Frequently Asked Questions
Ono Initiative Awards Program
Awards will consist of annual funding of $300,000/year, totaling a maximum of $900,000 for the normal term of a research project. The Ono Pharma Foundation will provide up to an additional 15% ($45,000) per year to be used for indirect costs of the PI’s institution. In total, Ono Pharma Foundation’s three-year research awards provide up to $1,035,000 to researchers and their institutions.
The Ono Initiative supports creative research conducted by emerging Chemical Biologists in search of new discoveries, solutions, and the development of high-impact science.
The goals of the Ono Initiative are to:
- Identify and develop innovative research proposals and results that could lead to the development of breakthrough treatment solutions for patients.
- Support academic research and the career development of promising young and established scientists.
- Build strong relationships within the community in order to lead to transformative research aligned with Ono Initiative's interest.
All grants awarded by Ono Pharma Foundation have a three year term.
ELIGIBILITY & NOMINATION
Eligibility is determined based on the LOI date of submission. PI's who have 15 or fewer years since starting in an academic position are eligible. PI's with more than 15 years of experience since starting in an academic position at the date of LOI submission are ineligible.
The PI must be a new applicant to the Ono Initiative, or, if they are returning, be proposing a project different from the one they initially submitted. If a PI submits the same project, the PI will be contacted and asked to apply with a different project, assuming the application deadline has not already passed.
Applicants/PIs are expected to:
Design studies to generate novel science to address the Scientific Research Area of interest for 2025:
Chemical Biology
Target research of Chemical Biology is not specified by the Ono Initiative.
Chemical Biology is defined as research that deals with the interface between chemistry and biology. The criteria for this field are deliberately broad so as not to disqualify potentially innovative and groundbreaking projects. The subjects of interest (SOIs) for 2024 include but are not limited to:
Modulating interactome and cell/tissue crosstalk
Manipulating biomolecular condensates and protein quality control systems
Deep understanding and emerging applications of chemical glycobiology
New concepts of drug delivery and localization to tissue/cell/organelle
Understanding and leveraging allostery in biology
Complete the two-step application process which is: (i) submission of a Letter of Interest, and (ii) if selected, to submit a full Proposal within the time designated by the Ono Pharma Foundation.
Only parental leave will be considered when calculating eligibility as “mid-career” scientist.
2025 Applicant Nominating Institutions in Chemical Biology Research *
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Boston College
California Institute of Technology
Carnegie Mellon University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Duke University
Emory University
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute
Georgia Institute of Technology
Harvard Medical School
Harvard University
Johns Hopkins University
Kennesaw State University
Louisiana State University
Loyola University Chicago
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
McGill University
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Michigan State University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Ontario Tech University
Oregon Health and Science University
Princeton University
Purdue University
Rice University
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Stanford University
Texas A&M University
The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT
The Rockefeller University
The Scripps Research Institute
The University of Chicago
The University of Texas – Austin
The University of Texas – Southwestern Medical Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
The University of Utah
University of Alberta
University of British Columbia
University of California – Berkeley
University of California – Davis
University of California – Irvine
University of California – Los Angeles
University of California – San Diego
University of California – San Francisco
University of California – Santa Barbara
University of Florida
University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign
University of Massachusetts – Amherst
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Notre Dame
University of Pittsburgh
University of Toronto
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Vanderbilt University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Washington University in St Louis
Wayne State University
Yale University
*Each Nominating Institution may nominate up to two (2) applicants in Chemical Biology Research.
Applicants must meet the following requirements. Letter of Interest (LOI) and final Proposals from applicants not meeting the requirements listed below will not be considered.
PIs applying must be working at one of the nominating institutions. Nominating institutions might be replaced or added to in subsequent years.
The PI must have an MD and/or a PhD degree.
The PI must be a new applicant to the Ono Initiative, or, if they are a returning applicant, must be applying for a project different from the one they previously proposed.
The PI must be a young and/or mid-career scientist (15 years or below of experience from starting independent academic position).
The PI may not already be engaged in other sponsored research and/or collaborative research with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and/or grant program with Ono Pharma Foundation.
The PI may not apply for funding to amplify current work. However, PIs may research a new idea based on prior findings of the PI.
The PI must not be a healthcare professional (defined as individuals currently holding an active state license for which they are (a) qualified to prescribe, administer, use or supply any medicinal or medical products or (b) perform any professional clinical services). A PI with an MD but without an active state medical license is still eligible.
PIs serving on a healthcare formulary or similar committee are not eligible.
More detail as to eligibility criteria can be found in the “Ono Pharma Breakthrough Science Initiative Awards Program: Program Information & Overview” document.
