Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund serves and strengthens society by nurturing a diverse group of leaders in biomedical sciences to improve human health through education and powering discovery in frontiers of greatest need.

The fund invites applications for its Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants program, which aims to stimulate the growth of new connections between thinkers working in largely disconnected fields who could together change the course of climate change’s impact on human health. Small, early-stage grants of between $2,500 and $50,000 will be awarded through the program.

BWF is particularly but not exclusively interested in activities that build connections between basic/early biomedical scientific approaches and ecological, environmental, geological, geographic, and planetary-scale thinking, as well as population-focused fields, including epidemiology, public health, demography, economics, and urban planning. Also of interest is work piloting new approaches or interactions toward reducing the impact of health-centered activities, such as developing more sustainable systems for health care, care delivery, and biomedical research systems. Another area of interest is preparation for the impacts of extreme weather and other crises that can drive large-scale disruptions that immediately impact human health and healthcare delivery. Public outreach, climate communication, and education efforts focused on the intersection of climate and health are also appropriate for this call.

Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis through July 2026. A review will be conducted quarterly. Deadline dates for the upcoming year are: 

• April 25, 2024
• July 25, 2024

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Burroughs Wellcome Fund website.