Cryo-EM Funding Finder
Funding for cryo-EM, cryo-ET, and volume EM labs — fellowships, instrumentation grants, disease foundations, and state programs. Plus free microscope time at the national centers.
The money follows your science, not your microscope. Most funders a cryo-EM lab can win — NIH disease institutes, the Parkinson's Foundation, state programs — never say “cryo-EM” in the solicitation. We match on what you study.
Free Instrument Access & Training
No costNIH-funded national centers provide free, proposal-based microscope time, training, and compute. These are standing offers — not deadline-driven grants.
NCCAT — Free Krios access & training
FreeNIGMS / New York Structural Biology Center
Free, proposal-based access to high-end Krios microscopes, sample screening, and 1–3 month embedded training at the New York Structural Biology Center. Facility-management training also available.
Apply for access →PNCC — Free cryo-EM data collection & compute
FreeNIGMS / OHSU + PNNL
Free sample preparation, screening, data collection, and training, plus no-cost compute with cryoSPARC and RELION. Partnership of OHSU (Portland) and PNNL (Richland).
Apply for access →S²C² — Stanford-SLAC Cryo-EM Center (free access)
FreeNIGMS / SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Free remote or in-person cryo-EM data collection, personalized training, exploratory screening, and computing resources at SLAC.
Apply for access →Get matched to what you're eligible for
Tell us your research subject and career stage and we'll rank every opportunity by fit — and tell you which ones you're noteligible for, and why. A postdoc shouldn't waste time on an S10; a new PI shouldn't miss Pew.
All Funding Opportunities
24 listedParkinson's Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
FellowshipParkinson's Foundation
Two-year postdoctoral fellowship supporting researchers moving toward independence in Parkinson's disease. Does not require a specific technique.
Basic scientists must be within 5 years of receiving the PhD at award start; 90% effort commitment. Open to national and international applicants.
Parkinson's Foundation research grants
Research grantParkinson's Foundation
Research funding for Parkinson's disease. The solicitation does not call for structural biology specifically — a cryo-EM lab studying a PD-relevant target qualifies on subject.
Michael J. Fox Foundation funding
Research grantMichael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
Broad Parkinson's research funding, including molecular target validation and structural work.
Alzheimer's Association Research Fellowship (AARF)
FellowshipAlzheimer's Association
Postdoctoral fellowship for Alzheimer's and all-dementia research — basic, translational, clinical, or behavioral.
Postdocs/research scientists with fewer than 10 years post-doctorate. NOT eligible at Assistant Professor or above. Open to US and international applicants.
Alzheimer's Association research grants
Research grantAlzheimer's Association
Research grants across Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
NIH F32 Postdoctoral Individual Fellowship
F32NIH
The core NIH postdoctoral fellowship. Institute-specific — NIA for aging and Alzheimer's, NINDS for Parkinson's and neuro, NIGMS for basic mechanism.
Postdoctoral trainees.
NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence
K99/R00NIH
Two-phase award: a mentored postdoctoral phase (K99) followed by an independent faculty phase (R00). The principal postdoc-to-faculty transition mechanism.
Postdocs, typically within 4 years of the PhD.
HHMI Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program
FellowshipHoward Hughes Medical Institute
Supports the postdoctoral phase and the first years of an independent lab — a postdoc-to-faculty transition award.
Postdoctoral scientists; check the current competition for the eligibility window.
APDA Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship
FellowshipAmerican Parkinson Disease Association
Postdoctoral research fellowship in Parkinson's disease.
BrightFocus — Alzheimer's Disease Research
Research grant / FellowshipBrightFocus Foundation
Alzheimer's disease research funding, including postdoctoral mechanisms.
HFSP Postdoctoral Fellowships
FellowshipHuman Frontier Science Program
International postdoctoral fellowships for interdisciplinary life-science research, generally requiring a cross-border move.
Open internationally.
AFAR — American Federation for Aging Research
Research grant / FellowshipAmerican Federation for Aging Research
Funding focused on the biology of aging, including postdoctoral and early-career mechanisms. Relevant to labs studying age-related disease mechanisms.
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative — imaging RFAs
RFAChan Zuckerberg Initiative
Imaging and cryo-ET methods and instrumentation funding, including cellular imaging technology development.
NIH S10 High-End Instrumentation Grant (HEI)
S10 HEINIH ORIP
Buy high-end instruments such as Krios-class microscopes. The highest-value mechanism for a core facility upgrading capability.
