Biomedical Imaging Technologies

Objective

This funding opportunity supports early-career researchers (BS, MS, PhD, MD, postdocs, and faculty) pursuing innovative and exploratory projects in biomedical optics, particularly those leveraging the reanalysis of existing or own datasets, that are not readily supported by traditional funding mechanisms. Eligible projects should address fundamental or translational questions across biomedical optics, including optical imaging and sensing, light-tissue interaction, fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging, photoacoustic and Raman-based methods, and optical coherence tomography, with a clear scientific rationale grounded in prior literature, existing data, or cross-disciplinary observations.

The goal is to facilitate creative junior scientists to rapidly test high-risk but feasible ideas that could advance our understanding of tissue optics, disease detection, diagnostic imaging, or light-based treatment. Priority will be given to projects that can generate meaningful proof-of-concept or preliminary insights within a 6-month timeframe, and that outline a clear path toward follow-up funding, publication, or translational development, with a strong emphasis on projects centered on reanalyzing and integrating existing public or private datasets.

Rationale

Biomedical optics continues to face major limitations in translating optical innovations into clinical and preclinical practice, with robust diagnostic and therapeutic tools lacking for a wide range of conditions. Despite decades of research, the physical and biological mechanisms underlying light propagation, tissue contrast, and long-term photodamage remain incompletely understood. Recent progress in computational imaging, advanced microscopy systems, and large-scale optical datasets have made it possible to study biological systems in ways that were not feasible until recently. However, junior researchers often face pressure to align with their mentors' established research areas, forcing them to abandon creative ideas in exchange for project approval. This practice severely limits their ability to explore high-risk, high-reward ideas that could lead to transformative discoveries.

Funding details

$5,000 USD in ResearchCoin (RSC) is available to support this initial iteration, which may include data collection, laboratory analysis, reporting, and personnel costs.

See ResearchHub’s funding guide for researchers to learn more about the process.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must verify identity and authenticate ORCID on their ResearchHub profile
There are no restrictions based on the applicant's country of residence.
PhD students, Postdocs, independent researchers, non-tenured faculty are eligible
Projects should be feasible within the proposed 6-month timeframe using available infrastructure.

Disclaimers and Open Science Commitment

Preregistration: All selected applicants must preregister their study protocol on ResearchHub to be considered for funding.
Fully funded pre-registrations will be eligible to be published as ResearchHub Registered Report (RRR) in the ResearchHub Journal (more info).
Open-Access Data Sharing: By participating, applicants agree to share all data generated through this research in an open-access repository. This ensures transparency and facilitates the scientific community’s engagement with the findings.
Preprint: Researchers are encouraged to upload a preprint of their findings on ResearchHub.
Progress Updates: Researchers are encouraged to share regular updates via the “Updates” tab and may receive RSC tips for updates shared.

Questions

For questions, please post directly in the “Conversation” tab of the RFP or alternatively contact editorial@researchhub.foundation or Ilia Rasskazov (ilia.editor@researchhub.foundation).

Biomedical Imaging Technologies

Recent Activity

Recent Activity