Scientific Software Research Faculty Award

The deadline to submit applications is December 5, 2024, at 12 p.m. (noon) EST. Late applications will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted via the Simons Award Manager (SAM), https://sam.simonsfoundation.org/. Please click on the Funding Opportunities icon. Applications should be started and submitted under the applicant’s own account in the Simons Award Manager (SAM). For the Scientific Software Research Faculty Award application, please click on Create Application and then on Begin Application. After creating an application, navigate to the Applications in Progress section on your homepage to access the in-progress application.

Informational videos on submitting applications in SAM can be found here.

LOI and proposal attachments should be single-spaced and in a common typeface and font size no smaller than 10 points. Margins must be at least half an inch in all directions.

Please note that in the event of budgetary or other considerations, The Simons Foundation, Inc. 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.

Please complete the application as follows:

Stage 1 – LOI:

1. Proposal Tab:
   1. Applicant Details & Personal Data: Enter required fields (including title, department and academic rank). Please note that the institution in the LOI application should reflect the applicant’s current institution.
   2. Academic Degrees: Add/modify degrees (required).
   3. Application Details: Enter the title of the LOI application.
   4. Enter name of host institution.
   5. Proposal – Upload required files as follows:
      1. Research Statement (two-page limit, including references and figures, which can be embedded within the text): Must outline the scientific background and motivation of the applicant’s research program.
      2. Scientific Vision Statement (four-page limit, including references and figures, which can be embedded within the text): Must describe the scientific vision of the research program and a plan for future research and software development. The statement should include a roadmap and software sustainability plan that outlines (1) new functionality development (to enable new scientific directions or questions), (2) work that will enhance the openness, reusability or access to the software and (3) work that will improve the sustainability of the project by implementing or supporting best practices for software sustainability (for example, by substantially developing or improving documentation and educational materials, working on testing and continuous integration systems, establishing contributor/maintainer mentorship programs or running workshops to train new users and developers).
      3. Host Institution Letter of Support (must use provided template): Must be co-signed by the department chair and dean at the host/future institution and which must describe the type of position and provide an affirmation of eligibility requirements. In particular, the letter must confirm principal investigator (PI) status for the applicant at the institution, specify that the fractional teaching load will be at or less than 50 percent time, and assure that the faculty position is not term-limited. The letter must clearly affirm that, if the applicant is funded/awarded, the university and department will commit a clinical faculty line to the awardee.
      4. Applicant Biosketch: A SciENcv or fillable PDF NIH- or NSF-style biosketch. Include information about key software products and contributions in the “products” section of the biosketch.
   6. Indicate the extent to which, if any, generative AI technology was used and how it was used to develop your proposal.
2. Check Application Progress: Click the Check Application Progress button to check for any missing required information or files. All missing required information will be listed at the top of the screen and must be corrected before the application can be submitted.
3. Submit Application: When the LOI application is complete, please click on the Submit Application button to submit to the foundation. Please note that you will not be able to submit an application if the deadline has passed.

LOI Approval:

A submitted LOI will appear in the Submitted queue of the Applications in Progress table on your SAM home page. If the LOI is approved, its status changes to In Progress. Click on the record to gain access to the full proposal application.

Stage 2 – Full Proposal:

1. Proposal Tab:
   1. Applicant Details & Personal Data: Complete all required fields for the applicant/PI, including academic rank, demographic data, position/title and ORCID iD. This information should be completed in the applicant’s profile. The applicant may use the Edit Profile button to update their information as needed. Please note that the institution in the full proposal application should reflect the applicant’s host/future institution.
   2. Academic Degrees: Add/modify degrees (required).
   3. Application Details:
      1. Title: The title of the full proposal application will be the same as in the LOI proposal.
      2. Enter start and end dates. The five-year award can begin no earlier than September 1, 2025, and no later than September 1, 2026.
   4. Proposal: All proposal attachments that were included in the LOI are now available in the Full Proposal application. No changes are required in this section.
   5. Indicate the extent to which, if any, generative AI technology was used and how it was used to develop your proposal.
2. Contacts & Personnel Tab: Please refer to the instructions provided in SAM to designate the required institutional contacts. Under Project Personnel, indicate all project personnel, other than the applicant PI, including postdoctoral research associates, that will receive funding from this grant.
3. Budget Tab: Click the Edit/Modify button to add a detailed, five-year budget and justification. Please refer to the RFA for funding levels and allowable expenses.
   1. In order for known project personnel to display in the Personnel column drop-down list, you must add them as Project Personnel in the Contacts & Personnel tab of the application as well as add an application role to each personnel using the “Add More Details” button. You will need to close and reopen the budget for the changes to populate. Do not select TBD in the Personnel drop-down list if the personnel is known. They must be first entered in the Project Personnel section as outlined above.
   2. Do not combine personnel on one budget line (e.g. multiple postdocs must be itemized individually).
   3. Provide justification for each budget line item entered, including all Personnel Costs requested. Please note that the budget justification should be detailed and appropriate for the funds being requested. An insufficient budget justification will result in the proposal not being considered further.
   4. Within each budget period, you have the ability to copy the budget and justification from the previous period and then make edits as needed.
4. Check Application Progress: Click the Check Application Progress button to check for any missing required information or files. All missing required information will be listed at the top of the screen and must be corrected before the application can be submitted.
5. Send for Sign-off: When the application is complete, please click on the ‘Send for sign-off button’ to send to your signing official for signature. You will receive a notification when the application is signed.
6. Submit Application: When the full proposal application is complete and signed, please click on the Submit Application button. Submission of the application acts as affirmation from the awardee and host institution that the applicant’s position meets the eligibility criteria outlined in the RFA. A confirmation page will appear once the application is successfully submitted. Please note that you will not be able to submit an application if the deadline has passed.