Applications for the PCRBIO Research Grant are now open. Please read the eligibility criteria and Ts and Cs carefully before applying.
The grant offers a total of $10,000 funding for PCR reagents to scientists working in human health, microbiology, plant sciences, environment and sustainability, and all other research areas with a biological focus or which require plenty of PCR.
Applications will run from September until 30th November 2026. The results will be announced, and funding will commence, in January 2027.
Judges to be announced shortly.
The PCRBIO Research Grant will be awarded as follows:
- A main award of $6,000 of PCR reagents over 3 years
- 4 runner up prizes of $1,000 of PCR reagents
- Help and technical support with all PCR related queries pertaining to our reagents
This award is ideal for PhD students, post-doctoral researchers, and academics looking for extra funding to expand their lab. To apply, simply complete the application form below.
By submitting this application, you agree to be bound by the grant terms and conditions outlined below, whether or not you have read them in full.
This webpage is for applicants in the USA, if applying in the UK, follow this link.
This grant is open to full-time academic researchers of all levels, from PhD candidates to principal investigators, including lab technicians and lab managers, who submit applications on time. The grant is only available to researchers at US academic institutions. For a parallel UK grant click here.
We encourage members of the same lab group to submit a single joint application describing all PCR work that is carried out in their lab, rather than submitting individual applications.
You may apply on behalf of someone else, but please do so only with their express permission and include their email and personal information, rather than yours.
Please only use an institutional email address in your application, not a personal free domain one (e.g., not @gmail, @outlook, etc.).
Criteria evaluated include:
- Expected impact on the field of study
- Expected broader impact (social/medical/healthcare/diagnostic)
- Novelty
- Clarity, completeness
- How realistic is the requirement for the requested number of PCR reactions?
- PCR Biosystems Ltd (“PCR Biosystems”) retains the right to reject or exclude any application, at any stage of the process, without giving a reason, at our sole discretion. Applications that are incomplete, inaccurate, misleading, submitted after the stated deadline, or otherwise fail to comply with these terms and conditions will not be considered.
- Due to the high volume of applications we normally receive, we do not offer feedback on individual applications. All decisions made by PCR Biosystems and the judging panel are final.
- Grants will be awarded to the recipient’s host laboratory, rather than to the individual applicant, in the form of credit with PCR Biosystems. If you move laboratories before the grant credit is exhausted, the remaining credit will stay with the original host laboratory and may be used by another researcher nominated by that laboratory and approved by PCR Biosystems. The grant will not move with you to your new laboratory unless PCR Biosystems agrees otherwise in writing. The credit cannot be redeemed for cash, transferred to another institution, sold or used to obtain anything other than eligible PCR Biosystems products.
- All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by email shortly after the evaluation process is complete. Successful applicants will also be announced on the PCR Biosystems website. Please use a valid email address that is actively monitored for this application. It is your exclusive responsibility to monitor your inbox, including any spam, junk or trash folders, for our relevant communications. Grant credit will only be released once the successful applicant has acknowledged receipt of the notification email, submitted any additional required information, accepted any further grant documentation reasonably required by PCR Biosystems, and provided a suitable headshot photograph. Failure to complete these steps within two weeks of the date on which the original notification email is sent will result in the forfeiture of the grant. PCR Biosystems may then offer the grant to the next highest-scoring applicant based on the judges’ evaluation.
- By submitting your application, you certify that all information provided is complete, accurate and not misleading, and that you have obtained all permissions required from your academic supervisor, host laboratory, institution or department to submit the application, accept the grant and comply with these terms and conditions. It is your responsibility to ensure this is the case before submission. PCR Biosystems may withdraw or recover a grant if any information supplied in connection with the application is found to be materially inaccurate, incomplete or misleading, or if the required permissions were not obtained.
- This grant covers PCR Biosystems reagents and the standard cost of shipping them to the recipient host laboratory. dNTPs and DNA markers are excluded, although exceptions may be made where a reasonable quantity of either product type is ordered with an enzyme and this has been agreed in advance and in writing with your PCR Biosystems account manager. The grant cannot be used for products supplied by any third party, custom development work or any other goods or services unless PCR Biosystems agrees otherwise in writing.
- Funding will commence in January 2027. Recipients may place orders up to the maximum allotted amount, at their discretion and in as many orders as they choose, until 23:59 GMT on 31 December 2030 or until the allotted funds are exhausted, whichever occurs first. The cost of reagents will be deducted from the grant at the PCR Biosystems product list price applicable on the date the order is placed. Any remaining credit will expire automatically at that time and cannot be extended, transferred, refunded or exchanged for cash. Any order exceeding the remaining grant balance will require payment of the difference by the recipient host laboratory as per our standard terms and conditions.
