One Mind Rising Star Awards

One Mind launched the Rising Star Awards in 2005 with the fundamental belief that investing in world-class early-career investigators pursuing innovative, high-risk/high-reward research would accelerate breakthroughs in mental health conditions and psychiatric disorders. Since its inception, One Mind has awarded 48 Rising Star Awards to researchers pushing the frontiers of mental health science through their research and leadership.

This year, in celebration of its 20th anniversary, One Mind will award up to three Rising Star Awards, each providing a $300,000 research grant ($100,000 per year for three years).

Awardees will gain exclusive access to the Rising Leaders Lab, a program designed to equip them with the skills, network, and opportunities to drive meaningful impact in neuroscience research and mental health. Through leadership training, networking, and executive coaching, they will develop expertise in media engagement, negotiation, communication, personal branding, and impactful leadership. Workshops, webinars, and one-on-one mentorship with subject-matter experts will further empower them to become thought leaders shaping the future of mental health.

Awardees will be selected through a rigorous evaluation process based on the scientific rigor, potential for impact, relevance, feasibility, and innovation of the proposed project, as well as the candidate’s credentials, research productivity, and leadership potential.

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025 by 9PM Pacific Time (PT).

We invite you to join one of our 30-minute virtual information sessions to learn more about the grant opportunity, application process, and participate in a live Q&A.

Click here to register for an information session:

• Friday, April 18, 2025 at 12PM PT / 3PM ET
• Thursday, April 24, 2025, 8.30AM PT / 11.30AM ET

For all inquiries, please contact Tahilia Rebello, Ph.D., at tahilia.rebello@onemind.org.

• The 2025 One Mind Rising Star Awards will support grant proposals spanning basic/preclinical, translational, and clinical research for psychiatric disorders. 

• These include, but are not limited to, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, and suicidality.

• Transdiagnostic investigations and research that bring us closer to precision psychiatry will be given special attention. Illustrative examples include metabolomics biomarkers, gut microbiome-brain interactions, psychedelics, closed-loop neurostimulation, (AI/ML)-based biomarkers, and predictive analytics-based models for evaluating risk or treatment efficacy.

• Outside the scope:
  • Autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and neurodegenerative disorders are out of scope.
  • Studies solely focused on addiction/substance use disorders (SUD) are outside the scope. Studies at the intersection of SUD and psychiatric disorders are within scope.

• Examples of relevant research include, but are not limited to studies that aim to:
  • Discover the molecular/genetic, synaptic, cellular, or circuit/network basis of psychiatric disorders in model organisms or humans.
  • Advance biomarker development to improve diagnosis and/or treatment outcomes.
  • Investigate common mechanisms of brain dysfunction between two or more disorders.
  • Develop new experimental or computational approaches/models/tools for a sophisticated understanding of disease etiology, pathophysiology, resilience, and/or recovery.
  • Evaluate therapeutic mechanisms and modes of action for interventions including pharmaceuticals, neurostimulation, digital therapies, and other cognitive/behavioral health interventions.
  • Identify and/or test novel pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapeutic targets.
  • Improve our understanding of how age, race/ethnicity, and/or comorbidities impact the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment effectiveness.

Click here to learn more about previously-funded RSA research.

• Each 2025 One Mind Rising Star Award recipient will receive:
  • A research grant of $300,000, distributed as $100,000 per year over a three-year project period.
  • Development opportunities via the Rising Leaders Lab. This program provides awardees with leadership training, networking and singular career development opportunities, catalytic tools to serve as scientific thought leaders and transform the mental health ecosystem. Through workshops, webinars, and 1:1 scientific and executive coaching and support, awardees will work with subject-matter experts on media training, negotiation skills, scientific and non-scientific communications, personal branding, and leading with impact.
  • Awardees will be invited to present their research at the Science and Innovators’ Symposium during One Mind’s 31st Music Festival for Brain Health  (September 11-13, 2025, in Napa, California). They will gain exclusive access to scientific events, an in-person communication and leadership training workshop, and a networking dinner with top One Mind-affiliated scientists, innovators, and entrepreneurs. The experience also includes a wine tasting reception, concert, and VIP dinner with dancing. All travel and accommodations will be covered by One Mind.

• Applicants must be independent investigators (faculty or equivalent) already employed at the rank of assistant or associate professor (or equivalent).
• Applicants should be within 6 years of their initial independent appointment to qualify as an early-career investigator. 
• Applicants must have a doctoral level degree (e.g., MD, PhD, PsyD, PharmD, etc.) with demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, and research productivity in scientific fields relevant to  mental health and psychiatry. 
• Pre-doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, instructor-level faculty, and professors are not eligible to apply. 
• Applicants can apply for the award only one time per year for a maximum of three times in their career. 
• We encourage researchers of all backgrounds who meet the requirements to apply.
• Non-US citizens who are working within a US institution or organization are welcome to apply.
• One Mind reserves the sole right to decide if an applicant meets the eligibility requirements.

All applications must be completed and submitted by May 15, 2025, through One Mind’s online grants management portal. Please register your account first on the portal and then click the Apply button to start your application.

