Greetings,

We are excited to share this funding opportunity from the Simons Foundation. The Simons Foundation's Mathematics and Physical Sciences (MPS) division invites collaborative Letter of Intent (LOI) submissions addressing topics where a significant new development creates a novel area for exploration or provides a new direction for progress in an established field. 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.

Simons Foundation: Collaborations in Mathematics and the Physical Sciences

• OSP Deadline: Not required at LOI stage
  Although OSP review is not required at this stage, applicants should discuss proposal plans with their departmental or FORA grants administrator.
• Sponsor LOI Deadline: October 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET
• Award Amount: Up to $2,000,000 per year for four years, inclusive of 20% indirect costs
  The foundation would allow the annual budget to vary from $2,000,000 as long as the four-year total budget is no more than $8,000,000.

 

Program Overview

The aim of the Simons Foundation's Collaborations in MPS is to stimulate progress on fundamental scientific questions of major importance in mathematics, theoretical physics, and theoretical computer science. The questions addressed by a collaboration may be concrete or conceptual, but there should be little doubt that answering them would constitute a major scientific milestone. The project should have clearly defined initial activities and goals by which progress and success can be measured, and be organized in a manner engendering a high level of collaboration. The foundation expects to award up to three new collaborations in 2027, which will begin on January 1, 2028. 

Collaboration Director and PIs

• Each collaboration is led by a Collaboration Director (Spokesperson PI) who is expected to determine the scientific agenda, coordinate the scientific activities of the other members, and organize collaboration meetings and activities as appropriate, including a two-day annual meeting at the foundation.
• The project should involve outstanding researchers in a range of career stages. Excellence of the scientific leadership is one of the main criteria in the selection process.
• Proposals should specify a core group of PIs. At least seven to eight PIs are suggested for collaborations. Additional PIs may only be added after an LOI is approved.
• Attendance at the annual meeting held at the foundation is expected for each collaboration member.

 

Eligibility Criteria

• The Spokesperson PI must hold a tenured faculty or equivalent position at an educational institution with a Ph.D. program in the Collaboration Director’s department at the time of application and for the duration of the award.
• PIs and Co-Investigators (Co-Is) must hold a tenured or tenure-track faculty (or equivalent) position at an educational institution at the time of application and for the duration of the award.
• There are no restrictions on the department and/or discipline of the Collaboration Director or PIs/Co-Is; however, proposals in chemistry are not being considered at this time.
• Being a Simons Fellow or a Simons Investigator (in either math, physics, astrophysics or computer science) does not disqualify applicants from applying as part of a collaboration project. However, an active Math+X Investigator cannot be an active Collaboration Director or PI.
• An individual in a PI, Additional PI or Co-I role may be part of not more than two letters of intent (LOI) and only one full proposal, as long as all eligibility requirements are met.
• An active PI, Additional PI, Co-I, or director on a currently funded collaboration project cannot be part of an LOI or proposal and can only participate on one funded collaboration at a time in any of those roles, including during the no-cost extension period.
• Interinstitutional and international collaborations are allowed. The Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International do not provide funding to institutions in China, including funding to support subcontracts at institutions in China or Hong Kong or consultants residing or working for institutions in China or Hong Kong.
• PIs and any project personnel listed on the application who will receive funding for salary, travel, support for students, postdocs or research staff, lab equipment, computing time or other individual expenses may not be employees of the Simons Foundation, which includes the Flatiron Institute. 

 

LOI Application

• Detailed instructions for completing each Tab section of the online LOI are located in the How to Apply section of the funding announcement, including:
  • Record Summary Tab: Applicant's name and institution 
  • Proposal Tab:
    • Applicant profile information.
    • LOI Narrative proposal file (three page limit): The narrative must outline the topic and scientific approach and explain the logistics of the collaboration and any relevant preliminary results. 
    • Personnel Biosketches: SciENcv, NIH, or NSF-style format, or a two- to three-page CV.
  • Contacts and Personnel Tab: Administrative and Project Personnel 
    • Although Signing Official and Financial Officer signatures are not required to submit an LOI, institutional officials may request to be added at this stage. 
  • Publications and Other Support Tab:
    • Up to 10 relevant publications for the Collaboration Director.
    • Other Support for the Collaboration Director. 

 

Application Process

• LOIs must be submitted via the Simons Award Manager (SAM) by the Collaboration Director (Spokesperson PI) by October 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET. 
• LOIs will be reviewed by Simons Foundation scientific staff. 
• Notification of the status of the LOI will be sent by January 1, 2027. 
• Review of the LOI may lead to a request for a full proposal, which will be due by February 24, 2027 at 12:00 PM ET. 
  • Full proposals will be reviewed by the Simons Foundation scientific staff and an expert external review committee. 
  • Project teams may be invited to come to the foundation to present their research plan. 
  • Notifications for full proposals will be sent by July 1, 2027. Awards will begin January 1, 2028.

 

Additional Information and Resources

 

 

 

 

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