Grants & Funding

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Published Date: April 07, 2006

Program Information

Program Name:

Sloan Research Fellowships

Program URL:

http://www.sloan.org/programs/fellowship_brochure.shtml

Type of Scientists Funded:

Junior Faculty, Senior Scientist/Faculty

Program Description:

Sloan Research Fellowships is by far the oldest program of the Sloan Foundation, although those who receive the grants are among the youngest scholars the Foundation assists. The Fellowship program has grown in size and cost over the years and now includes several disciplines not covered in the beginning; but its purpose - to stimulate fundamental research by young scholars of outstanding promise - remains the same.

The Sloan Research Fellowships were established in 1955 to provide support and recognition to young scientists, often in their first appointments to university faculties, who were endeavoring to set up laboratories and establish their independent research projects with little or no outside support. Financial assistance at this crucial point, even in modest amounts, often pays handsome dividends later to society.

Over the first 17 years of the program, Sloan Research Fellowships were awarded in physics, chemistry, and pure mathematics. In 1972, neuroscience was added to the eligible disciplines, and in 1980 applied mathematics and economics were added. In 1993 a decision was made to add the field of computer science to the program.

Selection procedures for the Sloan Research Fellowships are designed to identify those who show the most outstanding promise of making fundamental contributions to new knowledge. Sloan Research Fellows, once chosen, are free to pursue whatever lines of inquiry are of the most compelling interest to them. Their Sloan funds can be applied to a wide variety of uses for which other, more restricted funds such as research project grants cannot usually be employed. Former Fellows report that this flexibility often gives the fellowships a value well beyond their dollar amounts.

Aside from the monetary aspect of the fellowships, less tangible benefits have been cited by former Fellows. The early recognition of distinguished performance which the fellowships confer, after years of arduous preparation, was said to be immensely encouraging and a stimulus to personal and career development. Twenty-four Sloan Fellows have won Nobel Prizes later in their careers, and hundreds have received other honors.

Public Contact Information

Program Award Term and Application Process

• Award Term Fixed or Variable?    Fixed
• If fixed, enter total term?    2  Years
• Award Renewable?    Yes
• Renewable term fixed or variable?    Variable
• Minimum Term    1  Month
• Maximum Term    2  Years
• Does an individual or institution apply to the program?    Individual
• Is there an application deadline?    Yes
• Application deadline(s):
  09/15/2006,
  09/15/2007,
  09/15/2008,
  09/15/2009
• Deadline Comments   
  Nominations are due by September 15 for awards to begin the following September. Candidates selected for awards are notified early in February.

  Please refer to the website for more information http://www.sloan.org/programs/fellowship_brochure.shtml

Program FUNDS

• Stipend Information:
  
  
• Annual stipend type:    Fixed
• What is the annual or representative stipend amount?    $ 20000
• Year 2:    $ 20000
• Stipend Details:   
  The size of the award is $40,000 for the two-year period.

  Please refer to the website for more information http://www.sloan.org/programs/fellowship_brochure.shtml

• 
  Research Allowance Information:
  
  
• Annual research allowance type:    Not Applicable
• 
  Indirect Costs (Institutional Funds) Information:
  
  
• Indirect costs type:    Not Applicable
• Indirect Costs (Institutional Funds) Details:    Please refer to the website for more information http://www.sloan.org/programs/fellowship_brochure.shtml
• 
  Other Costs Information:
  
  
• Other Costs type:    Not Applicable

Program Eligibility Requirements

Research Areas:

Chemistry, Mathematical and Computational Biology, Neuroscience, Other (specify): physics

Application by invitation or nomination only?

Yes

If, yes:

Nomination

Are awards limited to specific groups?

None provided

Must applicants be U.S. citizens and/or permanent residents?

No

Details:

Please refer to the website for more information http://www.sloan.org/programs/fellowship_brochure.shtml

U.S. geographic limits?

No

International geographic limits?

Yes

Details (specify region, state or other restrictions)?

Canada

Please refer to the website for more information http://www.sloan.org/programs/fellowship_brochure.shtml

Institutional limits?

Yes

Details

academic institutions in the US and Canada.

Please refer to the website for more information http://www.sloan.org/programs/fellowship_brochure.shtml

Non-research activity allowed for postdoctoral and junior faculty awards?

No

If yes, specify at least one of the following: percentage time and activities allowed

• Other eligibility requirements:   
  Applicants must be members of the regular faculty (i.e., tenure track) of a college or university in the United States or Canada. They may be no more than six years from completion of the most recent Ph.D. or equivalent as of the year of their nomination, unless special circumstances such as military service, a change of field, or child rearing are involved or unless they have held a faculty appointment for less than two years. The letter of nomination should clearly explain such special circumstances. While Fellows are expected to be at an early stage of their research careers, there should be strong evidence of independent research accomplishments. Candidates in all fields are normally below the rank of associate professor and do not hold tenure, but these are not strict requirements. The Foundation welcomes nominations of all candidates who meet the traditional high standards of this program, and strongly encourages the participation of women and members of underrepresented minority groups.

  Please refer to the website for more information http://www.sloan.org/programs/fellowship_brochure.shtml

Program competition information

• Number of Applicants in Most Recent Competition Year:    500
• Number of Awards in Most Recent Competition Year:    100
• Institutional Award Rates   

  Category	# Applicants	# Awards
  Institutional Awards

• Awardee's subsequent careers/accomplishments tracked after end of term?    Yes
  confidential

  Please refer to the website for more information http://www.sloan.org/programs/fellowship_brochure.shtml

• Total dollars awarded in the most recent competition year    3500000