Synthetic Plant Biology
Funds high-risk research applying engineering to plant biology, supporting new tools and approaches to advance understanding of plant function and development.
Funder: Simons Foundation
Due Dates: July 30, 2026: Full application submission deadline (12:00 p.m. / noon Eastern time)
Funding Amounts: Up to $360,000 per year (including indirect costs), for up to 3 years; 3–5 awards expected.
Summary: Supports innovative, high-risk research using engineering approaches to advance plant biology and develop new tools or methodologies.
Key Information: U.S. institutions only; no preliminary data required at application stage.
Description
The Synthetic Plant Biology program from the Simons Foundation funds exploratory and innovative research projects that apply engineering principles to deepen understanding of plant function. This initiative seeks to support the development of novel tools, sensors, or genetic modifications to study plant physiological responses, engineer plant resilience, and uncover fundamental mechanisms in plant growth and development. The program encourages high-risk, high-reward proposals that may lack preliminary data but have the potential to enable significant advances in plant synthetic biology. The generation of preliminary data is an anticipated outcome of these awards.
