Simons Collaborations in Mathematics and the Physical Sciences Grant

The Simons Collaborations in Mathematics and the Physical Sciences program invites applications to advance critical scientific questions in mathematics and theoretical physics. This initiative supports collaborative efforts that can lead to groundbreaking discoveries. Each collaboration, backed by significant funding, aims to nurture interdisciplinary research among diverse teams. The program emphasizes measurable activities and milestones, fostering a collaborative environment among researchers at various career stages, with a strong focus on inclusivity and excellence in scientific leadership.

The Simons Foundation’s Mathematics and Physical Sciences (MPS) division invites applications for the Simons Collaborations in MPS program.
Rationale
The aim of the Simons Collaborations in MPS program is to stimulate progress on fundamental scientific questions of major importance in mathematics, theoretical physics and theoretical computer science.
Basis for Awards
A Simons Collaboration in MPS should address a mathematical or theoretical topic of fundamental scientific importance, where a significant, new development creates a novel area for exploration or provides a new direction for progress in an established field. The questions addressed by the collaboration may be concrete or conceptual, but there should be little doubt that answering them would constitute a major scientific milestone. The project should have clearly defined initial activities and goals by which progress and success can be measured. The support from the foundation should be seen as critical for the objectives of the project.
The project should involve outstanding researchers with a range of career stages. Excellence of the scientific leadership is one of the main criteria in the selection process. The project should be organized and managed in a manner engendering a high level of collaboration.
Collaboration Director and Principal Investigators (PIs)
Each collaboration is led by a collaboration director, who is expected to determine the scientific agenda, coordinate the scientific activities of the other members, determine (in collaboration with the other members) the scientific themes, coordinate a collaboration website, and organize collaboration meetings and activities as appropriate, including a two-day annual conference at the foundation. The director will be the foundation’s main point of contact for the activities of the collaboration and will be responsible for monitoring the overall progress of the research effort and deciding on research directions and personnel as the collaboration evolves.
PIs are expected to perform research that advances the goals of the collaboration and to collaborate as appropriate with other members of the collaboration. PIs are also expected to assist the director and other PIs in fulfilling the additional collaboration obligations outlined above. Attendance at the annual meeting held at the foundation is expected for each collaboration member.
Proposals should specify a core group of founding PIs. Additional PIs may be added at later stages as the collaboration evolves. Interinstitutional and international collaborations are allowed. The foundation strongly encourages the participation of PIs from underrepresented groups.
Level and Duration of Funding
A Simons Collaboration in MPS is budgeted at up to $2 million per year for an initial period of four years. The scientific impact of the collaboration will be evaluated at the year-four annual meeting and an extension of three additional years may be granted. Additional funding beyond year seven will not be considered. The foundation would allow the annual budget to vary somewhat from $2 million, as long as the total four-year budget is no more than $8 million. Please be cognizant of the notification and award start dates when preparing the year-one budget, particularly with regards to the hiring of postdoctoral fellows.
Allowable Expenses
The funding provided under a Simons Collaboration in MPS may be used to support research expenses in the following categories:
Up to one month of summer salary support and related benefits for the collaboration director and each PI/co-Investigator per grant year - 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.Conferences and working meetings appropriate to the needs of the collaboration, including meals, travel, lodging, vehicle rentals for participants and facility fees.Teaching reduction down to the level of only one course per semester for the collaboration director — Teaching reduction for other collaboration members is not an allowable expense.Salary support and related benefits, including tuition support, for staff/research scientists and postdoctoral, graduate and/or undergraduate research assistants.Support for visitors and collaborators, including travel, meals and lodging expenses.Research equipment, supplies and other expenses directly related to the research, including computers, computer support, professional literature, publication expenses and professional membership dues.Collaboration-related domestic or international travel for collaboration members per the institution’s travel policies — Parking, hotel, taxi, registration and other related travel and conference costs are allowable.Support costs for a Collaboration administrator.Other expenses related to the support and administration of the Collaboration (i.e., web design).
Expenditures in other expense categories may be possible but must be approved in advance by the foundation. The costs for the annual meeting held at the foundation will be paid directly by the foundation and will not factor into grant funds.
Please see the foundation’s grant policies for further guidelines.

Eligibility

Personnel: The collaboration director must hold a tenured faculty, or equivalent, position at a U.S. or Canadian educational institution, on a campus within these countries, with a Ph.D. program in the director’s department at the time of application and for the duration of the award.PIs and co-Investigators (co-Is) must hold a tenured or tenure-track faculty, or equivalent, position at an educational institution at the time of application and for the duration of the award.There are no restrictions on the department and/or discipline of the director or PIs. PIs and other collaboration participants may be from non-U.S. institutions.A co-I must be employed by or be affiliated with a PI institution or another organization participating in the project under a consortium agreement.An individual may be part of more than one letter of intent (LOI) or full proposal, as long as all eligibility requirements are metThere is no LOI limit per institution or individual.An active PI on a currently funded collaboration project can be part of an LOI or proposal but cannot participate on more than one funded collaboration. InstitutionsScientists employed at national labs may be non-funded collaboration members, and collaboration funding may be used to support travel or local expenses related to the participation of the lab-based scientist in collaboration activities, or to support travel and local expenses of students or postdoctoral fellows appointed at universities who work with collaboration members at national labs.

Ineligibility

For-profit institutions are also not eligible to receive grant funds.Funding to U.S. national labs or salary support of scientists employed at these labs is not allowed. Active Math+X Investigators cannot be a funded director or PI in a collaboration.