Simons Investigator in Aquatic Microbial Ecology Awards
- Inquiries:
[email protected] - Office Hours
Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Microbes inhabit and sustain all habitats on Earth. In both marine and freshwater systems, microbes capture solar energy, catalyze biogeochemical transformations of important elements, produce and consume greenhouse gases, and provide the base of the food web.
The purpose of these awards was to support recently tenured, outstanding investigators in the field of microbial ecology in marine or natural freshwater systems, who would advance our understanding through field studies, laboratory experiments, modeling or theory. The program provided support for the establishment of a new research direction or an innovative expansion of current work. Investigators were required to be active in basic research addressing fundamental questions in microbial ecology or microbial biogeochemistry in natural aquatic systems for the duration of the award. Research focusing on the microbiomes of animals, problems related to pollution, paleoceanography or geobiology was out of scope for this program.
- Inquiries:
[email protected] - Office Hours
Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
The submission deadline for receipt of applications is December 2, 2022, 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Please plan carefully with your institution to meet this deadline.
Applications must be submitted via the Simons Award Manager (SAM). Please click on the Funding Opportunities icon and navigate to the Simons Investigator in Aquatic Microbial Ecology call. Click the Create Application button to begin. Applications should be started and submitted under the applicant’s own account in SAM.
Informational Session for Potential Applicants
The Simons Foundation held an informational session on how to submit an application through our new grants management system, Simons Award Manager (SAM), on Thursday, November 3 – Click here to watch the recording.
Additional informational videos on submitting applications in SAM can be found here.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION:
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- Proposal Tab:
- Complete all fields in this section, including the following attachments:
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- Proposal Narrative: Note that you are required to use the provided template for the Proposal Narrative. Please download by clicking the link in the field instructions, then upload the completed document using the Upload button.
- Biosketch: Use NSF- or NIH-style format and be sure to include all details noted in the RFA document. There is also an optional template available for download.
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- Please enter “Simons Investigator in Aquatic Microbial Ecology Award” as the title.
- Complete all fields in this section, including the following attachments:
- Contacts & Personnel Tab:
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- Institution contacts are required. You must add at least one institution signing official and financial officer to the Institution Administrative Contacts section before you will be able to submit.
- Project personnel who will be named in the budget must be added to the Project Personnel section on this tab before they will display as available options in the budget module. This does not apply to TBD personnel.
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- Budget Tab: Click the Edit/Modify button to add a detailed budget. Please refer to the allowable expenses outlined in the RFA and provide justification using the required Budget Justification template, which you may download by clicking the link in the field instructions.
- Proposal Tab:
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- Abstract & Keywords Tab: Enter a technical abstract for the proposal.
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- Publications & Other Support Tab: Please complete all fields in this section.
- Communications Tab: Nothing is required in this tab.
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.
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.
Submit Application: When the full proposal application is complete and signed, please click on the Submit Application button. A confirmation page will appear once the application is successfully submitted. It will appear in the Submitted tab of the Applications in Progress table. Please note that you will not be able to submit an application if the deadline has passed.
- Inquiries:
[email protected] - Office Hours
Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
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Where do I submit the proposal? Can I email or mail it?
All proposals must be submitted online through SAM. The Simons Foundation does not accept emailed or mailed proposals.
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Can foreign institutions apply for this grant?
Applicants must currently hold a tenured or equivalent independent position at a U.S. or Canadian institution (in a campus within these countries).
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Can multiple Principal Investigators (PIs) apply for a grant?
No, we are not accepting applications with multiple PIs for this program.
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I will have one or more collaborators on my proposal. May I include multiple PIs or other senior personnel on my budget?
No. You may provide funds for others to work on your research activities, but they may not be listed as multiple PIs or in the senior personnel section of the proposal, within the primary budget or within a subcontract to a collaborating institution. However, you may pay someone as a consultant in your project or pay for his or her travel and field/lab expenses, materials and supplies, or access fee to a laboratory.
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Can PIs submit multiple applications to this program?
No, PIs cannot submit multiple applications to this program.
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Is there a minimum percent effort for PIs?
We seek applications from independent investigators who can devote a substantial portion of time to this project. While we do not require a minimum PI effort, we expect the PI to commit to a level of effort that reflects a leading role in the project.
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What are the file format, font style and size requirements of the proposal narrative?
Please submit a PDF of the document using the template provided in SAM. Type should be set in 11-point, legible font. All margins should be set at 0.5 inches.
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I get an error message when I try to send for sign-off or submit.
The Check Application Progress button reviews your proposal for missing sections. The submission instructions list the required sections and attachments. You must complete the missing items listed in the error message. If you are still receiving error messages after completing and saving the indicated sections, please contact [email protected].
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Does the PI need to sign the application?
No, only the signing official may sign and submit the application.
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Is there a confirmation email when I submit?
A confirmation email is sent upon submission. Make sure that spam filters allow emails from [email protected]. Additionally, the proposal will be in the Submitted tab of the Applications in Progress table after submission.
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Does the Simons Foundation grant extensions?
No extensions will be given. If you have any difficulties, please email [email protected].
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Are deadline times adjusted for time zones?
No. Please be advised that deadlines are in Eastern Time. We recommend registering early and submitting with ample time for corrections prior to the deadline hour. Site traffic can slow page-load times. You will not be able to submit after the deadline time has passed.
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Can I make changes to the application once it has been submitted?
Before you can make changes to your submitted application, you must first contact the Simons Foundation. Please email [email protected]. Applications can only be changed prior to the deadline.
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The deadline for notification has passed. What is the status of my proposal?
You should receive notification within 24 hours of the deadline. Please check your spam filter settings if you have not received notification by then.
These grants are funded by the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation.
2023
Brett Baker, Ph.D.
University of Texas, Austin
Otto Cordero, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Seth John, Ph.D.
University of Southern California
Naomi Levine, Ph.D.
University of Southern California
Alyson Santoro, Ph.D.
University of California, Santa Barbara
Cameron Thrash, Ph.D.
University of Southern California
Frank Stewart, Ph.D.
Montana State University