- All orders are subject to product availability, any applicable account requirements and PCR Biosystems’ standard terms and conditions of sale. PCR Biosystems does not guarantee the continued availability of any particular product, pack size or formulation during the grant period. Where a product is discontinued or unavailable, PCR Biosystems may offer a suitable alternative at its discretion.
- Grant applications will be assessed by an internal team of PCR experts, and a shortlist will be reviewed by a mixed judging panel of internal and external research experts. Applications will be assessed against the stated evaluation criteria. PCR Biosystems reserves the right to appoint replacement judges where necessary.
- Multiple applications from the same individual will not be considered. Where multiple applications are submitted by the same individual, PCR Biosystems may consider only the first complete application received or may exclude all applications submitted by that individual.
- Only one grant will be awarded per research group. PCR Biosystems will determine whether applicants belong to the same research group, laboratory or substantially related project and may reject or combine applications where appropriate.
- Grant recipients agree that their name, photograph, job title, institute name, general research area and grant award may be published by PCR Biosystems on its website, social media channels and other promotional materials in connection with the grant.
- Following their acceptance of the grant, grant recipients agree to produce a short video in which they introduce themselves, explain their research and discuss how the grant will aid their project. The video must be supplied within a reasonable timeframe agreed with PCR Biosystems and may be edited for length, formatting and accessibility, provided that its meaning is not materially altered.
- Grant recipients agree to participate in a follow-up interview with PCR Biosystems during the grant period. The interview may be recorded and published in written, audio or video format across PCR Biosystems’ website, social media channels and other promotional materials.
- In addition, grant recipients agree to provide PCR Biosystems with a second piece of content for promotional use. This may include a short science communication video, written testimonial, Q&A, laboratory photograph or video, data image, video discussing their work with PCR Biosystems reagents, or another similar piece of content agreed with PCR Biosystems. The recipient of the main $6,000 grant agrees to provide at least one such piece of content during each calendar year while actively using the grant, until the grant credit is exhausted or expires.
- Grant recipients give PCR Biosystems a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, edit, adapt, publish and distribute the photographs, videos, interviews, testimonials and other content supplied under these terms and conditions in connection with the grant and the promotion of PCR Biosystems. This licence applies across print, digital, website, email and social media channels and continues after the grant period has ended. PCR Biosystems will not materially misrepresent the recipient, their research or their views.
- Grant recipients confirm that they have the right to provide all photographs, videos, data images and other content supplied to PCR Biosystems and that its use by PCR Biosystems will not infringe any third-party rights, confidentiality obligations, institutional policies or applicable laws. Recipients must obtain any necessary permission from individuals shown or identified in the content and must not provide confidential, personal, patient-identifiable or commercially sensitive information.
- Grant recipients agree to acknowledge PCR Biosystems funding in all publications, posters, presentations and other publicly available works containing data generated using PCR Biosystems reagents acquired through the grant, where such acknowledgement is permitted by the relevant publisher, institution or conference organiser. The acknowledgement should identify PCR Biosystems Ltd and the PCR Biosystems Research Grant.
- Grant credit may only be used for legitimate research purposes by the recipient host laboratory. It may not be resold, used to purchase products for resale, applied retrospectively to previous orders or combined with another discount, promotion, credit arrangement or special pricing unless PCR Biosystems agrees otherwise in writing.
- PCR Biosystems may suspend or withdraw a grant, cancel unused credit or require repayment of credit already used where a recipient breaches these terms and conditions, misuses the grant, acts fraudulently, brings PCR Biosystems into serious disrepute, or becomes unable to continue the research for which the grant was awarded. Where reasonably possible, PCR Biosystems will give the recipient an opportunity to explain the circumstances before making its final decision.
- PCR Biosystems may verify information provided in an application and may contact the applicant’s supervisor, host laboratory or institution for this purpose. Applicants and recipients agree to provide any additional information reasonably required to confirm their application, institutional approval or use of the grant.
- PCR Biosystems reserves the right to suspend, cancel or amend the grant programme where circumstances beyond its reasonable control make this necessary. Any amendment will not materially disadvantage applicants or recipients who have already accepted a grant, except where required by law or where continuing the programme is no longer reasonably possible.
- To the fullest extent permitted by law, PCR Biosystems will not be responsible for applications, notifications or other communications that are lost, delayed, incomplete, corrupted, misdirected or not received because of technical failures, email filtering, incorrect contact details or circumstances beyond its reasonable control.
- Nothing in these terms and conditions excludes or limits liability where it would be unlawful to do so. Subject to this, PCR Biosystems will not be liable for any indirect or consequential loss arising from an application, the grant programme, the use of grant credit or the availability or use of products supplied under the grant.
- Your personal data will be used to administer the grant programme, assess applications, contact applicants and recipients, verify information, provide grant credit and carry out the publicity activities described in these terms and conditions. Further information about how PCR Biosystems uses and protects personal data is provided in our privacy policy.
