Solar Radiation Management
The Simons Foundation’s Solar Radiation Management grant funds collaborative research to advance the scientific understanding of SRM technologies, their mechanisms, and climate impacts.
Funder: Simons Foundation
Due Dates: October 6, 2026: Letter of Intent (LOI) deadline | February 17, 2027: Full proposal deadline
Funding Amounts: Up to $1.5M total per award (3 years); typical annual budget ~$500,000; up to 13 awards expected
Summary: Supports collaborative research to address fundamental scientific gaps in solar radiation management (SRM) technologies and their climate impacts.
Key Information: No in-situ field experiments or social science proposals; applicants from Ph.D.-granting departments or equivalent only.
Description
The Simons Foundation’s Mathematics and Physical Sciences division invites applications for its Solar Radiation Management (SRM) program, an international collaborative research initiative aimed at closing key scientific knowledge gaps in SRM technologies. SRM approaches—such as stratospheric aerosol injection, marine cloud brightening, and cirrus cloud thinning—aim to alter the Earth’s radiative balance to mitigate global warming. However, these methods also present significant environmental and societal uncertainties.
This program prioritizes research on:
- Discovery of environmentally benign materials for SRM.
- Laboratory physicochemical characterization of aerosols and their interactions.
- Modeling atmospheric turbulence and microphysical processes relevant to SRM.
- Integration of findings into climate models to assess global and regional impacts.
The program seeks innovative, collaborative projects, especially those not well funded by existing national programs, to advance fundamental understanding and inform responsible SRM decision-making.