APPLICATION PROCESS
The Ono Pharma Foundation will make announcements about LOI selections and send Request for Proposals (“RFP”) to selected PI/Applicants in April, 2025. RFPs will be made based on:
Eligibility of Applicant
Completion of Research Requirements
Strength of proposed project against Selection Criteria
Applications will be assessed, and Awards will be made based upon the following criteria:
- Scientific merit of the research LOI and/or Proposal
- Relevance of proposed research to the mission of the Ono Initiative
- Significance
- Innovation
- Approach
- Technical considerations for the research
- Qualifications and relevant experience of the PI
- Evidence of a suitable research environment
The application processes for the scientific research is:
- LOI in Chemical Biology Research: PIs should first contact the administration office of their Institution. Institutions will be asked to nominate PIs, but only the PI may submit LOIs and Proposals. An LOI should be submitted through the Ono Pharma Foundation online portal. To access the website, please click on the link below to the application portal, select “REGISTER,” and follow the online instructions. If this is your first time visiting the portal, you will be sent your login information within 24 hours of submitting your “Registration.” If this is not your first time visiting the portal, you will still need to register to be assigned an LOI form for the current program year, but your username and password remain the same as when you previously applied. Proposal submission by LOI applicants and selected by a Scientific Advisory Board will be invited by the Ono Pharma Foundation to submit a full Proposal. The Proposal must be submitted through the Ono Pharma Foundation Portal. Please access the Application Portal on the Ono Pharma Foundation website.
- More detail as to the application process can be found in the “Ono Pharma Breakthrough Science Initiative Awards Program: Program Information & Overview” document.
Please see below for link to the Ono Pharma Foundation application portal:
- Website: www.onofound.org
- Application Portal: https://ono.fluxx.io
Step | Timeline | Responsible Party |
---|---|---|
Funding Opportunity Program Announcement | November 18, 2024 | Ono Pharma Foundation |
LOI submission open | November 18, 2024 | Ono Pharma Foundation |
LOI submission due date | February 14, 2025, 5pm ET * | PI/Institution |
RFPs sent out | April, 2025 | Ono Pharma Foundation |
Proposal due date | May 8, 2025 | PI |
Announcement of the Awards | July, 2025 | Ono Pharma Foundation |
Project Start | August - October, 2025 | PI |
*Addenda, supplemental materials, changes, or updates will not be accepted after the deadline for submitting either the LOI or the Proposal.
AWARDEES
Three Awards are planned every year, contingent upon Ono Pharma Foundation appropriations and the submission of sufficient meritorious applications.
The members of the SAB are selected by the Ono Pharma Foundation based upon their expertise and reputation in the field of Chemical Biology.
The Ono Pharma Foundation selects all Awardees based upon recommendations of its Scientific Advisory Board (“SAB”), which is comprised of outside experts from the fields of Chemical Biology.
ONO PHARMA FOUNDATION
The parties intend and agree that, to the extent allowable by U.S. intellectual property law, all intellectual property rights related to activities and research funded by the Grant shall be exclusively owned by the PI’s Institution. The Foundation disclaims any intellectual property and related rights developed by the research activities supported by the grant.
Ono Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd. is a leading global healthcare company committee to delivering new, innovative drugs to patients, and championing the fight against disease and pain, together with research, patients, their families, and healthcare providers. Ono Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd. of Osaka, Japan is fully integrated, research based pharmaceutical company which traces its origins back over 300 years. In 1717, in Doshomachi, Osaka, Ichibei Fushimiya first opened the apothecary that would eventually become Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Since then, the company has been dedicated to developing innovative and breakthrough pharmaceutical products. The company’s scientists have driven drug discovery through the adoption of world-leading technologies and knowledge. 300 years after Ichibei Fushimiya opened his apothecary, Ono Pharma USA, Inc. a fully owned subsidiary based in Cambridge, MA founded the independent Ono Pharma Foundation. The Foundation is a continuation of Ono’s commitment to scientific innovation and drug discovery.
Formed in 1980, TCC Group provides strategic planning, program development, evaluation, and management consulting services to foundations, nonprofit organizations, corporate community involvement programs, and government agencies. Its consulting staff includes individuals with wide-ranging expertise and experience in a diverse range of issues including education, arts and culture, community and economic development, human services, health care, children and family issues, and the environment. TCC Group is providing ongoing strategic and administrative support for the Ono Pharma Foundation.
Chemical biology is vital to the transformation of human health. Through studying biological systems at the chemical level, chemical biology helps answer biological questions and elucidate mechanisms of disorder, leading to the discovery and development of treatments for diseases. We do not limit the definition of chemical biology to the application of small molecules. Instead, we encourage applicants to leverage high-impact and transformative research and are flexible in our review of applications.