Travel Support for Mathematicians – 2027 Request for Applications

The goal of the Travel Support for Mathematicians program is to substantially increase collaborative contacts between accomplished, active mathematicians in the United States.

Funding will be based on the quality and significance of the applicant’s previous research and the likely impact the travel support will have on future research, both for the applicant and the applicant’s graduate students and/or postdoctoral fellows. Other criteria include publication in high-quality journals, the applicant’s current and recent Ph.D. students, as well as the applicant’s travel goals and general research activity.

To be eligible to apply, an individual must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Have a Ph.D. degree and hold a tenure-track or tenured position with a full-time appointment in a mathematics department with a Ph.D.-degree-granting program at an institution in the United States, on a campus in the United States (those with an appointment solely in a statistics department are not eligible);
• Have a current record of active research and publication in high-quality journals; and
• Do not currently hold any other external PI or co-PI grants with an end date after the start date of the award, including another Travel Support for Mathematicians award, but excluding Simons Fellowship in Math, conference grants (where support only covers travel expenses for the conference participants and does not provide any support for the applicant’s own research), as well as grants specifically to support students and/or postdoctoral fellows and their related activities and AMS-Simons grants. Co-investigator roles do not apply.

There are no citizenship requirements. The other support requirement applies only at the application stage.

Simons Foundation (“the Foundation” or “SF”) employees who receive a W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement) from the Foundation, including employees of the Flatiron Institute, may not apply as a principal investigator (PI) to any SF or Simons Foundation International (“SFI”) Requests for Applications (RFAs) released by the 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 Foundation, which includes the Flatiron Institute.

• Award Amount: Up to $8,400 per year for five years will be provided in the form of a grant, inclusive of 20 percent indirect costs (see grant policies).
• Award Duration: September 1, 2027, through August 31, 2032
• Number of Awards: Up to 140 applications are expected to be selected for funding.
• Use of Funds:
  • $6,000 per year for travel and research expenses, at the sole discretion of the PI, such as:
    • Scientific travel by the PI, the PI’s graduate and Ph.D. students and the other members of the PI’s department;
    • The expense of scientific visits, such as meals and travel to the PI’s home institution by the PI’s collaborators and other scientific visitors of interest to the PI;
    • Up to $1,500 per year may be used for other research expenses, such as computers, computer support, publication expenses, stationery, supplies, books and membership fees to professional organizations.
  • $1,000 per year, allocated towards discretionary funds, at the sole discretion of the PI’s department chair, to enhance its research atmosphere. Funds may be used for such expenses as:
    • Support for departmental colloquia and seminars, as well as refreshments and other research-related amenities;
    • Support for student orientations, prospective student visits and other departmental activities;
    • Subsidizing meals for faculty, students and visitors;
    • Furniture and research infrastructure, such as copiers, computer servers and computer support.
  • $1,400 per year for indirect costs, equal to 20% of direct costs per the foundation’s indirect costs policy.
  • No funds may be used for salary or teaching buyouts.

Applicants must submit a full application via Simons Award Manager (SAM) by 12 p.m. (noon) Eastern time on January 27, 2027. Applications will be reviewed by Simons Foundation scientific staff and an expert review committee.

Beginning this cycle, Travel Support for Mathematicians awards will be issued as grants rather than gifts. When submitting your application, please ensure that it is submitted through your institution’s grant-receiving entity — this may be a different entity than in previous years. This change applies only to new awards from this cycle forward. Awards already processed as gifts in prior years will remain unchanged and do not require further action.

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.

The following policy exceptions and/or terms are also in effect for these awards:

• Reporting: The grant will require the submission of a countersigned award letter. No additional reporting will be required.
• Unspent Funds: Unspent funds may be carried forward annually. Unspent funds at the end of the five-year period should be used in line with the original goals of the award for scientific travel and research expenses by the PI and department discretionary funds, or in the case of a PI institution transfer or retirement should be used in line with the original goals of the award for scientific travel and research expenses by other faculty members, graduate students or Ph.D. students of the department as well as towards department discretionary funds. No-cost extensions are not required and will not be processed.

Additional award terms may be included in the official award notification. Grantees are subject to the conditions outlined in their official award notification.

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.