Cryo-EM Funding Finder
Funding for cryo-EM, cryo-ET, and volume EM labs — fellowships, instrumentation grants, disease foundations, and state programs. Plus free microscope time at the national centers.
The money follows your science, not your microscope. Most funders a cryo-EM lab can win — NIH disease institutes, the Parkinson's Foundation, state programs — never say “cryo-EM” in the solicitation. We match on what you study.
Free Instrument Access & Training
No costNIH-funded national centers provide free, proposal-based microscope time, training, and compute. These are standing offers — not deadline-driven grants.
NCCAT — Free Krios access & training
FreeNIGMS / New York Structural Biology Center
Free, proposal-based access to high-end Krios microscopes, sample screening, and 1–3 month embedded training at the New York Structural Biology Center. Facility-management training also available.
Apply for access →PNCC — Free cryo-EM data collection & compute
FreeNIGMS / OHSU + PNNL
Free sample preparation, screening, data collection, and training, plus no-cost compute with cryoSPARC and RELION. Partnership of OHSU (Portland) and PNNL (Richland).
Apply for access →S²C² — Stanford-SLAC Cryo-EM Center (free access)
FreeNIGMS / SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Free remote or in-person cryo-EM data collection, personalized training, exploratory screening, and computing resources at SLAC.
Apply for access →Get matched to what you're eligible for
Tell us your research subject and career stage and we'll rank every opportunity by fit — and tell you which ones you're noteligible for, and why. A postdoc shouldn't waste time on an S10; a new PI shouldn't miss Pew.
All Funding Opportunities
578 listedShowing 1–15 of 578 opportunities
Parkinson's Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
Parkinson's Foundation
Two-year postdoctoral fellowship supporting researchers moving toward independence in Parkinson's disease. Does not require a specific technique.
Parkinson's Foundation research grants
Parkinson's Foundation
Research funding for Parkinson's disease. The solicitation does not call for structural biology specifically — a cryo-EM lab studying a PD-relevant ta
Michael J. Fox Foundation funding
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
Broad Parkinson's research funding, including molecular target validation and structural work.
Alzheimer's Association Research Fellowship (AARF)
Alzheimer's Association
Postdoctoral fellowship for Alzheimer's and all-dementia research — basic, translational, clinical, or behavioral.
Alzheimer's Association research grants
Alzheimer's Association
Research grants across Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
NIH F32 Postdoctoral Individual Fellowship
NIH
The core NIH postdoctoral fellowship. Institute-specific — NIA for aging and Alzheimer's, NINDS for Parkinson's and neuro, NIGMS for basic mechanism.
NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence
NIH
Two-phase award: a mentored postdoctoral phase (K99) followed by an independent faculty phase (R00). The principal postdoc-to-faculty transition mecha
HHMI Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Supports the postdoctoral phase and the first years of an independent lab — a postdoc-to-faculty transition award.
APDA Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship
American Parkinson Disease Association
Postdoctoral research fellowship in Parkinson's disease.
BrightFocus — Alzheimer's Disease Research
BrightFocus Foundation
Alzheimer's disease research funding, including postdoctoral mechanisms.
HFSP Postdoctoral Fellowships
Human Frontier Science Program
International postdoctoral fellowships for interdisciplinary life-science research, generally requiring a cross-border move.
AFAR — American Federation for Aging Research
American Federation for Aging Research
Funding focused on the biology of aging, including postdoctoral and early-career mechanisms. Relevant to labs studying age-related disease mechanisms.
Chan Zuckerberg Biohub — imaging & cryo-ET RFAs (recurring)
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
The CZ Biohub (which absorbed the CZ Imaging Institute in 2026) runs recurring open RFAs in imaging and cryo-ET methods. Recent example: Accelerating
NIH S10 High-End Instrumentation Grant (HEI)
NIH ORIP
Buy high-end instruments such as Krios-class microscopes. The highest-value mechanism for a core facility upgrading capability.
NIH S10 Shared Instrumentation Grant (SIG)
NIH ORIP
Buy mid-range shared instrumentation: direct detectors, sample-prep robots, screening microscopes.
Between grants? AI labs pay PhD-level scientists $30–100+/hr for part-time training work; see our honest guide to AI training side income.
Cryo-EM Funding FAQ
How do I get funding for cryo-EM research?
There are three routes. First, apply for free instrument time at an NIH-funded national center (NCCAT, PNCC, or S²C²) — these cost nothing and don't require a grant. Second, fund the science rather than the microscope: NIH disease institutes and foundations (Parkinson's Foundation, Alzheimer's Association) fund the biological question, and cryo-EM is simply your method. Third, for buying instruments, use NIH S10 or NSF MRI instrumentation grants, which require faculty-level PIs.
Is there free cryo-EM microscope access in the US?
Yes. Three NIH-funded national centers provide free, proposal-based Titan Krios access, training, and in some cases data processing: NCCAT (New York Structural Biology Center), PNCC (Pacific Northwest Center for Cryo-EM at OHSU/PNNL), and S²C² (Stanford-SLAC). You submit a short proposal rather than paying facility rates.
What grants can a cryo-EM postdoc apply for?
Postdocs are typically eligible for the NIH F32 individual fellowship, the K99/R00 Pathway to Independence award, HHMI Hanna Gray Fellows, HFSP postdoctoral fellowships, and disease-specific fellowships from the Parkinson's Foundation, Alzheimer's Association, and AFAR. Note that NIH S10, NSF MRI, Pew Biomedical Scholars, and Searle Scholars are NOT open to postdocs — they require an independent or assistant-professor position.
Who is eligible for an NIH S10 instrumentation grant?
NIH S10 (SIG and HEI) grants fund shared instrumentation and require at least three Major Users, each of whom must be a PD/PI on a distinct active NIH research award. The applicant is the institution, not an individual trainee, so postdocs and graduate students cannot apply directly.
Do cryo-EM grants require you to already have a microscope?
No. Most research grants fund the science and allow you to pay facility user fees or collect data at a national center. If you have no local access, the free national centers (NCCAT, PNCC, S²C²) are usually the fastest path to data — and using them strengthens a subsequent grant application.
Related resources
Browse cryo-EM jobs, salary data, cryo-EM facilities, and instruments. Need data processed? See our consulting services.
Listings are curated and verified best-effort. Amounts, deadlines, and eligibility change — always confirm on the funder's own page before applying.