Greetings,

We are excited to share this funding opportunity from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative supports research and the development of novel methods that significantly expand knowledge of how symbiotic relationships function, evolve, and shape aquatic ecosystems. More information about the award can be found in the synopsis and links below. For a full list of currently open opportunities that have been announced through our office, please visit our new Current Opportunities web page. As a reminder, our Research Development team is available to provide proposal development support to FAS ladder faculty.

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation: Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative

• OSP Deadline: Not applicable at this initial stage of the process
• Sponsor Deadline: July 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT (August 1, 2026 at 2:59 AM ET)
• Award Amount: Unspecified. Project period is three years. Grant budgets will be set through discussions with staff and are subject to review by Moore Foundation approvers. At this stage, applicants will submit a budget sketch to help Foundation staff understand project cost drivers, but not to estimate a specific dollar amount.
  Indirect costs are not to exceed 12.5% of allowable expenses. While indirect cost discussions will occur with those advancing in the review process, interested FAS/SEAS applicants should note that this falls short of the 15% overhead required by FAS/SEAS policy. If selected to advance, please discuss this shortfall with your grants administrator.

Program Overview

The Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative is a 12-year (2019-2031), $200 million, board-authorized funding program that supports research and the development of novel methods that significantly expand knowledge of how symbiotic relationships function, evolve, and shape marine and freshwater aquatic ecosystems. This new request for proposals (RFP) is designed to catalyze innovative collaborations that bring together expertise in aquatic symbiosis with leading-edge approaches from other areas of science and complementary disciplines. By integrating perspectives and methods in new ways, the Foundation intends to enable discoveries that address fundamental and often long-standing questions about the origin, function, and evolution of symbiotic relationships of aquatic organisms. Competitive proposals will describe how proposed collaborations will open new lines of inquiry, redefine existing paradigms, or overcome methodological and technological barriers in the study of aquatic symbioses. Preliminary data are not required. Proposals should present a compelling rationale and demonstrate that the proposed approach is feasible. 

Topic Areas

• Topic Area 1: Aquatic Environments. How the physical, chemical, and biological features of aquatic environments shape symbiotic interactions. 

• Topic Area 2: Evolutionary Ecology. Exploring interactions between ecological context, evolutionary processes, and symbiotic partnerships.

• Topic Area 3: Novel Methods. Projects focused on developing new methods, tools, or analytical approaches that enable novel capabilities to study aquatic symbioses.
  • Proposals in this topic area should emphasize ambitious methods and tool development with clarity on how the new techniques would subsequently be used but should not aim to answer scientific questions or carry out research in the standard sense.
• Refer to the full Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative request for proposals for details on each topic area.
• Studies centered on agriculture, aquaculture, aquaponics, the human microbiome, applied sciences, symbiosis in terrestrial systems (such as plants and soil), symbioses without a microbe, predator-prey relationships, and pathogen research are outside the scope of this funding opportunity.

Eligibility Criteria

• Tenure-track researchers at academic institutions.
• An individual may participate in only one proposal submission in response to this solicitation.
• Interdisciplinary teams are required:
  • Proposals must be submitted by teams of two investigators: One with demonstrated expertise in aquatic symbiosis, and one contributing complementary disciplinary, methodological, or theoretical expertise (please see examples of such expertise in the full Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative request for proposals). 
  • The Moore Foundation encourages collaborations that bridge disciplines that have not traditionally worked together, where integration of methods, technologies and perspectives creates the potential for qualitatively new approaches and insights. 
• Projects should align with one or more of the topic areas listed above.
• Ideas must focus on marine or freshwater organisms and must involve symbioses that include or are comprised of microbial partners (bacteria, archaea, and single-celled eukaryotes).
• Projects should pursue ambitious, high-risk, high-reward ideas with the potential for significant impact. Strong proposals will demonstrate how the collaboration enables new ways of addressing core questions related to the origin, function, and evolution of aquatic symbiotic relationships.

Application Materials

• Proposals must clearly describe the scientific vision of the project idea and its relevance to the goals of the Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative. Submissions must not exceed six pages (excluding references; figures within the six-page limit are encouraged) and must include the components listed below. Applicants should use 11-point Times New Roman font on 8.5 x 11" paper with 1-inch margins.
  • Project description
  • Impact potential
• Biosketches for proposal lead and co-submitter.
• Budget sketch (one page maximum)

  • Please include the number and role of laboratory personnel critical for project success and what each person would do.

  • Note that the Moore Foundation strongly prefers to support postdoctoral fellows and technicians as opposed to graduate students due to the high risk nature of the projects this Initiative aims to support.

  • Please also describe any non-standard materials & supplies and equipment requirements, as well as information about the scope of contracts required for activities such as sequencing.

  • If any equipment request would be more than $25,000, please note an approximate cost; quotes are not necessary to obtain at this point in the process.

  • Please do not include travel, publication fees, or indirect cost estimates.
• Current and pending funding for proposal lead and co-submitter.

Selection Criteria

• Proposals will be evaluated by foundation staff and external reviewers. Review criteria will include:
  • Creativity
  • Degree of integration across disciplines and/or robustness of methodological interface
  • Clarity and rigor of the proposed approach for topic areas 1 and 2
  • Clarity on research avenues that would be opened if successful for topic area 3
  • Strength and complementarity of the team
  • Potential for impact
  • Alignment with initiative priorities

Additional Information and Resources

 

 

 

 

 

 

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