What this program funds
The Simons Foundation is one of the largest private funders of basic science, concentrated in mathematics and the physical sciences, the life sciences, neuroscience, and autism research (through its SFARI initiative). "Simons funding" is really a family of distinct mechanisms: long-term Investigator awards for established researchers, sabbatical fellowships for mathematicians and theoretical physicists, targeted project grants, large multi-institution Simons Collaborations organized around a single big question, and recurring SFARI requests for applications in autism science. Award sizes range accordingly — from modest fellowship support to collaborations involving many groups over many years.
Eligibility in plain English
- Eligibility is program-specific, so the first task is identifying which mechanism fits you; there is no single "Simons grant" application.
- Some mechanisms are nomination-based — Simons Investigators, for example, are nominated by their institutions rather than self-nominated — while others, such as sabbatical fellowships and most targeted or SFARI calls, take direct applications from researchers.
- Programs in mathematics and physical sciences generally expect a faculty (or equivalent) position at a research institution; SFARI and life-sciences calls define eligibility per request for applications.
- Because mechanisms open, close, and change, confirm the current program list and rules with your research development office before planning a submission.
What you'll need to submit
Requirements differ by mechanism, but recurring elements include:
- A research statement or project proposal scaled to the mechanism — short for fellowships, substantial for targeted grants and collaborations.
- A CV and publication record; for nominated awards, the record itself carries most of the weight.
- Letters — recommendation letters for individual awards, institutional endorsements for nominated ones.
- For collaborations: a director, a roster of participating groups, and a shared scientific agenda — these are organized efforts, not bundles of individual projects.
Tips for this mechanism
- Match the mechanism before you write a word. The most common failure is pitching collaboration-scale ambition into a fellowship, or applying personally for an award your institution must nominate you for. Read the current program descriptions and pick the lane first.
- For nominated awards, work through your institution. If you think you are a fit for an Investigator-style award, the productive move is a conversation with your chair and research development office — not an application.
- Fellows-style sabbatical support pairs with university leave. The mathematics and theoretical-physics fellowships are designed to extend a partial sabbatical into a longer one; plan them against your institution's leave policy a year or more ahead.
- Watch SFARI's recurring calls. Autism-research RFAs recur with defined scopes and deadlines; fitting a strong idea to an open call beats forcing one into a mechanism that has closed.
Related programs
- Sloan Research Fellowships (early-career mathematics, physics, and more)
- W. M. Keck Foundation Research Program (high-risk institutional concepts)
- John Templeton Foundation grants (foundational questions in science)
- NSF disciplinary programs in mathematics and physical sciences