Competition

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation makes grants primarily to support original research and education related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and economics. The Foundation believes that these fields—and the scholars and practitioners who work in them—are chief drivers of the nation's health and prosperity. The Foundation also believes that a reasoned, systematic understanding of the forces of nature and society, when applied inventively and wisely, can lead to a better world for all.

In selecting projects for funding, the Foundation seeks proposals for original initiatives led by outstanding individuals or teams.  We are interested in projects that have a high expected return to society, exhibit a high degree of methodological rigor, and for which funding from the private sector, government, or other foundations is not yet widely available.

Letters of Inquiry

The grantmaking process begins with submission of a letter of inquiry. Letters of Inquiry should include

• A brief statement (1-2 sentences) about the nature and purpose of the proposed project;

• A description of the proposed work to be supported;

• An estimate of the total cost of the project and the amount of this total the proposer would likely seek from the Sloan Foundation;

• An estimate of the duration of the project;

• The grantseeker's title and contact information;

• The names, affiliations, and titles of other key members of the project, if any.

Letters of Inquiry should be

• No more than two pages

• Submitted by email to a particular Sloan grantmaking program (See the relevant program page for more detail)

NOTE: Some programs require additional material or information be submitted with a letter of inquiry.  Each program has an apply section on its program page that specifies any program-specific application requirements.

Response Times for Letters of Inquiry

Due to the volume of inquires we receive, it can take up to one month to receive a Foundation response to a letter of inquiry.  If more than a month has passed since you submitted your letter of inquiry, it is appropriate to send an email to the relevant program director to inquire about its status.

 What We Do Not Fund

• The Foundation does not make grants to political campaigns, to support political activities, or to lobby for or against particular pieces of legislation.

• The Foundation does not make grants to individuals except through its Books program.

• The Foundation does not generally make grants to for-profit institutions.

• The Foundation does not make grants in religion, medical research, or research in the humanities.

• The Foundation does not make grants aimed at pre-college students except through its New York City initiative.

• The Foundation does not make grants to projects in the creative or performing arts except when those projects are related to educating the public about science, technology, or economics.

• The Foundation does not make grants for endowments, fundraising drives, or fundraising dinners.

• The Foundation does not make grants in support of the purchase, construction, or renovation of buildings or laboratories.  On some occasions, the Foundation will support the purchase or construction of scientific equipment if such equipment is essential to the success of a Foundation-supported research project or educational initiative.

As this opportunity has an open deadline, and involves letters of inquiry, it is imperative that applicants contact a Grants Facilitation Officer prior to beginning the application process. Letters of inquiry may require review prior to submission if the agency's specific funding program requires additional information such as a letter of support or documentation of commitments or contributions. 

For those invited to submit final applications, Faculty of HSS Submission Procedures (mandatory): In addition to the external funding agency’s submission procedures, this opportunity must also be submitted for Departmental, HSS Faculty, and Research Initiatives and Services (RIS) institutional reviews and approvals via Memorial's Researcher Portal (RP). In order to facilitate the HSS Faculty’s administrative review, please ensure "Heather C. O'Brien (Grants Facilitator)" and “Matthew Milner (Grants Facilitator)” are added as "Team Members" on your RP file. 

In accordance with University-wide approval protocols, all tabs of the RP file must be completed, the completed application must be uploaded to the “Attachments” tab, all supporting documentation including support for cash and in-kind commitments and/or letters of support must also be uploaded, and “Submit” must be pressed prior to the HSS internal deadline listed below. HSS cannot guarantee completion of an administrative review for application files that are incomplete and/or are submitted after the HSS deadline. For more detailed submission instructions and information, please consult the HSS Research Support Services website.

If you plan to apply to this competition or other research funding opportunities (as either PI or CI), e-mail an HSS Grants Facilitator, Heather C. O’Brien (HSSResearchAdmin@mun.ca or 864-8603) or Matthew Milner (HSSResearchGrants@mun.ca or 864-8050), to notify the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of your intent to apply. E-mailing the intent to apply as early as possible will help to facilitate an efficient review. A Grants Facilitator can answer any questions you may have about internal or external submission procedures and may also be able to help with proposal development.