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Back to Women's Health Initiative

Women’s Health Initiative Eligibility Requirements and Evaluation

Program Design
Program Eligibility
Program Evaluation
Funding and Allowable Costs
Program Resources

The application period will run from Aug. 4 – Nov. 21, 2025 at 1 p.m. EST.

Program Design

Applicants must be based at a Massachusetts not-for-profit research institution working as Principal Investigators on a project that is focused on increasing our understanding of sex and gender differences in biology or developing solutions for diseases or conditions that affect women solely, disproportionately, or differently.

  • Approximately $3 million in capital funding is available for each disease focus area (up to $6 million in total funding).
  • Awards will support collaborative Massachusetts-based research across these domains.
  • Each award is anticipated to be approximately $500,000
  • Projects are anticipated to last approximately two years
  • There are no limits on the number of proposals that may be submitted by each non-profit institution, however, each individual Principal Investigator is asked to only submit one application

Program Eligibility

Eligible applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Full or part time employee at a not-for-profit Massachusetts-based research institution
  • Researchers must be proposing as Principal Investigators a project that is focused on increasing our understanding of sex and gender differences in biology or developing solutions for diseases or conditions that affect women solely, disproportionately, or differently.
  • The project must have a human health focus in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical diagnostics or imaging, bioinformatics, digital health, genomics, nanotechnology, drug delivery, proteomics, regenerative medicine, etc.
  • Funding must be used to support an experiment or experiments that increase(s) the translational opportunity with a defined goal such as filing patents, securing a sponsored research agreement, attracting other industry support, etc.
  • The Applicant and Grantee institution must be in compliance with all other Center agreements, if any.

Program Evaluation

Applications will be evaluated through a competitive, peer-review process by a panel of external experts from academia and industry with domain expertise in women’s health and translational science. Reviewers will score proposals based on the following:

  • Scientific and technical merit of the proposed research.
  • Qualifications of the investigative team, including relevant experience and track record.
  • Significance and unmet need in addressing key challenges in women’s health.
  • Alignment with one or more of the four program pillars and the current focus disease areas.
  • Translational potential, particularly the likelihood of advancing toward new therapies, diagnostics, or clinical applications.
  • Feasibility and clarity of project plan, including well-defined milestones and endpoints.
  • Potential impact on the Massachusetts life sciences ecosystem.

Awardees and their institutions must remain in compliance with all applicable MLSC agreements and reporting requirements throughout the funding period.

Funding and Allowable Costs

  • Up to $6 million in total funding is available for this cycle, with up to $3 million allocated per disease area.
  • Individual awards are anticipated to be approximately $500,000 over a project period of approximately two years, depending on project scope.
  • Allowable capital expenses include: research supplies, reagents, hardware/software purchases, data generation via core facilities.
  • All capital assets must be made publicly available. Allowable general expenses include: select salaries (including fringe up to 30%) and indirect costs. Indirect costs are capped at 15% of direct costs (e.g., max of $65,217 for an award of $500,000).
  • Non-allowable expenses include facility overhead such as utilities or other monthly subscription fees, and duplicate funding of already financed work.
  • Funds will be disbursed on a reimbursement basis in accordance with terms outlined in the Grant Agreement.

Program Resources:

Connect with us to learn more

If you have questions regarding the application process, e-mail WomensHealth@masslifesciences.com  with “Women’s Health Initiative” in the subject line.
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