FUNDING MEMO

Title: Travel Support for Mathematicians

Funding Agency: Simons Foundation

External Deadline(s):

01/25/2023 08:59 PM PST (Full Proposal)

Cognizant Office: Office of Sponsored Research/Office of Foundation Relations

Description:

The Simons Foundation's Mathematics and Physical Sciences division invites applications for its Travel Support for Mathematicians program, which is intended to stimulate collaboration in the field primarily through the funding of travel and related expenditures. The goal of the program is to substantially increase collaborative contacts between accomplished, active mathematicians in the United States.

Frequency: Typically annual

Total Award: $8,400 to $42,000

• The Simons Foundation will provide a total of $8,400 in the form of a gift per year for up to five years, as follows:
  • $6,000 per year for travel and research expenses, at the sole discretion of the PI, such as:
    • Scientific travel by the PI, the PI’s graduate and Ph.D. students and other members of the PI’s department;
    • The expense of scientific visits, such as meals and travel to the PI’s home institution by the PI’s collaborators and other scientific visitors of interest to the PI;
    • Up to $1,500 per year may be used for other research expenses, such as computers, computer support, publication expenses, stationery, supplies, books, and membership fees to professional organizations.
  • $1,000 per year, allocated towards discretionary funds, at the sole discretion of the PI’s department chair, to enhance its research atmosphere. Funds may be used for such expenses as:
    • Support for departmental colloquia and seminars, as well as refreshments and other research-related amenities;
    • Support for student orientations, prospective student visits and other departmental activities;
    • Subsidizing meals for faculty, students and visitors;
    • Furniture and research infrastructure, such as copiers, computer servers and computer support.
  • $1,400 (20% of direct costs) per year can be taken as IDC.
  • No funds may be used for salary or teaching buyouts.

Indirect Costs: 20% of Modified Direct Costs

• Indirect costs to the primary institution are limited to 20 percent of direct costs with the following exceptions: equipment, tuition and any portion of each subcontract in excess of $25,000.
• Caltech’s minimum overhead rate is based on the award’s annual gross funding. Please refer to the FY23 Annual Rate Memo for applicable minimum overhead requirements. Applicants must work within their division to account for the required overhead via an approved MORA form.

Duration: Up to 5 years

• The five-year gift will commence September 1, October 1, November 1, or December 1, 2023.

Discipline(s): Engineering and Applied Science; Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy

Eligibility: Tenure-Track Faculty, Tenured Faculty

• To be eligible to apply, an individual must meet the following eligibility requirements:
  • Have a Ph.D. degree and hold a tenure-track or tenured position with a full-time appointment in a mathematics department with a Ph.D.-degree-granting program at an institution in the United States (those with an appointment solely in a statistics department are not eligible);
  • Have a current record of active research and publication in high-quality journals; and
  • Not currently hold any other external PI or co-PI grants with an end date after the start date of the gift, excluding Simons Fellowship in Math, conference grants (where support only covers travel expenses for the conference participants and does not provide any support for the applicant’s own research), as well as grants specifically to support students and/or postdoctoral fellows and their related activities and AMS-Simons Travel grants. Co-Investigator roles do not apply.
• There are no citizenship requirements.

Research Areas of Interest:

• Mathematics
• Funding will be based on the quality and significance of the applicant's previous research and the likely impact the travel support will have on future research, both for the applicant and the applicant's graduate students and/or postdoctoral fellows.

Post-Award Obligations:

• TBD

Recent Caltech Recipients:

• Matthias Flach (2017)
• Dinakar Ramakrishnan (2017)
• Omer Tamuz (2016)

Guidelines & Other Information:

RFA: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/travel-support-for-mathematicians/

Simons Foundation Policies and Procedures: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/funding-opportunities/policies-and-procedures-text/

How to Apply: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/travel-support-for-mathematicians/?tab=how-to-apply

FAQ: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/travel-support-for-mathematicians/?tab=faq

Prior Awardees: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/travel-support-for-mathematicians/?tab=awardees

Please notify the Foundation Relations team if you anticipate making a submission or if you have any questions regarding this opportunity. We are here to help ensure that Caltech’s proposals are competitive. We can assist with proposal development and advise you on the routing of your paperwork. Interested researchers should work with their division grant manager to prepare the budget, the MORA form, and the Division Approval Form (DAF). Submissions and awards for this grant program will be processed through the Office of Sponsored Research.

Opportunity ID: 1324