Funding for the Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering will increase to more than $1 million per Fellow, expanding flexible support for bold, innovative research.
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is increasing funding for the Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering, deepening its investment in the next generation of leaders advancing science, engineering, and mathematics.
Beginning with the 2027 class, each Packard Fellow will receive $1.017 million in unrestricted funding over five years, an increase from the current $875,000 award. Fellowship awards will increase incrementally over the following three years, reaching $1.065 million beginning with the 2030 class.
For nearly four decades, the Packard Fellowships have supported some of the nation’s most promising early-career scientists, engineers, and mathematicians at a pivotal moment in their careers. Each year, approximately 20 Fellows receive flexible funding that gives them the freedom to pursue innovative ideas, explore new areas of inquiry, and take risks that are often not supported through traditional research funding.
“Breakthroughs often begin with a bold idea and the freedom to follow where the data and curiosity lead.”
“Breakthroughs often begin with a bold idea and the freedom to follow where the data and curiosity lead,” said Nancy Lindborg, President and CEO of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. “At a time of significant uncertainty in the research funding landscape, flexible, long-term support is more important than ever. By increasing our investment in Packard Fellows, we are ensuring that exceptional researchers have the resources and flexibility to pursue ambitious questions and open new possibilities for discovery.”
Sustaining a distinctive investment in scientific discovery
The Foundation established the Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering in 1988, inspired by David Packard’s belief that supporting talented researchers early in their careers could accelerate discovery and innovation for decades to come.
That approach remains at the heart of the program today. The Fellowship provides unrestricted support that Fellows can use as their research evolves. This flexibility allows the Fellows to pursue new areas of inquiry, build strong research teams, respond to unexpected findings, and pursue promising ideas that might otherwise go unexplored.
This increase allows Fellows to keep up with the growing cost of conducting cutting-edge research and better navigate an increasingly challenging funding environment for scientists and research institutions. By increasing the award, the Foundation is reaffirming the distinctive role the Fellowships play in giving promising researchers the freedom and stability to pursue their most ambitious ideas.
Investing today for discoveries that can shape the future
Since the program began, the Packard Foundation has supported generations of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians whose research has advanced knowledge across disciplines and contributed to discoveries with far reaching impact. Fellows have gone on to earn some of the most esteemed recognitions in their fields including Nobel Prizes, Fields Medals, Sloan Fellowships, Alan T. Waterman Awards, and elections to the National Academy of Sciences. By providing substantial, flexible resources early in a researcher’s career, the Foundation aims to create the conditions for discovery and innovation that can unfold over decades.
As science continues to confront increasingly complex questions, the Foundation is committed to supporting the people willing to ask bold questions, explore new frontiers, and expand what is possible.
