Application Overview

The objective of the Mason Award is to kick-start the research career of promising future senior investigators in the chemical sciences. The Marion Milligan Mason Fund will provide four to five grants of $55,000 every other year to women researchers engaged in basic research in the chemical sciences. Awards are for women who are starting their academic research careers. In addition to research funding, the program will provide leadership development and mentoring opportunities.

Applicants must be women who:

• Earned a Ph.D. in chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, or any chemistry related field.
• Are early in a research career as teaching or research staff with 10 or fewer years since earning a Ph.D, at the time of application (postdoctoral fellows are not eligible)
• Are teaching or research staff members originating independent research at an American Ph.D.-granting institution.
• Are American-born, naturalized citizens or permanent residents.

Applicants must have a "full-time" career-track appointment. More than one applicant from the same institution can apply for this award, provided that each application is scientifically distinct. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are not eligible for this award.

Applications and supporting documents submitted for consideration for the awards will include:

• An application form
• A five (5) page research proposal, one (1) page budet.
• Four (4) letters of recommendation, including one letter from a top-level administrator at the applicant’s institution.

The awardees are required to participate in an

• awardee professional development event held virtually or in Washington, DC
• award ceremony at the 2025 AAAS Annual Meeting.

Awardees are expected to begin their proposed research around January 2025 and end on or before January, 2027. For more details about the the award check out the FAQs.