Simons Collaborations in Mathematics and the Physical Sciences - Request for Applications 2028

Description

Basis for Awards The aim of the Simons Collaborations in MPS program is to stimulate progress on fundamental scientific questions of major importance in mathematics, theoretical physics and theoretical computer science. A Simons Collaboration in MPS should address a mathematical or theoretical topic of fundamental scientific importance, where a significant, new development creates a novel area for exploration or provides a new direction for progress in an established field. The questions addressed by the collaboration may be concrete or conceptual, but there should be little doubt that answering them would constitute a major scientific milestone. The project should have clearly defined initial activities and goals by which progress and success can be measured. The support from the foundation should be seen as critical for the objectives of the project. The project should involve outstanding researchers in a range of career stages. Excellence of the scientific leadership is one of the main criteria in the selection process. The project should be organized and managed in a manner engendering a high level of collaboration. Collaboration Director and Principal Investigators (PIs) Each collaboration is led by a collaboration director who is expected to determine the scientific agenda, coordinate the scientific activities of the other members, determine (in collaboration with the other members) the scientific themes, coordinate a collaboration website and organize collaboration meetings and activities as appropriate, including a two-day annual meeting at the foundation. The director will be the foundation’s main point of contact for the activities of the collaboration and will be responsible for monitoring the overall progress of the research effort and deciding on research directions and personnel as the collaboration evolves. PIs are expected to perform research that advances the goals of the collaboration and to collaborate as appropriate with other members of the collaboration. PIs are also expected to assist the director and other PIs in fulfilling the additional collaboration obligations outlined above. Attendance at the annual meeting held at the foundation is expected for each collaboration member. Proposals should specify a core group of PIs. Additional PIs may be added only after the LOI is approved. Interinstitutional and international collaborations are allowed. Eligibility Personnel The collaboration director must hold a tenured faculty, or equivalent, position at an educational institution with a Ph.D. program in the director’s department at the time of application and for the duration of the award. PIs and co-Investigators (co-Is) must hold a tenured or tenure-track faculty, or equivalent, position at an educational institution at the time of application and for the duration of the award. There are no restrictions on the department and/or discipline of the director or PIs/co-Is. Directors, PIs, co-Is and other collaboration participants may be from non-U.S. institutions. A co-I must be employed by or be affiliated with a PI institution or another organization participating in the project under a consortium agreement. Please see the foundation’s grant policies for further information regarding requirements and responsibilities of PIs and co-Is. A PI in a collaboration project may participate as a main PI on their own application/award in a collaboration or in the Additional PI role on another PI’s application/award. An individual in a Principal Investigator (Collaboration) or Additional PI role is considered a Collaboration PI. PIs not requesting any funding must be associated with a participating institution and added to the applicable record in an Additional PI role. Individuals participating scientifically in a project, but not requesting funding, can also be added in a Collaborator role on a collaboration application as appropriate. Simons Foundation employees who receive a W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement) from the Simons Foundation, including employees of the Flatiron Institute, may not apply as a principal investigator (PI) to any Simons Foundation or Simons Foundation International requests for applications (RFAs) released by the Simons Foundation. PIs and any project personnel listed on the application who will receive funding for salary, travel, support for students, postdocs or research staff, lab equipment, computing time or other individual expenses may not be employees of the Simons Foundation, which includes the Flatiron Institute. Limit on number of collaborations per PI/director: An individual in a PI, Additional PI or co-I role may be part of not more than two letters of intent (LOI) and only one full proposal, as long as all eligibility requirements are met. An active PI, Additional PI co-I or director on a currently funded collaboration project cannot be part of an LOI or proposal and can only participate on one funded collaboration at a time in any of those roles, including during th

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Source

Source: simonsfoundation.org