pregnancy Think Tank to guide the next phase of funding. With growing evidence to suggest the connections between pregnancy duration, fetal growth, adverse pregnancy outcomes, preeclampsia, intrauterine grown restriction, stillbirth and maternal medical complications including maternal mortality, a decision was made to broaden the scope of the initiative. Reflecting the expanded focus, the program was named the Next Generation Pregnancy Initiative (NGPI). Along with a broader scope, the application and award moved to annual cycles to address the limited funding mechanisms available in this scientific area.

After five years of conducting the program with the broadened scope, BWF paused the mechanism to initiate a strategic reassessment of the program to revisit our investments, the state of the field, researchers’ priorities, and funders landscape. The program relaunched with a 2025-2026 cycle which included updated priority areas. This 2026-2027 cycle represents full implementation of the outcome of this assessment with a shift in programming in regard to priority areas and most notably an increase in the size and number of awards in response to limited funding in the field.

The 2026–2027 competition marks the full implementation of this renewed strategy, featuring updated research priorities and a substantial increase in both the number and size of awards to address persistent funding gaps in pregnancy research.

Current Research Priorities

The Next Generation Pregnancy Initiative supports research in the following priority areas:

Biological mechanisms of healthy pregnancy, including the normal physiology and biological underpinnings of health pregnancy
Preterm birth
Pregnancy loss after 12 weeks of gestation, including recurrent pregnancy loss
Preeclampsia

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Exceptional Scientific Innovation and Potential for Major Discovery

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical

BWF's mission emphasizes powering discovery in frontiers of greatest need and supporting scientific areas poised for significant advancement.

A competitive proposal should therefore identify:

A genuinely important unanswered question.
A non-obvious scientific hypothesis.
A potentially transformative approach.
A scientific barrier that conventional approaches have not adequately solved.
Results that could open a new research direction.

BWF is generally not simply looking for another incremental application of an established methodology.

Strong formula:

Important scientific gap → unconventional/innovative hypothesis → potentially field-changing result.

2. Strong Alignment With a Specific BWF Program

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical

BWF has multiple highly specialized programs, and program fit is essential.

Current focus areas include:

Biomedical sciences
Infectious diseases
Reproductive sciences
Regulatory science
Interfaces between disciplines
Climate change and human health
Consciousness
Science education
Diversity in science.

For example:

PATH focuses on the pathogenesis of human infectious diseases.
NGPI focuses on pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
IRSA focuses on innovative regulatory science.
CASI supports transitions from physical/mathematical/computational sciences or engineering into biological sciences.
CAMS supports physician-scientists transitioning from advanced training into faculty careers.

A scientifically excellent project can still be a poor BWF application if it does not fit the specific mechanism.

3. Exceptional Early-Career Investigator Potential

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical

This is one of BWF's defining characteristics.

BWF states that its grantmaking strategies support biomedical scientists at the beginning of their careers, and several flagship awards are specifically designed to bridge postdoctoral training and early faculty service.

The applicant should demonstrate:

Strong scientific trajectory.
Evidence of intellectual independence.
High-quality publications or equivalent accomplishments.
Ability to formulate original research questions.
Potential to establish an independent research program.
Clear long-term academic/research ambitions.

The proposal is therefore evaluated not only as a research project but also as an investment in a future scientific leader.

4. Clear Transition Toward Research Independence

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very High

For career awards, BWF wants the award to create a meaningful transition toward independence.

For example, CAMS provides $700,000 over five years specifically to bridge advanced postdoctoral/fellowship training and the early years of faculty service.

A strong application should show:

Current training → BWF-supported development → independent research niche → long-term scientific program

Evidence can include:

A distinct research question.
Separation from the mentor's program.
Independent intellectual contribution.
Future laboratory/research direction.
A plan for obtaining subsequent funding.

5. Scientific Rigor and Feasibility

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very High

Innovation must be accompanied by a credible experimental strategy.

BWF uses external advisory committees and peer reviewers to assess competitive programs and make recommendations to its Board.

A strong proposal should include:

Clear hypothesis.
Specific aims.
Appropriate experimental design.
Controls.
Statistical strategy.
Alternative approaches.
Appropriate preliminary evidence.
Realistic timeline.
Access to required infrastructure.

High-risk science can be appropriate, but the proposal must still demonstrate that the central question can be meaningfully tested.

6. A Distinctive Research Niche at an Important Scientific Frontier

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very High

BWF specifically seeks areas of science that are poised for significant advancement but currently undervalued and underfunded.

This creates an important success pattern:

Important field + neglected scientific bottleneck + investigator positioned to exploit the opportunity

The strongest proposals should explain:

Why this problem is important now.
Why existing funding mechanisms have not adequately addressed it.
What opportunity has recently emerged.
Why the applicant is particularly well positioned to pursue it.