Requires at least 3 Major Users, each a PD/PI on a distinct active NIH research award (training/fellowship T and F grants do not count).
NIH S10 Shared Instrumentation Grant (SIG)
S10 SIGNIH ORIP
Buy mid-range shared instrumentation: direct detectors, sample-prep robots, screening microscopes.
Requires at least 3 Major Users, each a PD/PI on a distinct active NIH research award.
NSF Major Research Instrumentation (MRI)
NSF MRINational Science Foundation
Instrument acquisition or development, including cryo-EM. Institutions are capped on the number of proposals they may submit, so internal coordination is required.
Limited submission — check your institution's internal coordination process early.
Pew Biomedical Scholars
Early-career awardThe Pew Charitable Trusts
Early-career award for assistant professors running an independent lab.
Must hold a full-time assistant professor appointment and run an independent lab. Postdocs are NOT eligible. By institutional nomination.
Searle Scholars Program
Early-career awardSearle Scholars Program
Early-career award for newly appointed assistant professors in biomedical and chemical sciences.
Must have begun a first tenure-track assistant professor appointment within the current eligibility window. Postdocs are NOT eligible.
W. M. Keck Foundation — Research Program
Research grantW. M. Keck Foundation
High-risk, high-impact science and instrumentation. Usually requires institutional nomination.
Typically by institutional nomination.
DOE BER — Biological & Environmental Research
Research grantU.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science
Bioenergy, photosynthesis (including Chlamydomonas), environmental microbiome, and biosystems design. BER also funds structural biology and cryo-EM user resources such as EMSL.
DOE BES — Basic Energy Sciences
Research grantU.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science
Materials and chemical sciences, including battery interfaces and energy materials where cryo-EM and cryo-ET are increasingly applied.
CIRM — California stem cell & regenerative medicine
State programCalifornia Institute for Regenerative Medicine
California state funding for stem cell and regenerative medicine research, from discovery through clinical.
Applicant institution must be in California.
CPRIT — Texas cancer research
State programCancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas
Texas state funding for cancer research and prevention.
Applicant institution must be in Texas.
NYSTEM — New York stem cell science
State programNew York State Stem Cell Science
New York State funding for stem cell research — basic, applied, translational, and training.
Applicant institution must be in New York State.
Cryo-EM Funding FAQ
How do I get funding for cryo-EM research?
There are three routes. First, apply for free instrument time at an NIH-funded national center (NCCAT, PNCC, or S²C²) — these cost nothing and don't require a grant. Second, fund the science rather than the microscope: NIH disease institutes and foundations (Parkinson's Foundation, Alzheimer's Association) fund the biological question, and cryo-EM is simply your method. Third, for buying instruments, use NIH S10 or NSF MRI instrumentation grants, which require faculty-level PIs.
Is there free cryo-EM microscope access in the US?
Yes. Three NIH-funded national centers provide free, proposal-based Titan Krios access, training, and in some cases data processing: NCCAT (New York Structural Biology Center), PNCC (Pacific Northwest Center for Cryo-EM at OHSU/PNNL), and S²C² (Stanford-SLAC). You submit a short proposal rather than paying facility rates.
What grants can a cryo-EM postdoc apply for?
Postdocs are typically eligible for the NIH F32 individual fellowship, the K99/R00 Pathway to Independence award, HHMI Hanna Gray Fellows, HFSP postdoctoral fellowships, and disease-specific fellowships from the Parkinson's Foundation, Alzheimer's Association, and AFAR. Note that NIH S10, NSF MRI, Pew Biomedical Scholars, and Searle Scholars are NOT open to postdocs — they require an independent or assistant-professor position.
Who is eligible for an NIH S10 instrumentation grant?
NIH S10 (SIG and HEI) grants fund shared instrumentation and require at least three Major Users, each of whom must be a PD/PI on a distinct active NIH research award. The applicant is the institution, not an individual trainee, so postdocs and graduate students cannot apply directly.
Do cryo-EM grants require you to already have a microscope?
No. Most research grants fund the science and allow you to pay facility user fees or collect data at a national center. If you have no local access, the free national centers (NCCAT, PNCC, S²C²) are usually the fastest path to data — and using them strengthens a subsequent grant application.
Related resources
Browse cryo-EM jobs, salary data, cryo-EM facilities, and instruments. Need data processed? See our consulting services.
Listings are curated and verified best-effort. Amounts, deadlines, and eligibility change — always confirm on the funder's own page before applying.