Sloan Research Fellowships

• Candidates must hold a tenure track (or equivalent) position at a college, university, or other degree-granting institution in the United States or Canada.  Tenure track faculty positions at the candidate's institution must include a yearly teaching requirement.
• Candidates must hold a Ph.D. (or equivalent) in chemistry, computational or evolutionary molecular biology, computer science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, ocean sciences, physics, or a related field;
• Candidates' most recent Ph.D. (or equivalent) must have been awarded on or after September 1, 2009.  Exceptions may apply.  See footnote **, below.

For more detailed information on these eligibility guidelines, please consult our FAQ page.

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 Alfred P. Sloan 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 Selection Committees may make exceptions for candidates who were awarded their Ph.D. prior to September 1, 2009 if their careers were disrupted due to military service, child-rearing, or a change of field.  The Committees may also make exceptions for candidates who are currently serving in their first faculty position and who were appointed to that position on or after September 1, 2013.

Sloan Research 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.

If a Fellow transfers to another eligible institution during the term of the Fellowship, the Foundation will transfer unexpended funds to the new institution.

The size of the award is $50,000 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, summer salary, or any other activity directly related to the Fellow's research.  If used for summer salary, support is limited to a maximum of two-ninths of established academic salary.  This summer research period is to be regarded as two full months.

Funds 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 expenditure policies of the Fellow's institution.