Targeted Grants in Math and Physical Sciences

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.
• 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.

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.

For additional information, see the Simons Foundation website.