Sloan Research Fellowship
Sloan Research Fellowships is by far the oldest program of the Sloan Foundation, although those who receive the grants are among the youngest researchers 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 early-career scientists and scholars of outstanding promise - remains the same.
The Sloan Research Fellowships were established in 1955 to provide support and recognition to early-career scientists and scholars, 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 mathematics. Additional fields were added in subsequent years: neuroscience in 1972, economics in 1980, computer science in 1993, and computational and evolutionary molecular biology in 2002.
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. Thirty-two Sloan Fellows have won Nobel Prizes later in their careers, and hundreds have received other honors.
Procedures
Eligibility
Candidates for Sloan Research Fellowships are required to hold the Ph.D. (or equivalent) in chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, economics, neuroscience, computational and evolutionary molecular biology, or in a related interdisciplinary field, and 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. If any of the above circumstances apply, the letter of nomination (see below) should provide a clear explanation. 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.
The nominating and selection process
Candidates are nominated by department heads or other senior researchers. More than one candidate from a department may be nominated, but we recommend no more than three. Direct applications are not accepted. Nomination forms are available at www.sloan.org. In addition to this form, the nominator should submit a letter describing the candidate’s qualifications and must see that the Foundation receives three supporting letters directly from other researchers, preferably not at the same institution (missing support letters are generally detrimental to a nominee’s prospects). A curriculum vitae, a list of scientific publications plus one copy of no more than two representative publications (no books) and a brief (one-page) statement by the nominee describing his/her significant scientific work and immediate research plans should accompany the nomination form and letter. Strong evidence - in submitted publications and supporting letters - of the nominee’s independent creativity is one of the most important considerations in the review process.
Nominations are due by September 15 for awards to begin the following September. Nominations are reviewed and candidates selected by a Program Committee of researchers representing the participating fields. Candidates selected for awards are notified early in February. The Program Committee reviews more than 500 nominations each year to arrive at a final selection of 116 Fellows.
Nomination forms and supporting letters should be sent to:
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| Sloan Research Fellowships Alfred P. Sloan Foundation 630 Fifth Avenue - Suite 2550 New York, New York 10111-0242 |
Terms of Awards
Fellowships are awarded for a two-year period; if unexpended funds remain at the end of two years, an extension of the termination date may be obtained. Extensions are limited to a maximum of two years. Funds remaining at the end of that period must be returned to the Foundation. When a Fellow transfers to another institution during the term of the fellowship, the Foundation will transfer unexpended funds to the new institution. The size of the award is $45,000 for the two-year period. Funds are awarded directly to the Fellow’s institution and may be used by the Fellow for such purposes as equipment, technical assistance, professional travel, trainee support, or any other activity directly related to the Fellow’s research. They may not be used to augment an existing full-time salary or for indirect or overhead charges by the Fellow’s institution. Expenditures must be approved by the Fellow’s department chair and must be in accord with the policies of the institution.
Reporting
The Fellow’s institution is required to report annually on expenditures from the fellowship grant, and the Fellow must submit a brief annual scientific progress report and a final report. Reprints or preprints of scientific papers may be submitted in lieu of such reports.
Evolution of the Program
The Program for Basic Research in the Physical Sciences, as it was originally called, was first announced in 1955 with the award of fellowships totaling $235,000 to 22 physicists, chemists, and pure mathematicians at 16 universities and colleges. The Foundation currently awards 116 fellowships each year, bringing total grants in the program to $5.22 million annually. Since the beginning of the program, the Foundation has spent nearly $104 million for support of over 4,000 early-career researchers. Under present operating procedures the total number of fellowships is allocated as follows: 23 for physics, 23 for chemistry, 20 for mathematics, 16 for neuroscience, 14 for computer science, 8 for economics, and 12 for computational and evolutionary molecular biology.
