Sloan Scholars Mentoring Network Grants: Career Development

The Sloan Scholars Mentoring Network Grants for Career Development aim to enhance the professional growth of Sloan Scholar alumni across STEM fields. Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, these grants facilitate various initiatives such as mentoring, educational programs, and skill development. Eligible applicants include Master's or PhD graduates from Sloan Scholar programs, who can apply for these grants to advance their careers and foster opportunities for others in their fields.

Note: Before starting your application, you must activate your Alumni Account on the SSMN website.
The Sloan Scholars Mentoring Network (SSMN) serves the over 1,800 alumni of the Sloan Scholar Graduate Fellowship programs. To support scholars’ professional success after graduation, the SSMN offers a strategic mix of workshops, grants and awards, and networking and mentoring opportunities–both in person and virtually. The SSMN combines access to needed internal and external resources with the broad wealth of Sloan Scholar expertise to support alumni's attainment of career and leadership goals.
Grant Program
With generous support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Sloan Scholars Mentoring Network is pleased to host the annual SSMN grant program! The SSMN grant program aims to support the research, mentoring, and professional development of the growing network of Sloan Scholar graduates across STEM fields and careers. All Sloan Scholar Legacy, UCEM, and SIGP alumni are eligible to apply for the following grants:

• Research Seed FundingCareer Development Conference Travel
• Applying for multiple grants

Individuals MAY NOT apply for the Research Seed and Career Development grants in the same competition year. Individuals applying for either the Research Seed or Career Development grant may also apply for the Conference Travel grant. The two applications will be considered separately. There is no restriction on applying for or receiving SSMN grants multiple years in a row. Applicants and grantees from previous years are welcome to apply again.
This grant supports an individual's career, mentoring, and professional development activities. These activities include, but are not limited to:
Mentoring students or peers. Examples include hiring a Sloan Scholar student for an internship, hosting professional development workshops, or organizing research or mentoring opportunities.
Launching or collaborating on education or mentoring programs. Examples include collaborating with your institution to develop initiatives that support student success, co-hosting events, webinars, or trainings with your Sloan graduate institution, or leading skills-building workshops for colleagues.
Receiving mentorship. Examples include sponsoring a mentors travel to your home institution for one-on-one mentoring or speaking engagements.
Pursuing continued education. Examples include enrolling in courses, trainings, or certification programs to advance your career, pivot to a new field, or gain new specialized skills.
Accessing resources for professional development and work experience. Examples include traveling to internal or external institution(s), lab(s), or internship(s) to gain training, research experience, or to access specialized equipment for career advancement or professional development.
Traveling to/from work, training, or research sites. Expenses may include accommodation, visiting administrative fees, research supplies, and other associated expenses.
The Career Development grant is designed to allow for a variety of project ideas and address the unique needs and ambitions of Sloan Scholar alumni.

Eligibility

Applicants must be a Master's or PhD graduate of a Sloan Scholar program. Sloan Scholar programs include the Sloan UCEMs, Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership (SIGP), and Sloan Legacy program (formerly the Minority PhD program). Individuals DO NOT need to hold academic positions to be eligible to apply. Applicants can be in academic (K-12, higher education) or non-academic (government, industry, non-profit, etc.) positions in any field. Applicants can be in any type of role, including research, teaching, administration, or business.
Applicants affiliated with higher-education institutions must consult their institution's grants office before applying. Please consult the grants office before you start an SSMN grant application to ensure you are in compliance with the institution’s grant procedures, even if you ultimately decide to receive the grant funds as an individual.
SSMN grants are individual awards, not institutional ones. Individuals will be the sole grantee and recipient of the grant if awarded.