Simons HBCU Centers of Excellence
Simons HBCU Centers of Excellence supports HBCU research and training hubs in mathematics and basic science to advance computational, data-driven, and theoretical work and build graduate STEM pathways.
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Funder: Simons Foundation
Due Dates: November 12, 2026, noon Eastern (LOI) | February 9, 2027, noon Eastern (Invited full application)
Funding Amounts: Up to $1,500,000 annually for five years ($7,500,000 per center), including indirect costs
Summary: Supports HBCU research and training centers in mathematics, neuroscience, physics, and ecology and evolutionary biology.
Key Information: Each center must have a tenured HBCU faculty PI/Director with a Ph.D. and be anchored at one HBCU.
Description
Funded by Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation, this program supports research and training hubs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Centers will advance computational, data-driven, and theoretical basic science and mathematics while creating pathways into graduate STEM programs. Experimental or observational work is considered exceptionally when it meaningfully supplements the primary research program.
Priorities include computational modeling of biological and behavioral systems, research connecting ecological and evolutionary timescales, and interdisciplinary links between ecology and evolution and other STEM fields. Centers should produce high-quality scholarship disseminated through open-access repositories and peer-reviewed journals, actively involve students, and serve nearby institutions as regional hubs. Partnerships with leading research institutions are encouraged but not strictly required.
