The goal of the W. M. Keck Foundation Bridge Funding Initiative is to support the career paths of early- to mid-career faculty and their graduate students who are particularly vulnerable to sudden changes in traditional funding sources. Disruptions at this early point in the scientist pipeline could affect research accomplishments for decades to come. Therefore, the foundation aims to fund pairs of PI mentors (Keck Scholars) along with their PhD student mentees (Keck Fellows). This one-time funding is intended to:

Rapidly deploy bridge funds to assist researchers who may be especially vulnerable to sudden shifts in traditional funding mechanisms.
Support retention of early- to mid-career principal investigators (Assistant or Associate Professors as of January 2026) and their PhD students.
Fund projects aligned with the W. M. Keck Foundation's mission to advance high-impact, basic science research

Managing Unit: VPDoR