Schmidt Science Polymaths

Important Notes

Notice: 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. Karen Kemirembe, Associate Director of Foundation Relations at kuk195@psu.edu is available to answer foundation-related questions.

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:

• Have achieved tenure or an equivalent status prior to the nomination deadline and within the past three calendar years (between January 1, 2023 and August 10, 2026),

• Have a remarkable record of accomplishment in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and/or engineering,

• 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,

• 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:

• The breadth and depth of the candidates' work,

• The quality, impact, and innovation displayed in the candidates work,

• 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,

• 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.

Internal Nomination Process
Interested applicants should upload the following documents in sequence in one PDF file (File name: [Last name]_2026_SchmidtSciencePolymaths) no later than 4:00 p.m. on the internal submission deadline:

1. Cover Letter (1 page):
   • Descriptive title of proposed activity
   • PI name, departmental affiliations(s) and contact information
   • Co-PI's names and departmental affiliation(s)
   • Names of other key personnel
   • Participating institution(s)
   • Title of this funding opportunity
2. One pager outlining what you have done that shows repeated innovation on more than one problem, demonstrated high variance thinking and research in areas widely divergent from primary field, and the demonstrated need for funding to pursue new directions that can lead to impactful scientific breakthroughs.
3. CV
4. Past accomplishments
5. List of the researcher’s top five publications or results
6. Description of potential problems or projects they might pursue if they received the award (1 page)
7. A list of 8+ references who will be able to testify not only to their past accomplishments, but also their creativity, adventurousness, and likelihood they will pursue excellent new directions in research if given flexible resources.

Formatting Guidelines:

• Font/size: Times New Roman (12 pt.)
• Document margins: 1.0” (top, bottom, left and right)
• Standard paper size (8 ½” x 11)

Questions concerning the limited submissions process may be submitted to limitedsubs@psu.edu.

This announcement provides only opportunity highlights. Please carefully review the program guidelines and the sponsor's website for any requirements and expectations related to eligibility, PI and Co-PI limits, budget, collaboration, priority research areas, letter of intent requirements, and review criteria before submitting to this internal competition.