One of the most salient milestones in a scientific career is the transition from mentored training to an independent research position. Unfortunately, numerous factors within the modern research ecosystem have also made this transition one of the most vulnerable attrition points in the academic career pipeline(1,2). Individuals from underrepresented and diverse communities are disproportionately affected and leave the academic pathway prior to obtaining a faculty appointment(2). Diversity among investigators improves scientific innovation and collaboration (3,4). The vision of the Independence Awards is to drive the Simons Foundation’s mission of supporting excellent science while nurturing diversity in the scientific community.
Independence Awards are currently offered through three programs: the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) Bridge to Independence Award, the Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB) Transition to Independence Award, and the Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain (SCPAB) Transition to Independence Award.
The programs share the same goals and eligibility criteria, while emphasizing distinct scientific missions.
Goals and Award Activities
All Independence Award programs engage talented early-career scientists from diverse and/or historically underrepresented backgrounds to pursue research in either autism science (SFARI), computational and systems neuroscience (SCGB), or cognitive aging (SCPAB), while facilitating their transition into independent faculty positions at a research institution. The fellows form a learning community with current Independence Fellows and engage in professional development and community-building activities throughout their transition to research independence. The program seeks to empower early-career scientists to conduct cutting-edge, high-impact research, while simultaneously contributing to a more inclusive scientific environment. We envision that the fellows will become independent investigators, make major scientific contributions in their fields, and inspire the next generation of talent. In this way, the programs offer a pathway that will lead to greater diversity in our scientific community and make a significant positive impact in the scientific environment.
Independence Fellows will be provided with up to five (5) years of support, split into two awards: 1) Postdoctoral Award (for a maximum of two (2) years), and 2) Faculty Research Award (over three (3) years). The Postdoctoral Award includes an annual salary of $85,000, fringe benefits, an annual resource and professional development allowance of $10,000, and indirect costs. Upon assumption of an approved tenure-track faculty position, fellows receive the Faculty Research Award of up to $600,000 total over three years including indirect costs.
Professional development and community-building activities include participation in virtual community meetings and workshops, 1:1 meetings with an assigned external faculty mentor and Simons Foundation scientists and staff, and in-person attendance at investigator meetings and Independence Award retreats each year. Simons Foundation scientists and staff are available to provide perspective and personalized guidance throughout the faculty job search, offer and negotiation process. Our intention is to empower fellows to negotiate a start-up package that allows each individual to be optimally successful as an independent investigator. For details please see the latest request for applications (RFAs) for each program and our grant policies: SFARI Bridge to Independence RFA, SCGB Transition to Independence Award RFA, SCPAB Transition to Independence Award RFA.
New cohorts of fellows will join their peers and alumni of previous application cycles: SFARI Bridge to Independence Award Fellow profiles; SCGB Transition to Independence Award Fellow profiles; SCPAB Transition to Independence Award Fellow profiles. Please note, program goals and eligibility criteria have differed among RFAs in previous years.
Distinct Scientific Missions
The award programs emphasize different scientific missions. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the information below and to refer to each program’s respective RFAs as well as their scientific mission statements for more details.
Prospective applicants may apply to more than one Independence Award program during the same application RFA cycle. However, each application will be reviewed individually based on the program’s own scientific goals. If you have questions regarding the suitability of your scientific proposal for a particular RFA, please reach out to the respective program’s scientific staff at the contact email listed in the table below.
Eligibility
The Independence Award programs are aimed at Ph.D. and/or M.D.-holding scientists from diverse and/or historically underrepresented groups in science who are currently in a non-independent, mentored training position at an institution within or outside the U.S. and who will be actively seeking and applying to tenure-track faculty positions in the next academic job search cycle. Independence Fellows are expected to apply, secure and transition to a tenure-track faculty position at a research institution within or outside the U.S. within 24 months of their start in the programs. U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status is not required.
The Independence Awards program recognizes individual diversity to encompass a wide spectrum of human differences. For the purposes of this award, we aim to support scientists from diverse and/or under-represented groups within these categories: race, ethnicity, disadvantaged social and/or economic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability status. Please see the most recently published request for applications (RFAs) for eligibility criteria.
There is no limit on length of mentored training.
RFA Timeline
For details please see the latest request for applications (RFAs) for each program and our grant policies: SFARI Bridge to Independence RFA, SCGB Transition to Independence Award RFA, SCPAB Transition to Independence Award RFA.
Please note that this will be the last RFA for the SCGB TTI program.
Open: October 10, 2023
Informational Session: November 2, 2023
Due: January 10, 2024
Virtual Finalist Interviews Conclude: June 10, 2024
Applicants Notified of Funding Decisions: By July 23, 2024
Key Differences
| SFARI BTI | SCGB TTI | SCPAB TTI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific Focus | The Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) is dedicated to improving the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders by funding innovative research of the highest quality and relevance. The SFARI BTI Award program welcomes applications that span the breadth of autism science that SFARI supports, including genetics, molecular mechanisms, circuits and systems, and clinical science. For reference, please see SFARI scientific perspectives. New fellows join a learning community with all Independence Awards fellows, including current BTI and TTI fellows, and engage in professional development and community-building activities. |
The Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB) is dedicated to supporting advances in systems and computational neuroscience with the goal of expanding our understanding of the brain’s internal states. The SCGB TTI Award program welcomes applications from scientists planning to do work consistent with SCGB’s scientific mission, ideally investigating large-scale circuits at single-cell resolution to understand neural dynamics and coding. New fellows join a learning community with all Independence Awards fellows, including current BTI and TTI fellows, and engage in professional development and community-building activities.
|
The Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain (SCPAB) aims to discover mechanisms of resilience and functional maintenance in the non-diseased aging brain. The SCPAB TTI program welcomes applications from scientists planning to conduct research consistent with the SCPAB’s scientific mission to investigate cognitive aging. A previous background in aging research is not required; candidates with backgrounds in fields including neuroscience, molecular biology, genetics, immunology, cell biology, and the physical and information sciences are encouraged to apply. New fellows join a learning community with all Independence Awards fellows, including current BTI and TTI fellows, and engage in professional development and community-building activities. |
| Program Contacts | Scientific inquiries: sciencerfa@simonsfoundation.org Administrative inquiries: sfarigrants@simonsfoundation.org |
Scientific inquiries: globalbrain@simonsfoundation.org Administrative inquiries: neurogrants@simonsfoundation.org |
Scientific inquiries: agingbrain@simonsfoundation.org Administrative inquiries: neurogrants@simonsfoundation.org |
References
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The Next Generation of Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences Researchers: Breaking Through. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press (2018) Report
- Hofstra, B. et al., 2019. The diversity-innovation paradox in science. PNAS 117(17).
- AlShebli et al., 2018. The preeminence of ethnic diversity in scientific collaboration. Nat Comm 9(1).
- Meyers, L.C., et al., 2018. Survey of checkpoints along the pathway to diverse biomedical research faculty. PLoS One 13(1).