Simons Centers of Excellence at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Simons Centers of Excellence at Historically Black Colleges and Universities supports HBCU research and training centers to advance basic science and mathematics and build students’ pathways into graduate STEM programs.
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Funder: Simons Foundation
Due Dates: October 6, 2026 (Webinar) | November 12, 2026 (LOI, noon ET) | December 17, 2026 (LOI decisions/full applications open) | February 9, 2027 (Full application, noon ET) | March 25, 2027 (Award decisions) | September 1, 2027 (Award start)
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: Centers must have a single HBCU host and a tenured, Ph.D.-holding PI/Director.
Description
Funded by Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division, this program supports up to two ambitious research and training centers at HBCUs. It prioritizes cutting-edge computational, data-driven and theoretical basic science and mathematics, while creating pathways for students to enter graduate STEM programs. Experimental or observational work is considered exceptionally when it meaningfully supplements those primary approaches.
Centers should advance their fields through well-defined scholarly deliverables, peer-reviewed publications and open-access dissemination. In ecology and evolutionary biology, priorities include research connecting ecological and evolutionary timescales or linking these fields to other STEM disciplines. Centers are expected to benefit nearby institutions and seek scientific exchange with leading research institutions.
