Win Free Sequencing for Your Research
Our SMRT Grant Programs support outstanding research that advances scientific discovery by providing free highly accurate long-read sequencing. Have an interesting project that could benefit from free sequencing? Apply for your chance to win!
Get to Know the SMRT Grant Program - Frequently Asked Questions
What is a SMRT Grant?
For many years, PacBio has offered researchers the opportunity win free PacBio Sequencing through the SMRT Grant Program. PacBio runs provides multiple grants per year and to date we have given more than 20 grants of varying award sizes. Learn more about our past winners below.
Who Does the Sequencing?
For each SMRT Grant, PacBio partners with one of our service providers or Certified Service Providers to offer free consumables, library prep, sequencing, and initial bioinformatic analyses for free!
How Can I Win a SMRT Grant?
All you have to do is tell us how your research will benefit from HiFi sequencing! Submission windows open throughout the year and the process is easy – just a short abstract and some contact info. We typically notify finalists and winners within 2 months of submission.
What Types of Grants are Offered?
Grants are offered across all areas of life science, so whether you are studying tiny microbial genomes, giant plant polyploids, exotic endangered species, or the uncharted regions of the human genome, we have a grant for you!
Explore the range of sequencing applications to start planning your next SMRT Grant proposal.
 Whole Genome Sequencing |
 RNA Sequencing |
 Targeted Sequencing |
 Complex Populations |
 Epigenetics |
I am New to HiFi Sequencing – What is it?
HiFi sequencing, or highly accurate long-read sequencing, gives you the benefits of short reads and traditional long reads in one easy-to-use technology. PacBio customers LOVE HiFi Reads.
“If your genome isn’t HiFi, it’s no longer reference grade.”
— Kevin McKernan, Medicinal Genomics
“HiFi Reads really allow us to call accurate structural variations and other types of variations that you can’t actually see in something like with short-read sequencing.”
— Jeremy Schmutz, Faculty Investigator, HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology
My Research Can’t Wait for the SMRT Grant – What Should I do?
No worries! We are always available to help you get started with HiFi sequencing. Feel free to reach out at any time and we can help you find an PacBio service provider in your region and can offer a free project consultation. Contact a PacBio scientist to learn more.
So, What’s the Catch?
There isn’t one! At PacBio we are passionate about supporting scientists through the power of HiFi sequencing. We are sure you will be happy with the sequencing data you get and just want to be part of your journey to discovery.
2022 SMRT Grant Programs
Plant and Animal Sciences SMRT Grant – Now Open!
Zoom in on Genetic Variation for a Better Future
Apply by September 30, 2021 for your chance to win free PacBio Sequencing.
Human Genetics SMRT Grant – Opens in October
We are working hard to build our 2022 schedule of SMRT Grants. Please check back for updates or join our mailing list for updates on any of our SMRT Grant Programs!
SMRT Grant Winner Spotlight
“PacBio HiFi long-read sequencing is enabling a new look at human genomics. In our SMRT grant, we utilized this innovative technology to identify the relevant variation in a family with autism that had remained unsolved with previous technologies. Thank you to PacBio for funding our research and for helping us to not only find answers in this family, but to also support us in working towards Precision Genomics in autism.”
— Tychele Turner, Washington University in St. Louis
This Year’s SMRT Grant Programs & Winners
2022 SMRT Grants
|
|
2021 Plant and Animal Sciences SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by the University of Minnesota Genome Center
We are pleased to announce the winners of this SMRT Grant:
Read more about these winners and their projects on our blog post:Announcing Our Plant and Animal SMRT Grant Winners: Sequencing a pangenome to feed a growing population |
|
|
|
|
|
2021 Microbial Genomics SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by Maryland Genomics
We are pleased to announce the winner of this SMRT Grant:
For more on his project, read our blog post:Our Latest SMRT Grant Winner: HiFi Sequencing to Understand Microbial World |
|
|
|
|
|
HiFi for Accuracy SMRT Grant – co-sponsored by the DNA Sequencing Center at Brigham Young University, CCGA, and BIOTOOLS.
We are pleased to announce the winners of this SMRT Grant:
Read our blog post:SMRT Grant Winners: When Accuracy Matters Scientists Choose HiFi Sequencing |
 |
Clinical Research SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology at Mount Sinai. We are please to announce the two winners of this SMRT Grant:
Read our blog post: Announcing the Winners of Our Clinical Research SMRT Grant – Two Scientists at the Forefront of Discovery
|
2021 SMRT Grants
|
|
2021 Plant and Animal Sciences SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by the University of Minnesota Genome Center
We are pleased to announce the winners of this SMRT Grant:
Read more about these winners and their projects on our blog post:Announcing Our Plant and Animal SMRT Grant Winners: Sequencing a pangenome to feed a growing population |
|
|
|
|
|
2021 Microbial Genomics SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by Maryland Genomics
We are pleased to announce the winner of this SMRT Grant:
For more on his project, read our blog post:Our Latest SMRT Grant Winner: HiFi Sequencing to Understand Microbial World |
|
|
|
|
|
HiFi for Accuracy SMRT Grant – co-sponsored by the DNA Sequencing Center at Brigham Young University, CCGA, and BIOTOOLS.
