Simons Early Career Investigator in Aquatic Microbial Ecology and Evolution Awards

Eligibility

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree. They must currently hold a tenure-track, tenured or, for institutions with no tenure track, an equivalent independent position in an institution in the U.S. or Canada (in a campus within these countries) and have carried out research in such a position starting no earlier than November 2018 and no later than January 2023. Federal government employees are not eligible.

Applicants must be the principal investigator (PI), co-PI or co-investigator (Co-I) currently or within the past year on a research grant from a national governmental agency or major national or international foundation that awards direct funding to their institution for their research in the field of microbial ecology and/or evolution in marine or natural freshwater systems. They may also be eligible if they hold such a grant in a closely related field AND are an author on a publication in the field of aquatic microbial ecology or evolution within the last three years. Please contact lifegrants@simonsfoundation.org to confirm eligibility under these circumstances.

Summary

Microbes inhabit and sustain all habitats on Earth. In both marine and freshwater systems, microbes capture solar energy, catalyze biogeochemical transformations of important elements, produce and consume greenhouse gases, and provide the base of the food web.

The purpose of these awards is to help launch the careers of outstanding investigators in the fields of microbial ecology, microbial biogeochemistry and/or microbial evolution in marine or natural freshwater systems, who will advance our understanding through field work, experiments, modeling or theory. Investigators must currently be active in basic research addressing fundamental questions in these fields and must focus a large fraction of their lab’s effort in this area. Applicants whose research focuses on the microbiomes of animals or plants, symbioses of microbes with animals, paleoceanography, geobiology or aquatic pollution will not be considered.

Grants will be for $270,000 USD per year, including indirect costs (limited to 20 percent of modified total direct costs), for a period of three years, subject to annual reviews and continuation of research in areas relevant to the purpose of this program. Appropriate expenses include salary support for the investigator and laboratory research staff, travel, equipment, supplies and other research expenses. Allowable indirect costs to the primary institution for subcontracts are not included in the $270,000 budget threshold. Awards may begin June 1, July 1, August 1 or September 1, 2024. Refer to the refer to grant policies for additional guidelines.

Application Submission

The application process will be completed in two-stages:

1. Letter of Intent: Prospective applicants must submit a letter of intent (LOI) by November 1, 2023, 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern Time. LOIs must be completed electronically and submitted through the Simons Award Manager (SAM). Please refer to the How to Apply instructions and FAQ for further details.

The review process will include evaluations by experts in the field, who will make recommendations to the Simons Foundation Life Sciences staff. Finalists selected for submission of a full application will be announced by February 1, 2024. All finalists will receive an award pending a complete full application.

2. Full Application: Full applications will require submission of a budget and brief budget justification, renewable reagents and data-sharing plan, and signature indicating institutional. Applicants must obtain institutional approval from the University of Calgary prior to submitting their full application to the sponsor. Initiate required University of Calgary internal approvals by completing a Pre-Award/Application record in RMS (https://my.rms.ucalgary.ca/)/. Attach a copy of your complete application materials and submit for approvals. Please ensure that you allow time for academic approvals prior to the Research Services Office internal review deadline of 12:00pm MT, February 26, 2024.

Applicants will be notified of decisions by April 1, 2024.

Overhead

20 % modified total direct costs. Refer to the refer to grant policies for additional guidelines

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

Application deadlines

Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via RMS in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

Additional Resources

How to Apply

FAQ

Simons Award Manager (SAM)