Deadline: May 15, 2025
Applications are open for the Simons Foundation Pivot Fellowship Program 2025. The fellowship will support researchers with a strong track record of success and achievement in their current field, and a deep interest, curiosity and drive to make contributions to a new discipline.
The fellowship will enable today’s brightest minds to apply their talents and expertise to a new field and will consist of one training year where the fellow will be embedded in a lab of a mentor to learn the new discipline and its culture. Mentorship and support are essential for learning a new discipline and culture. In addition to the qualifications and potential of the applicant, the suitability of the mentor and the environment for mentorship will be strongly considered in the application process.
Funding
- A Pivot Fellowship provides one year of salary support of the fellow’s academic-year salary, whether normally paid over nine or 12 months, and a $10,000 research, travel and professional development allowance during the fellowship training year.
- Mentors will receive a $50,000 research fund during the fellowship year. The mentor’s research funds may be used for salary support for the mentor and lab personnel, small and large equipment (including major research instrumentation), supplies, travel, publication, tuition and other research expenses. Indirect costs are limited to 20 percent of the modified total direct costs. Funding for fellowships must be activated within 18 months of award notification. Please note that in the event of budgetary or other considerations The Simons Foundation, Inc. reserves the right to refer an application to The Simons Foundation International, Ltd. (SFI) for consideration and funding, in which case SFI’s grant policies would apply.
- At the end of the fellowship year, fellows may be eligible to apply for a research award in their new field for up to $1.5 million, plus indirect costs, over five (5) years.
Eligibility
- Fellows and mentors must hold a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent degree in the natural sciences (astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth sciences, neuroscience and physics), engineering, mathematics, data science or computer science — and all subdisciplines therein — and be faculty at an academic institution or hold an equivalent position.
- Fellows must demonstrate that the fellowship will take place in a new discipline, distinct from their current field of study, within astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth sciences, neuroscience, physics or mathematics — and all subdisciplines therein.
- In order to receive the fellowship, fellows must be approved by their institution for a full year of leave.
- Fellows must not hold any other fellowship that will provide them with salary support during the training year of the Pivot Fellowship.
Application
The deadline to apply is 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), May 15, 2025.
For more information, visit Simons Foundation Pivot Fellowship.
