Schmidt Science Polymaths

Sponsor

Schmidt Futures

Sponsor deadline:

Internal deadline:

Deadline projected/TBC

Award Details

The Schmidt Science Polymath program aims to encourage the best “polymath” scientists to expand their research portfolios by exploring a substantive disciplinary shift soon after achieving tenure.

The Polymath program will make long-term bets on recently-tenured professors (in the last 3 years) with remarkable track records, promising futures, and a desire to explore interdisciplinary research. Each professor will be awarded $500,000 per year, paid through their institution, for up to five years to help support a research group through talent, such as three to four students or postdocs, and resources. These grants are intended to make possible the exploration of new ideas across disciplines, using emerging technologies to test risky theories that may not otherwise receive funding or support. They are not intended to relieve the researcher of pursuing other grants to continue their mainstream work, nor to be large enough to fully support a modern lab.

Nominations are by invitation to the VP Research and Innovation, and for 2023 since UBC is limited to two nominees at the initial stage, VPRI is coordinating an internal selection process through ADRs. We are requesting preliminary nominations by 9 am on Monday August 14.

Once submitted and if confirmed by the agency, nominees are invited directly to submit full applications by October 17 (TBC).

Contact Kevin McCartney, Award Nomination Development Officer, kevin.mccartney@ubc.ca.


Previous Award Winners

2022

  • Sudip Shekhar (Electrical and Computer Engineering)

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