Ready for a career pivot? The Simons Foundation supports your cross-disciplinary transition

By Maha DAVID, project officer 

The Simons Foundation is launching a new edition of its Pivot Fellowship program, offering a unique opportunity for researchers ready to bring their expertise to a new field in mathematics or the natural sciences. 

The Pivot Fellowship program supports established researchers transitioning to new disciplines, inspired by cross-disciplinary pioneers like Louis Pasteur (chemist who discovered disease-causing microorganisms) and Marie Curie (Nobel prizes in physics and chemistry). The fellowship enables today's brightest minds to apply their expertise to new fields, recognizing that mentorship is essential for successful disciplinary transitions. 

Program: One-year training embedded in a mentor's laboratory to learn the new discipline and its culture. 

Target: Researchers with strong track records seeking to contribute to a new field. 

Selection criteria: Applicant qualifications and potential, plus mentor suitability and quality of the mentorship environment. 

The fellowship provides salary support of the fellow’s academic-year salary and a $10,000 research, travel and professional development. In addition, mentors will receive a $50,000 research fund. At the end of the fellowship year, fellows may be invited to apply for a research award in the new field for up to $1.5 million — plus indirect costs — over five years. 

 Successful applicants will: 

• Have a strong track record of success and achievement in their current field 

• Have deep interest, curiosity and drive to contribute to a new discipline 

• Be a faculty member in the natural sciences, mathematics, engineering, data science and computer science at an academic institution or an equivalent position 

Application deadline: May 14, 2026. Fellows and mentors will each submit a unique application independently of each other.  

You can find this funding opportunity and many others on the Grants Finder tool. 

If interested, don’t hesitate to contact us at GOinternational[at]pasteur.fr, we will be more than happy to help!