Opportunity
The purpose of these awards is to provide support for students entering U.S.-based Ph.D. programs with a plan to perform research in ecology and evolution. While we will consider all projects in ecology and evolution, we are particularly interested in interdisciplinary research that jointly considers processes on both ecological and evolutionary timescales, or that links studies of ecology and evolution to other STEM fields, including physics, computer science, mathematics, chemistry and other areas of biology, especially genetics.
Eligibility
Applicants must be entering or applying for Ph.D. programs in biology or a subfield of the life sciences during fall 2025, with matriculation to start no later than October 1, 2026. It is permissible for applicants to hold a master’s degree, and it is encouraged that they hold a master’s degree in physics, mathematics, computer science or engineering. Individuals who already hold a Ph.D. or other terminal degree, or who have enrolled in a Ph.D. program prior to fall 2025, are not eligible. Fellowships must be hosted at United States institutions, at a campus within the United States. In order to hold the fellowship, the fellow must maintain enrollment at the host institution throughout the award period. Individuals may not receive salary support from this fellowship concurrently with salary support from any other source.
There are no citizenship requirements. Fellows are responsible for obtaining and maintaining the appropriate visa, if applicable.
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 principal investigator (PI) to any Simons Foundation or Simons Foundation International Requests for Applications (RFAs) released by the Simons Foundation.
Level and Duration of Funding
Grant funding will be for a maximum of three years of financial support usable over a five-year fellowship period. Awards will total $265,800, including indirect costs (limited to 20 percent of modified total direct costs). This covers three years’ worth of full-time support within a five-year period.
For each year of full-time support, the budget is set as follows: $50,000 stipend ($4,166.66 per month); a maximum of $25,000 cost of education allowance; $3,000 research funds; and up to $10,600 in indirect costs. The cost of education allowance may be used for tuition, tuition-related fees, health insurance for the fellow and their family, and other benefits as required by the institution. Indirect costs are not permitted on the cost of education allowance. Any funds remaining from the cost of education allowance must be made available to the fellow as additional research funds. Research funds may be used for: research supplies, small equipment (including computers), publication costs, attendance at scientific meetings and other research-related travel. Although fellows will be expected to attend and present their research at an annual meeting in New York City, these costs will be covered by the foundation outside of grant funds and should not be charged to the fellowship. Costs for new student visas (including expenses incurred for visas prior to the award start date) and for student visa renewals within the award period are an allowable expense under the research funds category. Up to $2,000 of the cost of education 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.
Prior to each grant year, the host institution must certify how much support is requested from the fellowship for that year, by number of months. The stipend and cost of education allowance for that grant period will be prorated based on the number of months of support required from the fellowship. The research funds can be budgeted in any grant year, regardless of whether stipend and cost of education allowance are budgeted.
Reallocation: Funds may not be reallocated to or from the stipend. Funds may be reallocated from the cost of education allowance to the research allowance, but not from the research allowance to the cost of education allowance.
Grant transfers: Transfers to another institution are permitted with prior approval from the foundation.
No-Cost extensions: No-cost extensions will not be permitted.
Awards will begin August 1, 2026; September 1, 2026; or October 1, 2026. Please see our grant policies for further guidelines.
Submission of Fellowship Application
Fellowship applications must be submitted by the prospective fellow. Applicants must submit a letter of intent (LOI) by July 31, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern time. LOIs must be completed electronically and submitted through the Simons Award Manager (SAM). Please refer to the How to Apply instructions and FAQ for further details.
Please note that in the event of budgetary or other considerations the foundation reserves the right to refer an application to the Simons Foundation International, Ltd. (SFI) for consideration and funding, in which case SFI’s grant policies would apply.
Review Process
The review process will include evaluations by experts in the field, who will make recommendations to the Simons Foundation Life Sciences staff.
Fellowship finalists will be announced by October 31, 2025. All finalists will receive an award pending acceptance to an approved graduate program starting in fall 2026 and submission of a complete full application. Full applications will require submission of a budget and brief budget justification, and a signature indicating institutional approval, by May 28, 2026.
Awards are made to the institution of higher education at which the fellow will be enrolled. The awardee institution is responsible for the financial management of the award and the disbursement of fellowship funds to the individual fellow. Payment cannot be made directly to fellows. Applicants will receive formal award notifications by July 1, 2026.
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.