We are pleased to announce the winners of this SMRT Grant:
Read our blog post:SMRT Grant Winners: When Accuracy Matters Scientists Choose HiFi Sequencing |
|
Clinical Research SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology at Mount Sinai. We are please to announce the two winners of this SMRT Grant:
Read our blog post: Announcing the Winners of Our Clinical Research SMRT Grant – Two Scientists at the Forefront of Discovery
|
2020 SMRT Grants
 |
2020 HiFi for All – Collaborations SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by University of Louisville, GENTYANE, and Nucleome Informatics. We are please to announce the three winners of this SMRT Grant:
Read our blog post to learn more about these exciting collaborative research projects. |
 |
2020 Microbial Genomics SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by Maryland Genomics
Awarded to Ali R. Zomorrodi of MassGeneral Hospital for Children and Harvard Medical School for his project to use HiFi sequencing for strain-level study of intestinal and breastmilk microbiota in celiac disease. Read blog post. |
 |
2020 Plant and Animal Sciences SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by DNA Sequencing Center at Brigham Young University
Awarded to Carlos Guarnizo of Universidad de los Andes for his project to help bring harlequin toads back from the brink of extinction. Read blog post. |
2019 SMRT Grants
 |
2019 HiFi for All SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by Georgia Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, Earlham Institute, and DNA Link, Inc.
We are please to announce the three winners of this SMRT Grant:
Read our blog post to learn more about these exciting projects. |
 |
2019 Human Genetics SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by the HudsonAlpha Genome Sequencing Center
Awarded to Tychele Turner of Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine for her project to address the mysteries of autism with HiFi sequencing. Read blog post. Update! Hear about Tychele Turner’s results: Human Genomics in the New Era of Long-Read Sequencing 2019 Neuroscience SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by the University of Liverpool Centre for Genomic Research Awarded to Cleo van Diemen at the University Medical Center Groningen for her project to find new genetic mechanisms associated with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA). Read blog post. 2019 Targeted Sequencing SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by McDonnell Genome Institute Awarded to Stéphanie Tomé of the Centre de Recherche en Myologie at Sorbonne Université/INSERM for her project to determine the size of repeat expansions in myotonic dystrophy type 1. Read blog post. Update! Explore Stéphanie Tomé’s Results: SMRT Sequencing Detects Clinically Significant Repeat Changes In Triplet Expansion Disorders 2019 RNA Sequencing SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology at Mount Sinai Awarded to Christopher Cogle of the University of Florida for his project “Inhibiting Splicing Repression as a New Therapeutic Strategy in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.” Read blog post. |
|
2019 Metagenomics SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by Maryland Genomics at the Institute for Genome Sciences
Awarded to Joe Taylor of the University of Salford for his project to explore microbial communities in the rain forests of Borneo. Read blog post. |
|
2019 Plant and Animal Sciences SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by Histogenetics
Awarded to Susannah Sample of University of Wisconsin-Madison for her project to sequence the genome of German Shepherds. Read blog post. |
2018 SMRT Grants
|
2018 Plant and Animal Sciences SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by University of Delaware Sequencing & Genotyping Center
Awarded to Shawn Trojahn and Joanna Kelley of Washington State University for their project entitled “Identifying Transcript Isoforms in Grizzly Bears with Human Therapeutic Value.” Read blog post Update! Hear about this project from Shawn Trojahn: Using grizzly bears to unlock the biomedical promise of hibernation 2018 Plant and Animal SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by GENEWIZ Awarded to Arne Nolte of the University of Oldenburg and Fritz Sedlazeck of Baylor College of Medicine for their project to assemble the genome of the European cavefish. Learn more about this project |
|
2018 Structural Variation SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by the University of Minnesota Genomics Center
Awarded to Kristen Sund of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for her project “Unsolved Mysteries: Sequencing to Solve Neurologic Disease with Structural Rearrangements.” Read blog post Update! Hear about Kristin Sund’s results: Increasing solve rates for rare and Mendelian diseases with long-read sequencing 2018 Iso-Seq SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by RTL Genomics Awarded to Xiaochang Zhang of the University of Chicago for his project “Uncovering mRNA Splicing Diversity in Cerebral Cortex Development.” Read blog post |
|
2018 Microbial Genomics SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by University of Maryland’s Genomics Resource Center
Awarded to Mark Webber of Quadram Institute for his proposal to study preventing infection for premmies. Read blog post |
2017 SMRT Grants
|
2017 Plant and Animal SMRT Grant Program
Awarded to Bill Ballard of University of New South Wales and Claire Wade of the University of Sydney for their Dancing with Dingoes project. Learn more about this project |
|
2017 Structural Variant SMRT Grant Program – co-sponsored by GENEWIZ
Awarded to Stephen Scherer of The Centre for Applied Genomics at The Hospital for Sick Children for his project “Using Low-Coverage PacBio SMRT Sequencing to Find Structural Variation Mutations in Autism Families with Multiple Affected Individuals.” Read blog post 2017 Cancer SMRT Grant Program Awarded to Andrew Ludlow of the University of Michigan for his proposal to investigate the splicing of transcripts regulated by the oncogene NOVA1. Read blog post |
|
2017 Microbial SMRT Grant Program
Awarded to Alexander Shumaker of Rutgers University for his research on the coral microbiome. Read blog post |
Don’t want to wait to win a SMRT Grant to get started with highly accurate long-read sequencing? Connect with a PacBio scientist for a free project consultation.