Engineering Biological Solutions for Societal Impact

Synthetic biology is redefining what is possible at the intersection of engineering and life sciences, offering unprecedented tools to design, build and optimize biological systems with precision. By enabling breakthroughs that range from programmable therapeutics and engineered cells to resilient crops and renewable resources, this versatile discipline has the potential to develop transformative solutions for the future of human health and wellbeing. 

Chicago is uniquely positioned to lead the next era of synthetic biology innovation. As a city defined by its problem-solving ethos, industrial ingenuity, and collaborative scientific community, this burgeoning biotech hub brings together the strengths needed to turn foundational research into real-world impact.  

Through this initiative, Walder Foundation aims to catalyze transformative advances in synthetic biology by empowering pioneering researchers whose work expands what is possible in the design, construction, and responsible application of engineered biology for social benefit. 

Awards of up to $400,000 USD total over two years (24 months) will be awarded to eligible Illinois research institutions (“Grantee Organizations”) as grants to support the execution of the proposed project. 

Walder Foundation (“the Foundation”) invites applications proposing innovative strategies that implement synthetic biology to develop solutions to an array of challenges with broad social impact. 

Through these grants, we hope to: 

Advance research that leverages biological engineering to improve human health and wellbeing 

• Accelerate high-risk, high-reward research that challenges conventional approaches  

• Empower innovators to pursue new research directions to engineer novel bio-based systems 

• Support early-stage applied research to develop novel solutions-focused technologies 

• Promote ethical, equitable, and sustainable innovation, ensuring the benefits are shared broadly 

Catalyze scalable real-world biotech solutions with the potential to tangibly improve human wellbeing.

Bolster the Greater Chicago synthetic biology research community and develop technologies with the potential to fuel regional bioeconomic growth. 

This award aims to advance the most compelling and competitive solutions, regardless of the source. All tenure track faculty holding appointments at the Illinois research institutions specified below at the time of application submission are eligible. Walder Foundation encourages applications from organizations with a demonstrated commitment to fostering equitable opportunities, accessibility, and inclusion in STEM and the biological and environmental sciences, including by creating opportunities for researchers who have faced barriers to career advancement. Proposals will be evaluated based on the potential for future impact and not solely on the applicant’s prior accomplishments. 

• Applications may be submitted by academic, nonprofit, or government research institutions located in Illinois that are governmental unit or registered Section 501(c)(3) organizations classified as 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) public charities, or are working with a fiscal sponsor that meets this requirement. 

• Grants will be awarded to the primary institution affiliated with the Principal Investigator (PI), not the individual, and this Grantee Organization will be responsible for distributing sub-award funds to eligible collaborating institutions, where applicable. 

• PIs must remain at the Grantee Organization for the two-year award period, and in most cases, funding is not portable. If a PI moves from one Chicago-based institution to another, the Foundation may consider a special exception; however, in all cases, the Grantee Organization must agree to any such change. 

• There is no limit to the number of applications submitted by an institution. However, an individual can only serve as PI on one application. 

Further information for collaborative submissions:

• The Principal Investigator is the faculty member initiating the project who will be responsible for application submission and reporting. Collaborators identified as Co-Investigators may be tenure or research track faculty appointed at any eligible institution. An individual may serve as PI Co-Investigator for no more than two submissions. A project-specific Letter of Support from each Co-Investigator is required for collaborative projects. The Grantee Organization is responsible for administering any necessary sub awards for inter-institutional collaborations. All such decisions are at the discretion of the Grantee Organization and will not be made by the Foundation.

February 10, 2026: Request for Proposals open 

March 10, 2026: Informational webinar hosted by Walder Foundation.  

(Recording available below) 

April 15, 2026: Letter of Intent (LOI) due by 5 p.m. CT

May 2026: Competitive applications invited for full proposal 

June 24, 2026: Proposals due by 5 p.m. CT 

October 2026: Expected notification of decisions 

November 2026: Expected award start date 

The award supports the development of biologically engineered solutions to advance human health, environmental resilience, sustainable agriculture, and renewable resources. Competitive applications will explicitly address challenges within these areas and may include, but are not limited to, applications such as diagnostics or biosensors, therapeutic development or delivery, disease prevention or surveillance, microbiome engineering, responsive or regenerative medicine, bioremediation, enhanced agriculture, or waste valorization. 

We seek proposals that exemplify creativity, rigor, and the potential to translate synthetic biology into novel, scalable solutions with potential for real-world impact. The program prioritizes early-stage development or application of novel technologies. Proposals should have compelling rationale but not necessarily robust supporting data. 

Responsive projects may:  

• Expand the synthetic biology toolkit or develop new modular genetic circuits 

• Accelerate discovery through computational analysis for prioritization and biological insights 

• Significantly enhance robustness, reliability, predictability, and tuneability of current designs 

• Support early validation of novel molecular components 

• Leverage microbial, cellular, or plant-based systems 

Projects that will not be considered may: 

• Lack connection to molecular biology and engineering 

• Focus solely on incremental characterization of well-known pathways without novel elements 

• Lack clear translational potential for real-world impact 

• Present insubstantial iteration on existing systems 

• Focus solely on clinical applications or therapeutic trials without innovative technology development 

• Propose computational design without biological validation 

• Propose large-scale screens or resource generation without development of engineered solutions 

• Propose industrial-scale process or materials development

Projects under consideration will be prioritized based on: 

• The novelty and ingenuity of the proposed approach 

• The opportunity gap for the problem being addressed 

• The potential impact, practicality, scalability, and utility of the technology or application developed 

• The relevance of the technologies and approach to key areas of programmatic interest 

• Project maturity, with earlier stage, higher risk/reward projects prioritized for funding 

• The ethical and societal responsibility of the technology 

The items below will be uploaded as individual documents to the proposal form with the exception of the goals which will be entered into fields on the application. Uploads requested include: 

Narrative (six-page limit, excluding citations) 

Background & Significance  

• Describe the background and previous work that has led to this project and its context within the current literature and state of the art. Identify the knowledge or technology gap your research fills and how the project advances synthetic biology beyond the current frontiers. 

• Clearly define the problem your project aims to address and articulate how success may advance human health and wellbeing. 

Research Objectives & Methods  

• Articulate the specific goals of the project and specify any hypotheses that will be tested. 

• Describe the methods, experimental design, and analytical frameworks. 

• Briefly justify the chosen models, materials, and systems. 

• Discuss potential project risks and proposed mitigation strategies. 

Timeline & Anticipated Outcomes  

• Identify research outcomes anticipated within the award period.  

• The application form will request 3-5 specific goals that will be assessed in the interim and final progress reporting requirements 

• Briefly describe the next steps for this project, if outcomes are as anticipated, toward translating or disseminating the research for real-world impact. 

Data & Materials Management Plan 

• Briefly outline how data and materials generated in this project will be made accessible to the research community. 

Social, Ethical, & Safety Considerations 

• Briefly discuss social, ethical, or biosafety considerations of this project and their management. 

Budget

• In the template provided below, prepare a two-year project budget including categorized line items of anticipated expenses for each project year. 

  • Budget template: https://walderfoundation.egnyte.com/dl/CUE7fdoGpC

    • Note: Sub-grant/subcontract budgets are informational only, as all such decisions are at the discretion of the Grantee Organization and will not be made by the Foundation. 

• Total budget of $400,000 over two years, including up to 15% indirect costs   

Budget Narrative  

• Provide a high-level summary of each expense category and any significant line items. 

• Outline the roles and any exceptional qualifications of budgeted personnel.  

• Provide a statement to confirm that the proposed work is not currently supported by other funding mechanisms and briefly outline how these funds will be transformative for the proposed research. 

Biographical Sketch

• Detail the professional history, research contributions, and career objectives of the PI. 

• Federal SciENcv format is accepted but not required. Applicants can find content guidelines here. 

Current & Pending Support 

• Provide brief information on all current and pending funding for ongoing projects and proposals, including the project title, source and status of support, award period, and total award amount. 

• Federal SciENcv format is accepted but not required. Applicants can find content guidelines here. 

Letters of Support 

• Recommended for all applications but required for collaborative or cross-institutional projects and those for which other parties are partnering or contributing significant materials or services. 

All uploaded documents must follow the formatting guidelines. Documents must be saved in Word doc or PDF formats. 

Documents should be formatted as follows: 

• Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman font of size 11-point or larger 

• At least 0.5” margins on all sides 

• Single line spacing and standard character spacing (neither expanded nor condensed) 

• Documents should be 25 MB or less and may not be password protected. 

• For any Excel documents you upload, please be sure to format so that all columns are visible on one page when printing or converting to pdf.  

Documents that do not adhere to these restrictions may not be reviewed.

For questions about award eligibility or the application process, please contact us in advance of the proposal deadline at science@walderfoundation.org.