Pivot Fellowship
The Simons Foundation Pivot Fellowship funds established faculty to retrain in a new scientific discipline through a year of mentored lab work, fostering cross-disciplinary innovation and future research independence.
Funder: Simons Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): May 2027 (Full application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: One year of full academic-year salary for the fellow, $10,000 research/travel allowance, and $50,000 for the mentor's research fund; potential for up to $1.5M over 5 years in follow-on funding.
Summary: Supports accomplished faculty researchers to pivot into a new scientific discipline through a year of mentored training, fostering cross-disciplinary innovation.
Key Information: Forecasted opportunity—dates are projected; eligibility requires tenured/tenure-track faculty, and both fellow and mentor must be in distinct fields.
Description
The program enables established researchers to transition into a new scientific discipline by embedding them for one year in a mentor's laboratory. The fellowship emphasizes the value of cross-disciplinary training and mentorship, aiming to catalyze innovative research by bringing fresh perspectives and expertise into new fields. Both the applicant’s and mentor’s qualifications and the suitability of the mentoring environment are critical evaluation criteria. After the fellowship year, fellows may be eligible for substantial follow-on research funding in their new discipline.
