Simons Investigators in the Mathematical Modeling of Living Systems

New approaches in mathematically based modeling are making increasingly important contributions to the life sciences. The MMLS program aims to support such approaches and foster a scientific culture of theory-experiment collaboration similar to that prevailing in the physical sciences. To encourage young researchers to pursue this endeavor, the MMLS program will provide a long-term, stable base of support, enabling a focus on model-based approaches to important issues in the life sciences.

A broad spectrum of research areas within the life sciences will be considered, ranging from cellular-level issues of organization, regulation, signaling, and morphogenic dynamics to the properties of organisms and ecology, as well as neuroscience and evolution; however, preference will be given to areas in which modeling approaches are less established and, for this reason, bioinformatics- and genomics-related proposals fall outside the scope of the program. In all cases, preference will be given to work that relates closely to experiment, developing mathematical models that can explain data, suggest new classes of experiments and introduce important new concepts. In 2017, the foundation expects to appoint eight Simons Investigators in MMLS.

To be an Simons Investigator in MMLS, a scientist must be engaged in research related to the program and must not previously have been a Simons Investigator. He/she must have a primary appointment as a faculty member at an educational institution in the United States, Canada, or United Kingdom, on a campus within these countries, and the primary department affiliation must have a Ph.D. program. At the time of appointment, an Investigator should be in the early stages of an academic career (within eight years of the start of his/her first faculty position) and, typically, be holding an assistant professorship or equivalent position.

Application Instructions

Please submit:

1. Nominee name and title
2. Brief justification of nomination
3. Proposed nominator name and title

to research@uw.edu by 5:00 PM Thursday August 18, 2016. Full proposals are due to the sponsor 10/31/16, so you will need to have your materials in to the Office of Sponsored Programs by 10/21/16 for processing, if given the go ahead by the Proposal Review Committee.