Sloan Research Fellowships

Sloan Research Fellowships

Funds exceptional early-career North American STEM researchers through prestigious academic fellowships.

Eligibility · United States, Canada

The Sloan Research Fellowships are two-year, $75,000 awards granted by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to early-career scientists and economists at U.S. and Canadian research universities. The fellowship supports outstanding tenure-track faculty who are untenured at the time of nomination, across eight fields: chemistry, computer science, Earth system science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, physics, and related disciplines. Fellows use the award freely to advance their independent research programs; the two-year term begins September 15 of the award year. The Sloan Foundation has awarded more than 7,000 fellowships since the program launched in 1955, making it one of the most recognized early-career distinctions in academic science.

Eligibility requires a Ph.D. or equivalent degree, a tenure-track (though untenured) faculty appointment at a U.S. or Canadian degree-granting institution as of September 15 of the nomination year, and regular teaching duties. Self-nomination is not permitted. A department head or other senior researcher must submit the nomination on the candidate's behalf; each department may nominate up to three candidates per eligible field. The application bundle includes the candidate's CV with full publication list, two representative research articles, a one-page research statement, and three letters of support from other researchers. Selection is made by independent committees of distinguished scientists in each field, who assess independent research accomplishments, creativity, and potential for scientific leadership.

The nomination period for the 2027 Sloan Research Fellowships opens July 15, 2026. Prospective nominees should alert their department head well before that date to allow time for the nomination letter and supporting materials to be assembled. Because the fellowship is nomination-driven and competitive within each field, candidates with a strong record of independent publication and a clear, focused research agenda are best positioned for selection. The program website (sloan.org/fellowships) publishes the full current-cycle guidance each July.