Targeted Grants in MPS

Rolling LOI Submission Required.
Important Dates
  • Letters of Intent (LOI) Deadline:
    Rolling
Important Dates
  • Letters of Intent (LOI) Deadline:
    Rolling
Contact Info
  • Program or Administrative Questions:
    Elizabeth Roy
    Senior Manager for Programs and Administration
    [email protected]
    212-524-6966
  • Technical Questions:
    [email protected]
    Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, except designated holidays.
    Office Closures: November 22–26, 2023, December 23, 2023–January 1, 2024, and January 15, 2024.

The Simons Foundation’s Mathematics and Physical Sciences (MPS) division invites applications for its Targeted Grants in MPS program.

Rationale

The program is intended to support high-risk theoretical mathematics, physics and computer science projects of exceptional promise and scientific importance on a case-by-case basis.

Funding and Allowable Expenses

The Targeted Grant in MPS program provides funding for up to five years. The funding level and duration is flexible and should be appropriate based on the type of support requested in the proposal. There is no recommended or assumed funding level for this program.

Allowable expenses include:

  • Up to one month of summer salary and related benefits per year for the PI and any co-Investigator(s). These salary funds are not substitutional (cannot be used to relieve a university of salary costs) and cannot be used to reduce teaching loads below the departmental norm. They can only be used to supplement the salary similarly to a summer salary in the U.S. system. For scientists at non-U.S. universities on calendar year (12-month) salaries, the program will allow PIs to request up to 1/12 of their calendar year salary as a contribution to research time on the project, provided that the salary request is not in violation of their institution’s policies of more than 100% effort per year.
  • Domestic or international travel for the PI(s), co-Investigator(s) and students, as appropriate. Parking, hotel, taxi, registration and other related travel and conference costs are allowable.
  • Salary support and related benefits, including tuition support, for staff/research scientists, postdoctoral fellows and research associates, graduate students or undergraduate research assistants.
  • Support for visitors and collaborators, including domestic and international travel, meals and lodging expenses.
  • Conferences and working meetings appropriate to the needs of the project, including meals, travel, lodging, vehicle rentals for participants and facility fees.
  • Research equipment, experiments, computations, supplies and other expenses directly related to the research, including computers, computer support, professional literature, publication expenses and professional membership dues.

Please see the Simons Foundation’s grant policies on our website for further guidelines. Indirect costs are limited to 20 percent of applicable direct costs, as outlined in the policies.

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.

Eligibility

Applications may be submitted by established U.S. and foreign public and private educational institutions and stand-alone research centers. PIs and co-Investigators must have a Ph.D. and a tenure-track or tenured position at said institutions or centers at the time of application. There are no citizenship or department requirements for PIs. Funding to U.S. national labs or salary support of scientists employed at these labs is not allowed. Scientists employed at national labs may be non-funded participants in a proposal/project and funding may be used to support travel or local expenses related to the participation of the lab-based scientist in activities related to the project.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) via the Simons Award Manager (SAM), https://sam.simonsfoundation.org/. The deadline is rolling, and an LOI can be submitted at any time.

Please refer to the How to Apply tab for instructions.

Applicants will be notified of a decision within two months of the LOI submission.

Please note that the volume of interest in this program is such that the foundation is not able to provide advance guidance on potential proposals. We use the LOI stage to assess suitability and novelty. The foundation recommends submitting an LOI if applicants believe their research meets the criteria outlined in the RFA.

Full Proposal

A review of the LOI may lead to a request for a full proposal. Full proposals must be submitted via SAM by the main PI and respective institution. The full proposal deadline will be noted in the LOI notification and will be no sooner than three months from the date of the LOI approval.

Applicants will be notified of a decision within three months of the full proposal submission.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Many of the greatest ideas and discoveries come from a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds and experiences. The Simons Foundation is committed to grantmaking that inspires and supports greater diversity and inclusiveness by cultivating a funding environment that ensures representation of all identities and differences and equitable access to information and resources for all applicants and grantees.

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. We also fund programs directed at supporting scientists from disadvantaged backgrounds or underrepresented groups, often working closely with professional societies and other funding agencies.

Read More
Important Dates
  • Letters of Intent (LOI) Deadline:
    Rolling
Contact Info
  • Program or Administrative Questions:
    Elizabeth Roy
    Senior Manager for Programs and Administration
    [email protected]
    212-524-6966
  • Technical Questions:
    [email protected]
    Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, except designated holidays.
    Office Closures: November 22–26, 2023, December 23, 2023–January 1, 2024, and January 15, 2024.

Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) via the Simons Award Manager (SAM), https://sam.simonsfoundation.org/. The deadline is rolling, and an LOI can be submitted at any time. 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 Targeted Grants in MPS application, please click on Create Application, then Begin Application. Informational videos on submitting applications in SAM can be found here.

For projects with more than one PI, the LOI should be submitted by the PI designated as the main PI and his/her institution. LOI and proposal attachments should be single spaced and in typeface no smaller than 10-point font. Margins, in all directions, must be at least one-half inch.

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:

LOI:

  1. Proposal Tab:
    1. Applicant Details & Personal Data: Enter required fields (title, department and academic rank).
    2. Academic Degrees: Enter degrees (optional).
    3. Application Details:
      1. Enter the title of the LOI application.
      2. Enter the requested budget total.
    4. Proposal – Upload required files as follows:
      1. Letter of Intent Narrative (two-page limit, plus up to one page for references and figures): Signed by the main PI on letterhead and which includes a brief summary of the support requested, including the names of the other PIs involved, if applicable, the scientific goals, background relevant to the application and a brief budget justification.
      2. Budget (one-page limit): A tentative yearly budget, indicating total amount and major expense categories with proposed start and end dates.
      3. Personnel Biosketches: A SciENcv or fillable PDF NIH- or NSF-style biosketch is to be uploaded for each PI and co-Investigator (co-I). Please name each PDF as Last Name_First Name_Biosketch.
    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. Under Project Personnel, indicate all project personnel, other than the applicant PI, including additional PIs, co-Is, collaborators, consultants, postdoctoral research associates and others. Project personnel include individuals who contribute to the scientific development or execution of a project in a substantive, measurable way, whether or not they request salaries or compensation. Please note that the Simons Foundation does not use the role type co-PI.
  3. 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.
  4. 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. A submitted LOI will appear in the Submitted queue of the Applications in Progress table on the applicant’s SAM home page. 

