Funder: Simons Foundation
Due Dates: October 29, 2026 (LOI, noon Eastern) | February 25, 2027 (Invited full proposal, noon Eastern)
Funding Amounts: Up to $8 million over four years, including 20% indirect costs; three-year renewal considered
Summary: Supports collaborative teams pursuing major fundamental questions in mathematics, theoretical physics and theoretical computer science.
Key Information: The director must hold tenure or an equivalent appointment in a department with a Ph.D. program.
Description
The Simons Foundation’s Collaborations in Mathematics and the Physical Sciences program supports teams addressing fundamental scientific questions whose answers would constitute major scientific milestones. Projects should pursue a mathematical or theoretical topic where a significant new development opens a novel area of exploration or a new direction in an established field. Foundation support should be critical to achieving the project’s objectives.
Collaborations should bring together outstanding researchers across career stages, with scientific leadership and management that foster substantial interaction. Each project needs clearly defined initial activities and measurable goals. The program’s current portfolio includes research on black holes, quantum field theory, algebraic geometry, low-dimensional topology, algorithmic fairness, wave phenomena and the foundations of learning and neural computation.
