Simons Collaborations in Mathematics and the Physical Sciences

About this funding opportunity

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Mathematics & Physical Sciences Home Mathematics & Physical Sciences Funding

Apply Now LOI Deadline:

12 p.m. (noon) Eastern Time,

October 29, 2026 LOI Notification By:

January 1, 2027 Full Proposal Deadline:

12 p.m. (noon) Eastern Time,

February 24, 2027 Award Notification:

July 1, 2027 Award Start Date:

January 1, 2028 Program or Administrative Questions:

mps@simonsfoundation.org Technical Questions:

samsupport@simonsfoundation.org Office Hours:

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Eastern time, except designated holidays Office Closures:

November 25-27, 2026, December 24, 2026-January 1, 2027

The Simons Foundation’s Mathematics and Physical Sciences (MPS) division invites applications for the Simons Collaborations in MPS program.

Deadline for Letter of Intent (LOI) submission: October 29, 2026, at 12 p.m. (noon) Eastern time. 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…

Topic areas: General and Cross-cutting R&D, Social Sciences and Humanities, Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics.

Funding amount

This grant provides Varies in funding.

Deadline

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; there is no single fixed deadline.

Who can apply

This opportunity is open to the following applicant types:

• Not specified by the program.

Eligibility

The program did not publish a separate eligibility statement. See the official opportunity page for the full eligibility criteria.

Agency

Simons Collaborations in Mathematics and the Physical Sciences is administered by Simons Foundation (Simons), listed via Simons Foundation.