- If any provision of these terms and conditions is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
- These terms and conditions and any dispute arising from them will be governed by the laws of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales will have exclusive jurisdiction, except where applicable law gives an applicant or recipient the right to bring proceedings in another jurisdiction.
Dr. Javier Fernández Juárez
Assistant Professor
St. John’s University, New York
Dr. Javier Fernández Juárez is an Assistant Professor at St. John’s University (Queens, New York) where he leads a synthetic microbiology lab. Dr. Juárez was originally trained as an environmental microbiologist at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). With the aim of creating synthetic biology tools within the microbiology space, he started to work on the construction of custom-made transcription factors at Harvard Medical School and on kill-switch genetic circuits at the Forsyth Institute. He currently works on the development of novel whole-cell biosensors as well as on the assembly of biocontainment tools.
Dr. Judy Brusslan
Professor
California State University, Long Beach
Dr. Brusslan is a Plant Biologist using the model system Arabidopsis thaliana to understand the regulation of leaf senescence. Older leaves will undergo programmed cell death to recycle nutrients to support ongoing growth and the Brusslan lab takes a genetic approach to understand how the vegetative to reproductive transition signals the onset of leaf senescence in older rosette leaves. Dr. Brusslan earned her PhD at the University of Chicago studying cyanobacteria and began her work with Arabidopsis as a postdoc at University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Brusslan became an AAAS Fellow in 2023. As a professor at a primarily undergraduate institution, Dr. Brusslan’s career has incorporated both research and teaching.
Dr. Benoit Mermaz
Post Doctoral Researcher
Yale University
Dr. Benoît Mermaz is an Associate Research Scientist at Yale University specialising in plant molecular biology and genome editing. He earned his Ph.D. from Imperial College London, where his doctoral research investigated the effects of histone modifications on plant development. Building upon this strong foundation in epigenetic regulation, his current work at Yale centers on leveraging cutting-edge genomic tools such as CRISPR to combat the citrus greening disease.
Dr. Constantine Garagounis
Product Manager
PCR Biosystems
Dr. Constantine Garagounis studied Biochemistry and Biotechnology and has a DPhil in Plant Sciences from the University of Oxford. He worked as a post-doctoral researcher and contract lecturer on plant secondary metabolism and how it affects plant microbe interactions. He has conducted various research projects in plant synthetic biology and engineering plant metabolic pathways and lectured in corresponding courses. He is currently working as a Product Marketing Specialist for PCR Biosystems.
Benoit Mermaz
Post-doctoral Researcher
Yale University
Main Grant Winner USA – Improving citrus fruit resilience via targeted gene editing.
Andressa Monteiro Venturini
Senior Researcher
American University
Investigating how microplastics impact soil microbial diversity.
Sylvester Yirenkyi
PhD Candidate
Southern Illinois University
Studying endometrial stromal fibroblast decidualisation in human embryo implantation and pregnancy.
Deniz Altunsu
Post-doctoral Researcher
University of Rochester
Developing rapid PCR-based identification of early-course psychosis through blood-derived EV markers.
Bisho Lawaju
Post-doctoral Researcher
Auburn University
Developing DNA-based molecular identification of plant-parasitic nematodes to better control crop-damaging pathogens.
Zih-Shuo Wang
PhD Candidate
Ohio State University
Exploring the role of the intratumoral microbiome in colorectal cancer
Daniela Berman - Main Grant Winner 2024
Graduate Student
UC San Diego
Identifying spontaneous preterm birth biomarkers to reduce preterm birth risks and improve maternal-infant outcomes
Michelle Ewy
Graduate Student
MIT - Huang-Hobbs Biomaker Space
Validating a medical diagnostic methodology for identifying Lyme disease
Treefa Shwani
Graduate Student
University at Buffalo
Identifying and characterising structural variants in non-coding regions of the genome that affect age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Bianca Edozie
Graduate Student
Stanford University
Developing a multiplexed qPCR assay to detect and quantify biomarker signatures of chronic fatigue syndrome in human saliva
Darnell Davis
Researcher
Howard University
Developing a CRISPR-based lateral flow assay for the detection of viral RNA
Elizabeth Delorme-Axford - Main Grant Winner 2023
Group Leader
Center for Biomedical Research, Oakland University
Designing synthetic cells for innovative biotechnological applications
Michael Urner
Graduate Student
California State University, Fresno
Developing rapid assays for detecting a soil-borne fungus
Sachin Rustgi
Associate Professor
Clemson University
Development of wheat variants with reduced immunogenicity
Ali Liaqat
Post-doctoral Fellow
University of Texas at Tyler
Investigating signal-transduction relating to antibiotic resistance in S. aureus
Lucas Farnung
Assistant Professor
Harvard Medical School
Unravelling molecular mechanisms of transcription in the chromatin native environment
