Primordia is a microgrants program for early stage biology experiments run in community labs and other compliant spaces. We help people move ideas out of notebooks and into the lab by providing small, fast grants and a structure for sharing lab notes, results, and stories.
Simple cycles for experiments that fit in months and micro-budgets.
Teams propose a focused experiment they can run in a community lab or other compliant space within a few months.
Applications are reviewed by a panel of community lab leaders and practitioners.
Selected teams receive a flexible microgrant that can be allocated for for reagents, consumables, equipment, and lab membership fees.
Grantees commit to sharing short updates and lab notes during the grant period, building an open portfolio of their progress.
At the end of the cycle, projects share results in a public session and written summary.
In biology, a primordium is an organ or tissue in its earliest stage of development. Primordia is a collection of those beginnings. That is what this initiative exists for: many small, early experiments that can grow into something bigger.
Below are examples of community biolab initiatives that can emerge from early support.
Engineered yeast in community labs to produce milk proteins for animal free cheese.
Started in BioCurious, San Francisco
Hacked together a portable DNA lab with PCR, thermocyclers, power, and gel box.
Started in Biohackspace, London
Prototyped low cost, liquid handling robot to automate basic biology workflows.
Started in Genspace, New York City
Developed small-scale community-centered model for insulin production.
Started in Counter Culture Labs, Oakland
Anyone with a clear biology experiment they can run in a compliant lab setting within a few months. Primordia is especially supportive of students, early career researchers, community bio members, and independent builders, and you do not need institutional affiliation or formal credentials to apply. What matters most is a concrete plan and the ability to carry out the work safely.
You do not need to already be a member of a community lab when you apply. You do need a realistic plan for where the work will be done, such as a community lab or another compliant lab setting, by the time the project starts. Primordia is designed to support projects run in appropriate lab environments, and can sometimes help applicants access lab space where possible.
Grant funds are meant to help you run the proposed experiment. This usually includes reagents, consumables, basic materials, and lab-related fees such as community lab membership or bench fees when relevant. If you are unsure whether a cost fits, you can include it in your budget notes and explain how it supports the experiment.
Microgrants are up to $3,000 per project. Some awards may be smaller depending on the project scope, budget, and the size of the funding pool for that cohort.
Most projects are expected to produce an initial proof of concept and clear learnings in about 3 to 4 months. A slightly longer timeline may be possible if the project is still tightly scoped and the plan is well justified.
Primordia supports projects that can be carried out safely and legally in the applicant’s jurisdiction and within the policies of the host lab. Applicants are asked to describe where the work will take place and how they plan to handle safety, sourcing, and disposal. If a project involves restricted materials or activities that are not appropriate for the proposed setting, Primordia may ask for revisions or determine that it is not a fit for the program. Local laws and host lab safety rules always apply.
