The Searle Scholars Program is a career development award made annually to the 15 young US professionals in biomedical research and chemistry considered most promising. The award was established in 1980 by a donation from the Searle family, and is operated by the Chicago Community Trust.
The award supports "research in medicine, chemistry, and the biological sciences" with grants to academic institutions supporting the faculty in their first or second year of their first tenure-track assistant professor position. The award recognizes faculty who have made "important, innovative research" contributions and who have the potential for making continuing significant contributions.
15 awards are made per year. As of April 11, 2007, 438 Searle Scholars had been selected. Notable recipients have included: