Fellows-to-Faculty Award (Updated) Grant

The Fellows-to-Faculty Award from the Simons Foundation supports early career scientists transitioning to tenure-track faculty positions. This program offers a $600,000 USD research grant over three years, along with mentorship and community engagement. Aimed at Ph.D. and M.D. holders in mentored training roles, it fosters innovation and diversity in scientific research, promoting a collaborative environment that aligns with the foundation's mission to advance the frontiers of basic science.

Simons Foundation
Since its founding in 1994 by Jim and Marilyn Simons, the foundation has been a champion of basic science through grant funding, support for research and public engagement.
Our Work
The Simons Foundation makes grants in four areas: Mathematics & Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Autism & Neuroscience, and Science, Society & Culture.
Program Overview
The Fellows-to-Faculty Award program supports talented early career scientists by facilitating their transition into tenure-track faculty positions. The focus of this program is the $600,000 USD three-year faculty research grant. Additionally, fellows engage with a community of investigators and receive mentoring and peer support during their transition.
The Simons Foundation’s Autism & Neuroscience division offers the program to nurture new talent and to broaden the community of scientists contributing to the scientific missions of our programs.
This request for applications (RFA) is intended for Ph.D. and/or M.D.-holding scientists currently in mentored research training positions who intend to seek tenure-track research faculty positions during the upcoming academic job cycle. Applicants must have a scientific vision for their future independent laboratory that advances the mission of the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) or Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain (SCPAB).

Eligibility

Applicants must hold at least one of the following degrees or equivalent: Ph.D., M.D., M.D./Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.Applicants must be in a non-independent, mentored research training position in a faculty member’s research lab, e.g., postdoctoral position, physician-scientist research fellowship position. Applicants must not accept a formal offer for a tenure-track faculty position or equivalent before award notification. Applicants may not simultaneously hold other career development awards that facilitate a transition to an independent research career.There are no citizenship requirements.
Resubmission Policy
Applicants are limited to submitting applications to the Fellows-to-Faculty Award for a maximum of two (2) years. Applicants may submit to more than one science area each year. This policy applies to this program and its predecessor Independence Programs: SFARI Bridge to Independence Award, SCGB Transition to Independence Award and SCPAB Transition to Independence Award.

Ineligibility

Simons Foundation employees who receive a W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement) from the Simons Foundation, including employees of the Flatiron Institute, may not apply as a principal investigator (PI) to any Simons Foundation or Simons Foundation International Requests for Applications (RFAs) released by the Simons Foundation. PIs and any project personnel listed on the application who will receive funding for salary, travel, support for students, postdocs or research staff, lab equipment, computing time or other individual expenses may not be employees of the Simons Foundation, which includes the Flatiron Institute.