[Sloan Foundation](https://sloan.org)

Rolling (Letters of Inquiry accepted year-round)

No formal minimum or maximum; typical awards range from $50,000 to $500,000 over 1–3 years, with larger grants possible for major initiatives.

Supports research and prototyping of technologies and practices that enable effective scientific collaboration, including virtual meetings, group dynamics, and human-AI partnerships.

--- ## Description This grant program funds projects that advance technological tools and practices for scientific collaboration among geographically dispersed teams. The focus spans three main areas: - **The future of conferences and workshops:** Developing and studying technology that replicates or enhances the interactive and social elements of in-person scientific meetings. - **Group dynamics in science:** Understanding and improving how collaboration tools—from traditional platforms to immersive technologies—shape teamwork and idea generation in research. - **Human-AI collaboration:** Multidisciplinary research and prototyping to explore optimal ways for human researchers and AI agents to work together. The overarching goal is to foster creativity, productivity, and effective collaboration in science, independent of physical location or time constraints. --- ## Due Dates - Rolling: Letters of Inquiry are accepted throughout the year. - Invited full proposals may be submitted at any time; major grants (> $250,000) are reviewed quarterly. --- ## Funding Amount - There is no fixed minimum or maximum award amount. - Typical awards range from **$50,000 to $500,000** over 1–3 years. - Larger grants are possible for major, high-impact initiatives. - For requests over $50,000, indirect costs are capped at 20% of direct costs (excluding tuition). - No indirect costs allowed for grants of $50,000 or less. --- ## Eligibility - **Institutions:** U.S.-based nonprofit organizations, universities, and research institutions are eligible. - **Individuals:** The Foundation does not make grants to individuals except through its Books program. - **For-profits:** Not generally eligible. - **Other exclusions:** No grants for political activities, lobbying, religion, medical research, humanities, pre-college initiatives (except NYC), endowments, or building construction. - Projects must align with the program’s goals of enhancing collaboration in science and technology fields. --- ## Application Process 1. **Letter of Inquiry (LOI):** - Submit a concise (≤2 pages) LOI by email to [technology@sloan.org](mailto:technology@sloan.org). - LOI should include: project summary, aims, estimated budget and duration, PI and team details. - See the [program page](https://sloan.org/programs/digital-technology/scientific-collaboration) and [LOI guidelines](https://sloan.org/grants/apply#tab-letters-of-inquiry) for details. 2. **Full Proposal (by invitation only):** - If the LOI is promising, you will be invited to submit a full proposal following [Sloan’s proposal guidelines for research or non-research projects](https://sloan.org/grants/apply#tab-the-grant-application-process). - Proposals must include a cover sheet, narrative, participation & engagement plan, budget, and required appendices. - Proposals are reviewed internally and may undergo external peer review. - Major grants are approved quarterly; allow sufficient time for review and possible revisions. --- ## Additional Information - The Foundation seeks projects with high societal impact, strong methodological rigor, and lacking alternative funding sources. - Diversity, equity, and inclusion are strongly emphasized; proposals should address participation and engagement plans. - For projects involving conferences or workshops, include draft agendas, invitee lists, and anti-harassment policies as appendices. - The Foundation expects openness in information products (e.g., data, software, publications). --- ## External Links - [Program Page: Scientific Collaboration](https://sloan.org/programs/digital-technology/scientific-collaboration) - [Apply for Sloan Foundation Grants](https://sloan.org/grants/apply) - [Letter of Inquiry Guidelines](https://sloan.org/grants/apply#tab-letters-of-inquiry) - [Grant Proposal Guidelines (Research Projects, PDF)](https://sloan.org/storage/app/media/files/application_documents/Sloan-Grant-Proposal-Guidelines-Research-Projects.pdf) - [Grant Proposal Guidelines (Non-Research Projects, PDF)](https://sloan.org/storage/app/media/files/application_documents/Sloan-Grant-Proposal-Guidelines-Non-Research-Projects.pdf) - [Sloan Foundation Grant Forms](https://sloan.org/grants/apply#tab-grant-forms) --- ## Contact Information | Type | Details | |-------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | General Inquiries | [Sloan Foundation Contact Page](https://sloan.org/about/contact) | | Email (Program) | [technology@sloan.org](mailto:technology@sloan.org) | | Email (General) | [frontdesk@sloan.org](mailto:frontdesk@sloan.org) | | Phone | +1 212-649-1649 | | Address | 630 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2200, New York, NY 10111, USA |

Scientific Collaboration

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