The McKnight Scholar Awards support neuroscientists in the early stages of their careers.
The McKnight Scholar Awards are given to exceptional young scientists who are in the early stages of establishing an independent laboratory and research career. The Scholar Awards have been given annually since 1977. They were the McKnight Foundation’s earliest means of supporting neuroscience research. The intent of the program is to foster the commitment by these scientists to research careers that will have an important impact on the study of the brain. The program seeks to support scientists committed to mentoring neuroscientists from underrepresented groups at all levels of training. Applicants for the McKnight Scholar Award must demonstrate their ability to solve significant problems in neuroscience, which may include the translation of basic research to clinical practice. They should demonstrate a commitment to an equitable and inclusive lab environment.
McKnight Scholars have generated some key findings about neuroscience, including:
- The discovery of receptors that encode the senses of smell, taste, and thermal pain.
- The first crystal structure of one of the ion channels that control the excitability of neurons.
- The discovery of neurotrophic factors that promote neuronal survival.
- The identification of molecules that promote axon growth and regeneration in the nervous system.
- The discovery of proteins in the nerve terminal that mediate the release of neurotransmitters.
- The identification of genes that control short- and long-term memory.
Intellectual Property rights resulting from the research—including patents, copyrights, processes, or formulae—will be the rights of the sponsoring institution to the extent required by such policies. The information derived from the research will be published in a form that is available to the interested public and made available to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.
Benefits
In this competition, up to ten McKnight Scholars will be selected to receive three years of support, beginning July 1, 2025. The total award is $225,000 paid in equal installments of $75,000 in 2025, 2026, and 2027. Allowable budget items include salaries and fringe benefits, tuition, equipment, supplies, animal costs, costs for technical services, etc. Funds cannot be used for indirect costs.
Most McKnight award winners will tell you that a huge benefit of receiving a McKnight award is the chance to join a community of the nation’s best neuroscientists that they will continue to learn from, interact and collaborate with over their lifetime. Award winners attend the McKnight Conference on Neuroscience for the three years after receiving the award, and then return to the conference every three years. No other community in neuroscience has this kind of longitudinal impact and that demonstrates such a strong sense of community. The conference has met in Aspen, Colorado since 1998, and invites over 100 current and previous McKnight awardees every year. The bulk of the conference involves third year current awardees sharing the results of their research and ample opportunities for informal scientific discussion to fuel new ideas and collaborations. An entire session is devoted to a neurological disorder (e.g. Alzheimer’s, Autism, Depression, among others) with specialists invited to speak and host a Q & A.