Deadline: 15 January, 2013
Open to: researchers and outreach specialists working in academic and other non-profit institutions
Grants: totaling about $3.0M
Description
The Foundational Questions Institute (FQXi) is an independent, philanthropically funded grant-awarding non-profit organization. Since 2006, FQXi has recommended over $7.6 million in grants to researchers and outreach specialists, within the US and internationally, focused on foundational questions.
FQXi’s programming encompasses both ‘open’ requests for proposals and more targeted programs in particular areas of thought. The current request for proposals targets research regarding “Physics of Information”.
FQXi offers grants that serve a three-fold purpose:
- To encourage and support rigorous, innovative, and influential scientific research and collaborations on foundational questions in physics and cosmology, which may have significant and broad implications for a deep understanding of reality;
- To redress incrementalism in research programming by establishing or expanding new ‘islands’ of understanding via flexible funding of high-risk, high-reward research in these areas;
- To provide the public with a deeper understanding of known and future discoveries in these areas, and their potential implications for our worldview.
Eligibility
Researchers and outreach specialists working in academic and other non-profit institutions are eligible. Applications will be welcomed from any country.
Proposals will be evaluated according to their relevance and impact.
- Relevance: Proposals should be topical, foundational, and unconventional.
- Topical: This RFP is limited to research in physics (mainly quantum physics, high energy ‘fundamental’ physics, and gravity), cosmology (mainly of the early universe) and closely related fields (such as biophysics, complexity theory, computer science, etc.). Research should bear upon the Physics of Information. Appropriate research topics in this category will address questions such as (a longer list of questions is given in Appendix B):
- What is the relationship between information and reality? Can information exist without any “material” substance? Can matter exist without any information? Or, are information and reality two sides of the same coin?
- How does nature (the universe and things therein) process information? Are there fundamental limits? How is nature shaped and transformed by processing information?
- What are the fundamental differences between classical and quantum information?
- What can the physics of information reveal about black holes, singularities, physics at the Planck length, and the origins and fate of our universe?
- Foundational: This RFP is limited to research with potentially significant and broad implications for our understanding of the deep or “ultimate” nature of reality.
- Unconventional: This RFP is intended to fill a gap, not a shortfall, in conventional funding. We wish to enable research that, because of its speculative, non-mainstream, or high-risk nature, would otherwise go unperformed due to lack of available monies. Thus, although there will be inevitable overlaps, an otherwise scientifically rigorous proposal that is a good candidate for an FQXi grant will generally not be a good candidate for funding by the NSF, DOE, etc.—and vice versa.
- Topical: This RFP is limited to research in physics (mainly quantum physics, high energy ‘fundamental’ physics, and gravity), cosmology (mainly of the early universe) and closely related fields (such as biophysics, complexity theory, computer science, etc.). Research should bear upon the Physics of Information. Appropriate research topics in this category will address questions such as (a longer list of questions is given in Appendix B):
- Impact: Proposals will be rated according to their expected scientific impact per dollar, taking all relevant factors into account, such as:
- Intrinsic intellectual merit, scientific rigor and originality
- Potential for significant contribution to basic science relevant to the topic and a high product of likelihood for success and importance if successful (i.e., high-risk research can be supported as long as the potential payoff is also very high)
- The likelihood of the research opening fruitful new lines of scientific inquiry
- The feasibility of the research in the given time frame
- The qualifications of the Principal Investigator and team with respect to the proposed topic
- The part a grant may play in career development
- Cost effectiveness: Tight budgeting is encouraged in order to maximize the research impact of the project as a whole, with emphasis on scientific return per dollar rather than per proposal
- Potential to impact the greater scientific community as well as the general public via effective outreach and dissemination of the research results
Grants
Grants totaling about $3.0M will be available to researchers in academic and other non-profit institutions worldwide for projects up to two years in duration. The timeline for all grants awarded will be September 1, 2013 to August 31, 2014 (for one-year grants) or August 31, 2015 (for two-year grants). Grant applications will be subject to a competitive process of external and confidential expert peer review similar to that employed by all major U.S. scientific funding agencies.
How to apply?
INITIAL PROPOSAL—DUE January 16, 2013—Must include:
- A 300–500 word summary of the project, explicitly addressing why it is topical, foundational and unconventional
- A draft budget description not exceeding 200 words, including an approximate total cost over the life of the award and explanation of how funds would be spent
- A Curriculum Vitae for the Principal Investigator, which MUST be in PDF format, including:
- Education and employment history
- A list of references of up to five previous publications relevant to the proposed research and up to five additional representative publications
- Full publication list
Applications can be made online here
A review panel assembled by FQXi will screen each Initial Proposal according to the criteria in Section III. Based on their assessment, the Principal Investigator (PI) may be invited to submit a Full Proposal, on or about March 1, 2013, perhaps with feedback from FQXi on improving the proposal. Please keep in mind that however positive FQXi may be about a proposal at any stage, it may still be turned down for funding after full peer review.
FULL PROPOSAL—DUE April 30, 2013—Must Include:
- Cover sheet
- A 200-word project abstract, suitable for publication in an academic journal
- A project summary not exceeding 200 words, explaining the work and its significance to laypeople
- A detailed description of the proposed research, not to exceed 15 single-spaced 11-point pages, including a short statement of how the application fits into the applicant’s present research program, and a description of how the results might be communicated to the wider scientific community and general public
- A detailed budget over the life of the award, with justification and utilization distribution (preferably drafted by your institution’s grant officer or equivalent)
- A list, for all project senior personnel, of all present and pending financial support, including project name, funding source, dates, amount, and status (current or pending)
- Evidence of tax-exempt status of grantee institution, if other than a US university
- Names of 3 recommended referees
- Curricula Vitae for all project senior personnel, including:
- Education and employment history
- A list of references of up to five previous publications relevant to the proposed research, and up to five additional representative publications
- Full publication list
- For past awardees only: A 250-word statement explaining what was done with previous funding and how that ties in to the current proposal (if at all)
For more details visit the Official Website
