Greetings,

We are excited to share this funding opportunity from Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RSCA). RSCA is accepting Letter of Intent (LOI) submissions for its Team Science Accelerator, a collaborative approach to research that leverages the strengths and expertise of professionals trained in different fields to address a scientific challenge. 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 Current Opportunities web page. As a reminder, our Research Development team is available to provide proposal development support to FAS ladder faculty.

Research Corporation for Science Advancement Team Science Accelerator

• OSP Deadline: Not applicable at Letter of Intent (LOI) stage
• Sponsor Deadline: November 10, 2026 at 1:00 AM ET (November 9, 2026 at 11:00 PM MT) 
• Award Amount: Up to $1,000,000 total cost over two years (including 10% indirect costs).
  Although detailed budget information is not required at the LOI stage of application, RCSA's rate of 10% of modified total direct costs should be used for budget estimate purposes. This falls short of the 15% overhead required by FAS/SEAS policy. Please discuss this with your grants administrator before preparing an application.

Program Overview

Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA), a private foundation, supports basic research in the physical sciences and related fields. The RCSA Team Science Accelerator program is a new two-year pilot program to help faculty adopt team science structures with the goal of amplifying impact, accelerating science, and solving big challenges. RCSA's vision is to build a national network of early- and mid-career leaders who are adept at working in environments of goal-focused small teams. The Team Science Accelerator will support three to four interdisciplinary teams of scientists pursuing high-risk, high-reward basic research across the physical sciences and their adjacent fields and subdisciplines. Teams will also receive support systems needed to enhance team performance, including facilitated workshops, mentoring from discipline-based team science experts, and professional team coaching. 

Priority Areas

• Basic physical sciences and their adjacent fields or subdisciplines, including but not limited to: 
  • Chemistry (including biochemistry and chemical biology)
  • Physics (including biophysics and astrophysics)
  • Materials science (including quantum materials, magnetic materials, and materials required for advanced energy solutions)
  • Earth and planetary science
  • Astronomy 

Eligibility Criteria

• Each team member (PI and co-PI) must: 
  • Hold a full-time, independent position such as an academic appointment or equivalent scientist track at a national laboratory or nonacademic research institute.
  • Work at a U.S. or Canadian institution of higher education, national laboratory, or appropriate research institute with access to the resources necessary to conduct their component of the proposed project. 
  • Started their first full-time, independent position within 10 years of the LOI submission. Team members who experienced a career delay may request an extension of their eligibility by including a description of delay circumstances in the LOI submission. 
  • Demonstrate through their CV a track record of excellence. 
  • Show a willingness to share openly, learn from peers, and contribute to a national network of team-science leaders. 
• Teams as a whole must:
  • Represent an interdisciplinary collection of three to five scientists where each team member contributes a specific and essential expertise required for project success.
  • Propose work toward a high-risk, high reward project in the basic physical sciences and their adjacent fields or subdisciplines.
  • Explain and contextualize importance of the core problem to be explored. 
  • Set bold but achievable scientific milestones. 
  • Communicate a plan for team governance to be adopted and adhered to by all team members.
  • Show a willingness to share openly, learn from peers, and contribute to a national network of team-science leaders.

LOI Materials

• Two-page LOI in PDF format. 
• Scientific Impact Statement.
• Team Governance Statement. 
• AI use statement.
• NSF or NIH style biosketches.
• Current and pending support. 
• Clock Extension Statement (if applicable).
• Additional details are available in Frequently Asked Questions. 

Selection Process

• LOI: An open call to identify teams with breakthrough potential.
• Two-day, In-person Workshop: Finalist teams undergo intensive facilitation to build their charters at a working conference in Tuscon, Arizona on June 21-23, 2027. The workshop is part of the selection process. All team members must attend in person.
• Final Proposal: Submitted post-workshop, reflecting the refined goals and structures developed at the in-person workshop. Final proposals are due by July 1, 2027.

Selection Criteria for Finalists from LOI Submissions

• Ability to communicate the critical nature of the core challenge selected, why this team is the right group to do the project, and the immediacy of the problem.
• A sharply defined scientific goal tied to a specific, testable breakthrough with a clear impact statement.
• A focus on basic science.
• A clear-eyed plan for the methods the science requires, including if and how artificial intelligence or other computational tools might meaningfully advance hypothesis generation, simulation, or data analysis associated with the project.
• A team composition that is complementary, interdisciplinary, and fully integrated.
• Team member career stage aimed at advancing cohorts of early- and mid-career scientists toward success in the leadership of scientific teams. Groups skewed toward or representing only the senior end of eligibility criteria may not fully suit this program.
• A leadership statement articulating how the team is approaching overall project management and leadership.

 Additional Information and Resources

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