LOI Approval:

If an LOI is approved, the status changes to In Progress. Click on the record to gain access to the full proposal application.

Full Proposal:

  1. Proposal Tab:
    1. Applicant Details & Personal Data: Enter required fields (title, department and academic rank).
    2. Academic Degrees: Enter degrees (optional).
    3. Application Details:
      1. The application title will be prepopulated with the title entered in the LOI section.
      2. Enter the requested Start and End Dates.
    4. Proposal – Upload required files as follows:
      1. Proposal Narrative (six-page limit, plus up to two pages for references and figures): A summary of the support requested, names of the PI(s) involved, if applicable, scientific goals, background relevant to the application and the significance of the requested support.
      2. Personnel Biosketches: A SciENcv or fillable PDF NIH- or NSF-style biosketch is to be uploaded for each PI and co-I. Please name each PDF as Last Name_First Name_Biosketch.
    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. Under Project Personnel, indicate all key personnel, other than the applicant PI, including additional PIs, co-Is, collaborators, consultants, postdoctoral research associates and others. Key personnel include individuals who contribute to the scientific development or execution of a project in a substantive, measurable way, whether or not they request salaries or compensation. Please note that the Simons Foundation does not use the role type co-PI.
  3. Budget Tab: Click the Edit/Modify button to add an up to five-year budget in U.S. dollars. Please refer to the allowable expenses outlined in the RFA. In projects where there is more than one PI at different institutions, all but one of the budgets should be entered as a subcontract.
    1. Please enter each PI on each proposal in the Personnel Costs section of that proposal budget even if not requesting salary.
    2. For PIs and co-Is requesting summer salary, please only select Academic (referring to 9 or 10-months) for the Appt Type (which refers to the individual’s institutional appointment) and the base salary corresponding to this appointment type.
    3. For PIs and co-Is requesting summer salary at non-U.S. institutions and/or those receiving 12 months of salary, the program allows them to request up to 1/12 of their calendar year salary as a contribution to research time on the project, provided that the summer salary request is not in violation of their institution’s policies of more than 100% effort per year. Please only select Annual for the Appt Type (which refers to the individual’s institutional appointment) and the base salary corresponding to this appointment type.
    4. Important: 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.
    5. 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.
    6. Do not combine personnel on one budget line (e.g. multiple postdocs must be itemized individually).
    7. 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.
    8. The addition of subcontract budgets is handled via the Project Personnel section in the Contacts & Personnel tab. Please click on the ‘Add/modify project personnel’ button in that section for additional instructions.
    9. 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. Publications & Other Support Tab: Please provide other support as indicated.
    1. Publications: Provide a list of up to 10 relevant publications for each PI and co-I via PDF upload or SAM profiles. Please name each PDF as Last Name_First Name_Publications.
    2. Other Support: Please follow instructions for providing current and pending support for each PI and co-I via PDF upload or via SAM profiles. If providing via SAM profile, reporting overlap is required to submit an application. While overlap is not a consideration for funding in this program, please click on the Report Overlap button for each entry and select Yes or No as appropriate. If using PDF upload, NSF or other format is sufficient and should at least provide the award number, source of funding, title of award, dates of project and total costs for each support item listed. Please name each PDF as Last Name_First Name_Support.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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. The application will now appear in the Submitted queue of the Applications in Progress table on the applicant’s SAM home page. Please note that you will not be able to submit an application if the deadline has passed.
Important Dates
  • Letters of Intent (LOI) Deadline:
    Rolling
Contact Info
  • Program or Administrative Questions:
    Elizabeth Roy
    Senior Manager for Programs and Administration
    [email protected]
    212-524-6966
  • Technical Questions:
    [email protected]
    Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, except designated holidays.
    Office Closures: November 22–26, 2023, December 23, 2023–January 1, 2024, and January 15, 2024.
  1. What types of projects are appropriate for consideration under this program?plus--large

    While there are no fixed guidelines, projects at the single- or few-PI scale that might be funded by federal agencies would not normally be considered under the Targeted Grants in MPS program.

  2. Would both theoretical and experimental projects be funded?plus--large

    The emphasis of the program is theory, but projects with some experimental components may be considered.

  3. I am an adjunct faculty member at my institution. Am I eligible to apply to this program?plus--large

    No, we do not accept applications from adjunct faculty.

  4. Are proposals in the chemistry field eligible?plus--large

    No, we are not considering proposals in chemistry at this time.

  5. To whom is the grant awarded?plus--large

    The grant is awarded to the applicant’s institution.

  6. Is there a limit to the number of applications per PI or institution?plus--large

    No, there is no limit.

  7. If I am not awarded a Targeted Grant in MPS, may I reapply?plus--large

    Yes, there is no limit on the number of times one can reapply.

  8. Note regarding potential referral of an application to The Simons Foundation International, Ltd. (SFI) plus--large

    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.

Targeted Grants in MPS awards are funded by the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation.

Revisiting the Turbulence Problem Using Statistical Mechanics

  • Awarded: 2019

Origins of the Universe

  • Awarded: 2017
Subscribe to MPS announcements and other foundation updates