Opportunity
The Simons Foundation’s Life Sciences division invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships to support candidates who intend to pursue a career in basic research on fundamental problems in plant biology. We are interested in applicants with training in disciplines that could be brought to bear on plant biology, including but not limited to engineering, computational modeling, theory, chemistry, synthetic biology and physics, as well as applicants already involved in the plant sciences. The program is purposefully flexible to attract diverse expertise: Applicants may (i) bring their skills as a plant biologist into the research group of a principal investigator (PI) specializing in another discipline, as listed above; (ii) bring their skills in these other disciplines to the research group of a PI specializing in plant biology; or (iii) identify a pair of PIs — one in the plant sciences and one in another discipline — to jointly advise them on their project.
Eligibility
Applicants should have received their Ph.D. or equivalent degree within three (3) years of the fellowship application deadline. Both U.S. citizens and foreign applicants are invited to apply to work with postdoctoral research sponsor(s) in the U.S. Awards can only be issued to nonprofit research universities or research institutions.
Simons Foundation employees who receive a W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement) from the Simons Foundation, including employees of the Flatiron Institute, may not apply as a PI to any Simons Foundation or Simons Foundation International Requests for Applications (RFAs) released by the Simons Foundation. 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.
Award
The award is for three (3) years, contingent upon satisfactory progress, and will include an annual stipend of $85,000 and an annual allowance of up to $35,000. This fellowship is intended to support full-time research, and any exceptions (e.g., teaching positions) require advance approval from Simons Foundation staff. The annual allowance may be spent on health insurance for the fellow and family and other benefits as required by the institution, research supplies, small equipment (including computers), attendance at scientific meetings and other research-related travel. Recipients may not concurrently hold another postdoctoral fellowship or position. Funds from the annual allowance may be reallocated to the annual stipend if required to meet the institution’s minimum salary for postdoctoral fellows, at the institution’s discretion. The stipend may not be reallocated to increase the research allowance. Up to $2,000 of the allowance may be used for relocation of the fellow and family to the host institution. Relocation costs must be in accordance with the policies of the host institution. Payment cannot be made directly to fellows. No indirect or overhead costs may be charged. Policies and procedures governing this award can be found at the following link.
Please note that in the event of budgetary or other considerations, The Simons Foundation, Inc. (“the Foundation” or “SF”) reserves the right to refer an application to The Simons Foundation International, Ltd. (“SFI”) for consideration and funding. SFI and SF have entered into an agreement pursuant to which SF provides program operations and grant administration services, including payment processing, to SFI. SFI grant recipients are subject to SF Policies and Procedures.
Applications must include:
- Short personal autobiographical statement, including a summary of prior research experience (one [1] page).
- Brief research proposal with title and abstract (two to three [2–3] pages, plus references, and one [1] page for figures), including discussion about how this postdoctoral fellowship will prepare the applicant for their future career. For applicants applying from other fields, incorporate an explanation of how the skills that they possess will be useful in advancing their project in plant science. For applicants from the plant sciences, explain how the skills acquired in their new discipline will be useful in advancing their project in plant science.
- Biosketches of the applicant and sponsor(s), including publications; the applicant should provide a full list of citations. Only short format (five [5]-page maximum) biosketches from the sponsor(s) are requested.
- List of sponsor(s)’ current and pending other support, including names of PI and co-PIs and total award amount.
- Letters of recommendation from applicant’s thesis adviser and two additional research scientists, who should address the applicant’s potential for future leadership in research, and letter of support from the postdoctoral research sponsor(s) (none of whom can be the applicant’s thesis adviser), who must acknowledge acceptance of the applicant to their laboratory. If two sponsors will jointly advise an applicant, they must submit a joint sponsorship letter. Only one application from a postdoctoral research sponsor will be considered in any year. Confidential letters must be submitted through the Simons Award Manager (SAM).
- Budget (three years)
- Brief budget justification
- Renewable reagents and data-sharing plan
- Submission of the application with institution signature will document the commitment from the fellow’s institution to administer the fellowship.
Instructions for Submission
Applications must be completed electronically and submitted through the Simons Award Manager (SAM) by December 4, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern time. Please refer to the How to Apply instructions for further details.
Our Commitment to Expanding Pathways to Science and Opportunities for All
Many of the greatest ideas and discoveries come from a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds and experiences. The Simons Foundation is committed to advancing basic science and mathematics to benefit humankind and expand our collective understanding of our world. As part of our mission, we support partners, programs and initiatives that seek to broaden the scientific community and open pathways to science and mathematics careers.
The Simons Foundation provides equal opportunities to all applicants for funding without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, pregnancy, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic disposition, neurodiversity, disability, veteran status or any other protected category under federal, state and local law.