The application period will run from Aug. 4 – Nov. 21, 2025 at 1 p.m. EST.
The Frontiers Fund supports early-stage, high-risk translational research in historically underfunded and understudied sectors of the life sciences. Through a phased investment model, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) aims to de-risk innovation and catalyze long-term impact in areas with high unmet need.
This program advances our commitment to health equity, scientific inclusivity, and public-private partnership by directing resources to research domains that have not received proportional investment but hold immense promise for patient and societal benefit.
The Frontiers Fund will offer phased awards that increase over time based on progress milestones:
Phase | Focus | Capital Funds | General Funds | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Phase I | Feasibility & early data | Up to $100,000 | Up to $100,000 | 1 Year |
Phase II | Translational validation | Up to $400,000 | Up to $200,000 | 2 Years |
Phase III | Partnership readiness | Up to $250,000 | Up to $100,000 | 1 Year |
The Frontiers Fund will support translational research proposals in one or more of the following fields:
Please note that the submission system only allows one active application per grant program at a time for each Submittable user account. It is possible to have an active application across multiple programs, as well as submit applications for the same program sequentially.
The Frontiers Fund is designed to unlock transformative potential across the Massachusetts life sciences ecosystem by channeling resources into fields that have long faced underinvestment.
By supporting translational research in critical areas like mental health, antimicrobial resistance, and health equity, the program strengthens the pipeline of innovation, stimulates cross-sector collaboration, and ensures that the benefits of scientific progress reach broader and more diverse patient populations. This strategic investment not only bridges gaps in discovery but also reinforces Massachusetts’ leadership in inclusive, future-facing life sciences research.
Olaris is a precision diagnostics company that is on a mission to revolutionize how diseases are diagnosed and treated. By leveraging their CEREBRO platform (Comprehensive Early Responsive Evaluation of Biomarkers Related to Outcomes), which combines metabolomics and machine learning, they are able to harness the power of the body’s own communication system to discover and develop their pipeline of myOLARIS precision diagnostics.