Important Notes
The Schmidt Science Polymaths aims to encourage the best “polymath” scientists to expand their research portfolios by exploring a substantive disciplinary shift after achieving tenure or equivalent status.
Each Polymath is awarded $500,000 per year for up to five years. Pennsylvania State University may submit up to two nominations.
Schmidt Futures asks that we only nominate exceptional candidates who satisfy the following criteria:
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Have achieved tenure or an equivalent status prior to the nomination deadline and within the past three calendar years (between January 1, 2022 and August 10, 2025),
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Have a remarkable record of accomplishment in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and/or engineering,
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Have a demonstrated history of pursuing and publishing results in more than one field, Have a desire and plan to expand their research portfolios by exploring a substantive disciplinary or methodological shift, but have not yet launched such shifts,
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Demonstrate a need for additional funding to enable new experiments, explorations, or shifts in research directions.
The program is especially interested in supporting highly creative, original, and risky research that is clearly distinct from past areas and directions. We strongly encourage you to consider nominating not simply your most accomplished researchers, but specifically extraordinary researchers whose work and ideas are adventurous, bold, highly creative, and less likely to receive traditional funding or support.
Successful applicants propose potential new projects that are wholly original and very different from any of their past work.
We especially encourage nominee submissions from geographies outside of the US and/or who belong to demographic groups that are currently underrepresented in scientific research.
Selection Criteria
We are looking for the brightest minds in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and/or engineering who have gained recognition for significant progress on multiple research problems while also showing a capacity for generating a continuing flow of innovative new ideas and approaches in a variety of areas. They will have demonstrated their high variance thinking through successful research in areas widely divergent from their main field of expertise.
Schmidt Science Polymaths are expected to be intensely creative science leaders who demonstrate an immense capacity for innovative new thinking or shifts in research directions that can lead to impactful breakthroughs given flexible resources. Applications will be judged based on:
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The breadth and depth of the candidates' work,
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The quality, impact, and innovation displayed in the candidates work,
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The candidates’ track-record of high variance thinking and approaches, as well as their capacity for creative new research or shifts in research directions given flexible resources,
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The candidate’s proposed research directions and projects as outlined in their application, including likelihood of success and significant impact, and the expectation that the candidate’s research directions will change over time.
The Office of Foundation Relations is the designated institutional contact responsible for communicating with the Foundation and is collaborating with Limited Submissions on the internal downselect process. The Office of Foundation Relations is available to consult on proposal narrative elements and answer other foundation-related questions. Please contact Karen Kemirembe, Assistant Director (kuk195@psu.edu), for additional information about this program.
