The Simons Foundation’s Life Sciences division is accepting applications for the Synthetic Plant Biology program. Deadline for application submission: 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern time on July 30, 2026.
Opportunity
The Synthetic Plant Biology program is intended to support research that applies engineering principles and techniques to advance our understanding of how plants function. These projects can tackle a variety of goals, including the development of sensors to study plant physiological responses, the engineering of plants capable of withstanding inhospitable environments, genetic modifications that reveal the trade-offs inherent in plant growth and development, and many others. We are interested both in the generation of fundamental insights in plant biology and in the development of innovative tools and techniques that will empower plant biological research in the future. Research funded under this initiative is expected to be exploratory, and there is not a requirement to have preliminary data at the application stage. Instead, we are seeking investigations that are high-risk but which, if successful, would enable highly impactful research in the synthetic biology of plants in the future. Generation of preliminary data is one of the anticipated objectives of these awards.
Eligibility
All investigators must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree and have a faculty position at a college or university, or the equivalent (eligible for receiving grant funding as a Principal Investigator [PI]) at a research institute or other research facility that does not have faculty positions. In addition, eligible applicants must have research space at their institution.
Individuals are limited to one project proposal for this RFA. There is no limit to the number of investigators from one institution who may apply.
Applications may be submitted by U.S. nonprofit organizations; public and private institutions, such as colleges, universities, laboratories, institutes, and units of state and local government; and research-oriented agencies of the federal government. There are no citizenship requirements for PIs.
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. 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.
Funding
- Award Amount: The maximum annual budget is $360,000, including indirect costs.
- Award Duration: February 1, 2027, through January 31, 2030 (three years).
- Number of Awards: We expect to select three to five applications for funding.
Application Process
When completing the application, applicants must refer to the How to Apply tab for details on the full application requirements and submission instructions. Applications will be reviewed by Simons Foundation scientific staff and an expert review committee. Funding decisions will be based on:
- The quality of the proposal as determined by a panel of plant biologists, especially regarding the promise of the new tools, techniques or insights proposed to facilitate future research in plant synthetic biology,
- The quality of the applicant’s previous research and
- The potential for impact to the field of plant biology.
Award Policies
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.
Additional award terms may be included in the official award notification. Grantees are subject to the conditions outlined in their official award notification.
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.