The application includes the following:

• Face Sheet: Please fill in the requested information on the application portal.
• Project Narrative: Written in plain language understandable by a lay audience, this narrative should summarize the proposed research and articulate how it might translate into better diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatments for psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions. Up to 250 words.
• Research Proposal:
  • The proposal should include the following sections:
    • Background
    • Significance and impact
    • Hypothesis
    • Rationale
    • Experimental design and brief methods
    • Predicted outcomes/expected datasets
    • Pitfalls, and alternative strategies
  • Specifications:
    • 2 pages maximum, Arial 11 pt. font, single-spaced, minimum 0.5” margins. Page limit includes figures, tables, and schematics.
    • Bibliography should be submitted on a separate 3rd page.
    • Gantt Chart should be submitted on a separate 4th page. Please provide a Gantt chart with timelines for each scientific aim.
    • Please clarify when you are able to start the project and any potential sources of delay (e.g. IRB approval).
  • Preliminary data is not required. The proposal should not overlap with existing funding. Please specify when you can start the project and any potential sources of delay (e.g. IRB approval, hiring etc.)
• Budget: Include a summary budget for Year 1 of the proposal. Half-page maximum.
• Data Sharing Plan: Separate page. Provide a brief description about how data will be made available to the broader research community. If the research involves human subjects, informed consent documents should be written to request approval to share de-identified clinical data and biological samples in adherence with Institutional Review Board (IRB) policies aimed at protecting patient privacy. IRB approval is not required for submission of the application but will be required prior to the release of funds. Half-page maximum.
• Recommendation Letter: for the applicant from the Dean, Department Chair, or Head of Scientific Program. The letter should briefly describe:
  • merits of the applicant and 
  • resources and support provided to the applicant by the home institution and be signed by the nominator.
• NIH Style Biosketch: of the principal investigator. Please add the following sections to the Biosketch: (1) Past and present funding sources, (2) Patents, (3) Industry partnerships and consulting.  
• Resources & Personnel: Include a description of all applicable facilities and equipment already available. List all key personnel (including graduate students and postdocs) who will work on the project. It is understood that applicants starting their labs may not have facilities/equipment in place and might need to hire personnel. 1 Page maximum.
• Real-World Impact Portfolio: Which of the following activities have you actively engaged in over the past three years? Check all that apply and provide a brief example (2-3 sentences) for each selected item. Where applicable, include relevant links (e.g., podcasts, media interviews, public talks, outreach initiatives). Half-page maximum.
  • Engaged in public science communication (e.g., articles, podcasts, talks,
  • social media)
  • Founded or contributed to an organization advancing science or mental health
  • Mentored students or early-career scientists
  • Influenced policy, advocacy, or public discourse in your field
  • Organized scientific events, collaborations, or cross-disciplinary projects
  • Secured funding or resources for a new training or advocacy initiative
  • Other (please specify).
• Leadership in Action: Describe a time when you encountered a challenge in your field and took initiative to solve it. What actions did you take, and what was the result? Up to 150 words.
• Portal submission of your application to your Nominating Officer for final approval is required.

The One Mind Scientific Advisory Board (along with independent scientific experts, including past RSA awardees, as needed) will review the grant proposals for potential for impact, innovation, scientific merit, relevance and feasibility. Applicants will be evaluated for their academic track record, research productivity, and leadership potential. The Scientific Advisory Board will forward their recommendations to the One Mind Board of Directors for final approval. Awardees will be notified around August 1, 2025. One Mind is unable to provide feedback/reviewer comments to the applicants given the large number of applications received each year.

• May 15, 2025 Applications due by 9 P.M. Pacific Time (PT)
• August 1, 2025 Notification of decision (subject to change)
• January 1, 2026 Earliest start date for the Award (subject change)

• One Mind expects the highest standards for ethical conduct of research from awardees, and in general regards the policies of the National Institutes of Health as gold-standard guidelines for such procedures.
• Awardees are required to attend and present their proposed research at the Scientists and Innovators’ Meeting and Symposium and participate in One Mind’s 31st Music Festival for Brain Health, taking place on September 11–13, 2025, in Napa Valley, California. One Mind will cover all travel and accommodation expenses.
• Awardees are expected to participate in all activities associated with the Rising Leaders Lab. The estimated time commitment for this program is an average of 2 hours/month.
• Progress reports and financial statements will be due at the conclusion of each grant year for all awarded projects.
• The project period is three years. $100,000 will be disbursed to awardees annually. Research funding for Years 2 and 3 is contingent upon satisfactory progress made towards fulfillment of aims outlined in the grant proposal as determined by the One Mind Scientific Advisory Board. 
• Indirect costs are limited to a maximum of 20% and will be taken from direct costs.
• One Mind allows reasonable flexibility in the use of funds for equipment, software, salaries, stipends, etc., as long as they are in service of the research proposal. Funds cannot be used for travel and conferences/meetings.
• Unused research funds may be carried over to the following year, and requests for no-cost extensions will be considered.
• One Mind advocates for open and rapid dissemination of scientific methods, reagents, tools, and results. Including:
  • Reagents/tools developed with this funding, including plasmids/clones, cell lines, transgenic organisms, and antibodies will be made available for dissemination to the research community via suitable repositories (e.g. Addgene, Jackson Labs.)
  • Software code developed for the proposed research is to be made publicly available on GitHub or a similar public platform. 
  • Any datasets curated or generated through the proposal will be made publicly available through an appropriate data repository.
  • Publications related to this funded work must be submitted to a preprint server (e.g. bioRxiv) at or before the first submission to a journal. 
• Reagents/tools developed with this funding, including plasmids/clones, cell lines, transgenic organisms, and antibodies will be made available for dissemination to the research community via suitable repositories (e.g. Addgene, Jackson Labs.)
• Software code developed for the proposed research is to be made publicly available on GitHub or a similar public platform. 
• Any datasets curated or generated through the proposal will be made publicly available through an appropriate data repository.
• Publications related to this funded work must be submitted to a preprint server (e.g. bioRxiv) at or before the first submission to a journal. 
• One Mind requests awardees to acknowledge support from this funding in all resulting publications, preprints, and presentations.