Solar Radiation Management
Solar Radiation Management supports international research teams studying aerosol materials, clouds and turbulence through laboratory and modeling work to inform decisions about cooling the planet.
Funder: Simons Foundation
Due Dates: October 6, 2026, noon Eastern (LOI) | November 18, 2026 (LOI notification, by) | February 17, 2027, noon Eastern (invited full proposal) | July 1, 2027 (award notification, by) | August 1, 2027 (award start)
Funding Amounts: Up to $1.5 million USD over three years, including indirect costs; eligible current awardees may request up to $1 million annually for three years.
Summary: Supports fundamental laboratory and modeling research on aerosol materials, clouds and turbulence to inform decisions about solar radiation management.
Key Information: University PIs must hold tenured, tenure-track or equivalent positions in departments with Ph.D. programs.
Description
The Simons Foundation’s Mathematics and Physical Sciences division supports international collaborative research to fill fundamental scientific knowledge gaps about solar radiation management (SRM). These approaches seek to modify Earth’s radiative balance and cool the planet, but their potential impacts—including stratospheric warming, ozone depletion and rainfall changes—remain insufficiently understood for informed decision-making.
This call emphasizes environmentally benign materials for stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) and cirrus cloud thinning (CCT), laboratory characterization of their interactions with light, clouds, trace gases and aerosols, and approaches to minimize cirrus formation, including aircraft-induced clouds. It also supports modeling near-field atmospheric turbulence (under 100 km), improving aerosol and turbulence representations in global climate models, and assessing global and regional impacts of novel materials. Projects poorly supported by existing national programs receive priority.
