Fecal Microbiome Discovery Grant
Advancing Reproducible Fecal Microbiome Research from the Start
Mission Statement
The Fecal Microbiome Discovery Grant supports innovative, early-stage fecal microbiome research by enabling high-quality sample collection, preservation, and processing. The program aims to reduce technical bias introduced at the earliest stages of microbiome workflows and to empower emerging researchers to generate reproducible, biologically meaningful data for breakthrough applications.
Program Overview
This grant is designed to support early-stage startups, innovation hubs/incubators, and academic researchers transitioning into industry who are conducting exploratory or feasibility-stage transcriptomics for fecal microbiome research. Awardees will receive product-based research support in the form of Zymo Research Corporation (Zymo) store credit to be used toward fecal microbiome collection, preservation, and extraction workflows.
By providing access to standardized, validated fecal sample handling solutions, the program seeks to strengthen study design, improve reproducibility, and accelerate microbiome discovery efforts.
Selection Process & Review Criteria
The selection process for this grant is designed to identify researchers advancing high-quality, reproducible fecal microbiome research. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of scientific and technical experts. The review committee will evaluate applications based on scientific merit, clarity of the proposed research question, and the appropriateness of fecal microbiome approaches for the stated objectives. Proposals should demonstrate feasibility within the proposed timeline , align with best practices in sample collection and preservation, and show strong potential to generate insights or foundational data for future studies. Projects that reflect methodological rigor and innovation in microbiome research will be prioritized.
Scientific Scope
In scope:
- Exploratory or early-stage fecal microbiome studies
- Human research
- Discovery, feasibility, pilots, or method-development projects
Out of scope:
- Product efficacy or marketing-driven studies
- Therapeutic or clinical trial claims
- Studies primarily intended to evaluate or promote specific commercial products
Deadline
Proposals are due June 14, 2026
Applicants will receive a notice on the status of their selection by July 31, 2026
Grant Award
A total of five awards will be granted: one grand prize of $4,000 USD and four finalist awards of $1,500 USD each. The grant supports fecal microbiome collection and preservation kits, as well as microbiome standards and extraction kits. Technical support and shipping are included.
Eligibility and Requirements
- Academic and industry researchers aged 18 and older
- Entries must be completed and submitted in English. Incomplete submissions will not be considered.
- Proposed projects must be original. We encourage innovative research ideas that advance the field of transcriptomics for advances in the field of microbiome research.
- Use your official organizational email address for the application.
- Awardees are expected to make reasonable efforts to disseminate research findings (e.g., publication, preprint, conference presentation, or scientific communication), with appropriate acknowledgment of Zymo and its products and services.
- Awardees have one year from the award date to redeem their prize, providing ample time for planning and execution.
- Open to domestic U.S. and international applicants (research efforts can be conducted abroad or domestically).