7. Interdisciplinary / Cross-Disciplinary Capability Where Appropriate

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

BWF has a specific Career Awards at the Scientific Interface (CASI) program for researchers transitioning from physical, mathematical, computational sciences and/or engineering into biological sciences.

This illustrates BWF's interest in scientific interfaces such as:

Engineering + biology
Physics + biology
Mathematics + medicine
Computer science + biomedical science
Quantitative modeling + life sciences
Technology + clinical research.

Interdisciplinarity should be scientifically necessary, rather than included merely as a label.

8. Strong Career Development and Mentoring Environment

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

BWF's career-development programs are designed around more than research costs.

The institution and mentors should provide:

Appropriate scientific environment.
Relevant technical expertise.
Professional-development opportunities.
Mentoring toward independence.
Access to collaborators.
Research infrastructure.
Opportunities for scientific leadership.

This is particularly important for awards that explicitly bridge postdoctoral and faculty careers.

9. Potential for Long-Term Scientific Impact and Follow-on Funding

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

BWF's large career awards are intended to give investigators the opportunity to establish productive independent careers.

A strong proposal should therefore identify what happens after the BWF award:

Larger NIH grant.
Independent laboratory.
New research program.
Clinical/translational development.
New technology.
New interdisciplinary field.
Additional foundation or federal funding.

The key is not merely:

"This will generate preliminary data."

Instead:

"This award will establish a new research direction that can support a sustained independent program."

10. Strong Institutional Support and Application Quality

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

BWF's programs commonly involve institutional nomination or institutional eligibility requirements. Most awards are made to degree-granting institutions in the U.S. and Canada on behalf of individual researchers, and the institution generally must be tax-exempt.

Strong applications should demonstrate:

Appropriate institutional environment.
Institutional commitment.
Protected research time.
Access to facilities.
Appropriate appointment/career stage.
Clear compliance with the particular RFP.
Complete and precise application materials.

BWF states that application deadlines are firm and applications must be submitted by the stated deadline.

Specialties

Gynecology

Others

Obstetrics

Public Health

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Principal Investigators include applicants with positions as senior postdoctoral fellows, staff scientists, Assistant Professors, and Associate Professors.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Burroughs Wellcome Fund

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 21 T.W. Alexander Drive Durham, NC 27713-2847

Legal & Affiliation Disclaimer

Affiliation Disclaimer: Trialect operates independently and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by any sponsors or organizations posting on the GrantsBoard platform. As an independent aggregator of publicly available funding opportunities, Trialect provides equal access to information for all users without endorsing any specific funding source, content, organization, or sponsor. Trialect assumes no responsibility for the content posted by sponsors or third parties.

Subscription Disclaimer: Upon logging into Trialect, you may choose to SUBSCRIBE to GrantsBoard for timely notifications of funding opportunities and to access exclusive benefits, such as priority alerts, reminders, personalized recommendations, and additional application support. However, users are advised to contact sponsors directly for any questions and are not required to subscribe to engage with funding opportunities.

Content Ownership and Copyright Disclaimer: Trialect respects the intellectual property rights of all organizations and individuals. All content posted on GrantsBoard is provided solely for informational purposes and remains the property of the original owners. Trialect does not claim ownership of, nor does it have any proprietary interest in, content provided by third-party sponsors. Users are encouraged to verify content and ownership directly with the posting sponsor.

Fair Use Disclaimer: The information and content available on GrantsBoard are compiled from publicly accessible sources in alignment with fair use principles under U.S. copyright law. Trialect serves as an aggregator of this content, offering it to users in good faith and with the understanding that it is available for public dissemination. Any organization or individual who believes their intellectual property rights have been violated is encouraged to contact us for prompt resolution.

Third-Party Posting Responsibility Disclaimer: Trialect is a neutral platform that allows third-party sponsors to post funding opportunities for informational purposes only. Sponsors are solely responsible for ensuring that their postings comply with copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Trialect assumes no liability for any copyright or intellectual property infringements in third-party content and will take appropriate action to address any substantiated claims.

Accuracy and Verification Disclaimer: Trialect makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided by sponsors. Users are advised to verify the details of any funding opportunity directly with the sponsor before taking action. Trialect cannot be held liable for any discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies in third-party postings.

Notice and Takedown Policy: Trialect is committed to upholding copyright law and protecting the rights of intellectual property owners. If you believe that content on GrantsBoard infringes your copyright or intellectual property rights, please contact us with detailed information about the claim. Upon receipt of a valid notice, Trialect will promptly investigate and, where appropriate, remove or disable access to the infringing content.

View Funding Opportunity