The Whitehall Foundation, through its program of grants and grants-in-aid, assists scholarly research in the life sciences. It is the Foundation's policy to assist those dynamic areas of basic biological research that are not heavily supported by Federal Agencies or other foundations with specialized missions. In order to respond to the changing environment, the Whitehall Foundation periodically reassesses the need for financial support by the various fields of biological research.

The Foundation emphasizes the support of young scientists at the beginning of their careers and productive senior scientists who wish to move into new fields of interest. Consideration is given, however, to applicants of all ages. The chief criteria for support are the quality and creativity of the research as well as the commitment of the Principal Investigator (a minimum time allocation of 20% is required). The principal investigator must hold no less than the position of assistant professor, or the equivalent, in order to participate in the application process. The applicant need not be in a tenure track position but must be an independent researcher and have Principal Investigator status at his/her institution, usually construed as having lab space independent of another Principal Investigator.

The Foundation does not award funds to investigators who have substantial extramural funding, even if it is for an unrelated purpose. While it is difficult to assign a specific dollar amount to this policy and each case is unique, the Foundation currently defines "substantial" as approximately $200,000 per year (including both direct and indirect expense but excluding the Principal Investigator's salary).

The Foundation is currently interested in basic research in neurobiology, defined as follows: Invertebrate and vertebrate (excluding clinical) neurobiology, specifically investigations of neural mechanisms involved in sensory, motor, and other complex functions of the whole organism as these relate to behavior. The overall goal should be to better understand behavioral output or brain mechanisms of behavior.

The Foundation does not support research focused primarily on disease(s) unless it will also provide insights into normal functioning.

Research Grants

Research grants are available to established scientists of all ages working at accredited institutions in the United States. Applications will be judged on the scientific merit and the innovative aspects of the proposal as well as on the competence of the applicant. Research grants of up to three years will be provided. A renewal grant with a maximum of two years is possible, but it will be awarded on a competitive basis. Research grants will not be awarded to investigators who have already received, or expect to receive, substantial support from other sources, even if it is for an unrelated purpose. The maximum budget is $100,000 per year for the two- and three-year research grants.
Grants-in-Aid

The Grants-in-Aid program is designed for researchers at the assistant professor level who experience difficulty in competing for research funds because they have not yet become firmly established. Grants-in-Aid can also be made to senior scientists. All applications will be judged on the scientific merit and innovative aspects of the proposal, as well as on past performance and evidence of the applicant’s continued productivity. Grants-in-Aid are awarded for a one-year period and do not exceed $30,000.

Applicants for the Grants-in-Aid program are reviewed and ranked together with the traditional research grant program. This program is not a pre-requisite to a two- or three-year research grant. The majority of the applications received are for a three-year research grant.
Eligibility Requirements

The applicant must meet all of the following eligibility requirements in order to participate in the application process:

Appropriate title - must be an Assistant Professor (or higher). If the institution does not use this title, a letter from the department chair confirming the applicant's eligibility is required.
Status - must hold Principal Investigator status.
Independent - must be considered an 'independent investigator' with their own dedicated lab space or with lab space independent of another investigator.
The Foundation does not fund investigators who have substantial (approximately $200,000 per year) extramural funding. The Foundation uses the following formula to determine the PIs total extramural funding: Total direct per year plus total indirect per year less any PI salary taken from these grants. If this amount is greater than approximately $200,000 the PI would not be eligible for Whitehall Foundation funding. Startup funds and internal funding are not included in the calculation.