Rationale

Sabbatical research leaves from classroom teaching, and administrative obligations can provide strong intellectual stimulation and increase creativity and productivity in theoretical research.

Basis for Awards

Awards will be based on the applicant’s scientific accomplishments in the five years preceding the application and on the potential scientific impact of the work to be done during the leave period.

Level and Duration of Funding

• A Simons Fellowship in Mathematics provides salary replacement (inclusive of both salary and fringe benefits) for up to 50 per cent (up to a maximum of $125,000) of the Fellow’s current academic year salary, whether normally paid over 9, 10 or 12 months, and up to an additional $10,000 for expenses related to the leave. The Fellow’s home institution will receive an additional 20 per cent overhead on allowable direct cost expenditures, per the foundation’s indirect cost policy. The maximum total budget request should not exceed $162,000 USD.

• The Simons Fellowship will fund up to 50 per cent of the 2025–2026 academic year, where, for example, the full leave year period could be January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025; September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026; or January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026.

• Fellowship funding must be contiguous to the university-supported portion of the leave.

• Fellowship awards and sabbatical periods may begin before January 1, 2025, and no later than January 1, 2026.

• For sabbaticals beginning January 1, 2025, awards will be retroactively started, and grant funds will be available no sooner than March 2025.

Allowable Expenses

• Salary replacement funds are to be used only to replace or partly replace salary during academic terms in which the recipient would otherwise be teaching or engaging in academic administration or other departmental or university committee work.

• The funding may not be used for summer salary (if the salary is paid over nine months) or to increase the academic-year salary beyond the university rate but may be paid out throughout the full leave.

• Please follow the university’s policy on costs associated with sabbaticals that the university does not support.

• If applicable, fringe benefits are allowed within the salary-replacement-funds category, but the total amount requested cannot exceed the maximum allowed ($125,000).

• The additional funding is to be used to support expenses related to the leave in a manner consistent with the approved sabbatical plans.

• Allowable leave-related expenses include small equipment and supplies, travel (including the Fellow and the Fellow’s family members to and from the sabbatical location(s) and the Fellow’s travel to meetings and collaborators), housing (for the Fellow and the Fellow’s family), automobile rental, childcare and support for visitors (including meals).

• Salaries for students or research associates will not be supported. Still, funds may help transport members of the Fellow’s research group to the sabbatical location (if different from the home institution) and provide housing.

• Leave-related expenses may be incurred at any time during the award period; they are not restricted to the terms in which the foundation provides salary.

Eligibility Requirements

• Eligibility is restricted to sabbatical or equivalent leave-eligible faculty who wish to use the Simons Fellowship award to extend at least a single-term sabbatical research leave to a full academic year without teaching or administrative responsibilities.

• The fellowship program will not support extending a full year of sabbatical research leave to another term.

• To receive the fellowship, your institution must approve you for a full year of sabbatical research leave, consisting of two consecutive semesters or three consecutive quarters, with at least 50 per cent of the year fully paid by the home university and no more than 50 per cent fully or partly supported by the fellowship.

• Note: A research leave provided by a university unit, rather than the university-level sabbatical leave, would not normally be considered a sabbatical equivalent. Please contact [email protected] with any questions concerning this.

• If funds from the foundation are insufficient to cover the salary needs for the period supported by the fellowship, other resources can be used for this purpose.

• The foundation will consider circumstances where, for example, the university covers 80 per cent of a full year of leave, and the fellowship covers the remaining 20 per cent.

• Verification of sabbatical approval is not required at the time of application. Still, it must be provided to the foundation at least three months before the start of the applicant’s award.

• Please see the How to Apply tab for further information.

• A Simons Fellow in Mathematics must have a teaching or administrative tenured position at the same U.S. or Canadian college or university within the mathematics department at the time of application, throughout the sabbatical research leave and in the term following the leave.

• This must be the applicant’s primary position.

• Applied mathematics and statistics disciplines are eligible if the applicant resides within the mathematics department, not the statistics department.

• Those doing primarily mathematical education research are not eligible.

• In addition, a Fellow must have an active, current research program.

• Fellows cannot simultaneously hold a Simons Investigator award.

• Previous fellowship awardees can apply for another fellowship if they follow their universities’ sabbatical or equivalent leave eligibility rules.

Unspent Funds

• Unspent funds at the end of the grant must be returned to the foundation.

• No-cost extension requests will typically not be considered.

Number of Awards

The foundation expects to award up to 50 mathematics fellowships in 2025.

How to Apply

Applicants must be submitted via the Simons Award Manager (SAM), https://sam.simonsfoundation.org/. The application deadline is October 2, 2024, 12 PM (noon) EDT. Please refer to the How to Apply tab for instructions.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Many of the greatest ideas and discoveries come from diverse minds, backgrounds and experiences. The Simons Foundation is committed to grantmaking that inspires and supports greater diversity and inclusiveness by cultivating a funding environment that ensures representation of all identities and differences and equitable access to information and resources for all applicants and grantees.

The Simons Foundation provides equal opportunities to all applicants for funding without regard to race, religion, colour, age, sex, pregnancy, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic disposition, neurodiversity, disability, veteran status or any other protected category under federal, state and local law.

The foundation also funds programs to support scientists from disadvantaged backgrounds or underrepresented groups, often working closely with professional societies and other funding agencies.