Fisher Center Discovery Program
Congratulations to our 2026 FCIA & FCDA Awardees!
Browse awarded project abstracts.
Coming Soon: 2027 Request for Applications
Proposed Grant Cycle Timeline: Dates subject to change.
- Friday, October 2, 2026: RFA released
- Monday, November 2, 2026: LOI deadline (New for 2027: LOIs will be required for all submissions)
- Friday, November 20, 2026: Application deadline for both FCIA and FCDA
- Friday, December 18, 2026: Preliminary reviews completed
- Friday, January 29, 2027: FCIA Application Review Meeting
- Friday, February 12, 2027: FCDA Application Review Meeting
- On or before Friday, March 5, 2027: Award notifications
- April 2027: Proposed project start dates, with all funds released by April 30, 2027
Research Topics:
- Environmental Infectious Diseases
- Post-infectious Conditions
- Antimicrobial Resistance
Program Contact: Diane Lanham
While the FCDP will continue to focus on clinical and translational studies of environmental infectious diseases, the Center has broadened its focus to include investigations of antimicrobial resistance and post-infectious conditions. Basic laboratory research proposals will not be reviewed. Laboratory-based research will only be considered if it is related directly to clinical or translational research.
Established in 2024, we are pleased to announce the continuation of two university-wide award categories: The Fisher Center Discovery Award (FCDA) and the Fisher Center Impact Award (FCIA).
Prior to 2024, the FCDA was titled the Fisher Center Discovery Program (FCDP) Award. While all Johns Hopkins faculty and trainees are invited to apply, the FCDA is specifically designed for trainees, new investigators, and junior faculty seeking to gain grant writing experience and pilot data.
The multiyear FCIA grant is open only to full-time Johns Hopkins faculty and is designed for experienced investigators to expand on Fisher-funded projects or a new proposal related to the Center’s dedicated topic areas. Awardees need not have won a previous Fisher Center award to qualify.
We encourage cross-disciplinary and cross-school collaborative research, and the Center primarily wishes to support junior faculty investigators. Any full-time faculty members from Johns Hopkins University, including the Schools of Medicine, Public Health, Nursing, Engineering, Business, Arts and Sciences, and Applied Physics Lab, may apply and act as principal investigator.
Notifications about these funding opportunities are emailed via individual Johns Hopkins University schools and pertinent faculty listservs. Eligibility requirements and additional information about the awards are included in the table below. Notifications and application documents may be emailed directly to interested individuals upon request to Diane Lanham at [email protected].
| Fisher Center Discovery Award (FCDA) | Fisher Center Impact Award (FCIA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Project Topics | Must involve one or more of three areas:
|
Must involve one or more of three areas:
|
| Eligible Applicants | Full-time JH faculty or trainees (with a JH faculty mentor) from any school or department/division | Full-time JH faculty from any school or department/division |
| Eligible PIs | Full-time JH faculty from any school or department/division | Full-time JH faculty from any school or department/division |
| Budget | Up to $65,000 | Up to $250,000,00 |
| Personnel Support | No salary support beyond the level of Associate Professor | Salary support allowed for all levels from student to Professor |
| Number of Grants Available | Up to five (5) | Up to two (2) |
| Grant Period | 12 months after start | Up to 3 years (36 months after start date) |
| Project Start Date | April 6 – April 30, 2027 | April 6 – April 30, 2027 |
| Application Deadline | Friday, November 21, 2026 | Friday, November 21, 2026 |