Alfred P. Sloan Foundation - Grant Information & Application Details

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $80 million
Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
Decision Time: Up to 8 weeks for LOI response; major grants (>$250K) approved quarterly
Grant Range: $10,000 - $16,000,000+ (majority $50,000 - $500,000)
Geographic Focus: National (US-based) with some international research partnerships

Contact Details

Website: www.sloan.org
Phone: 212-649-1649
Address: 630 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2200, New York, NY 10111
General Inquiries: grantsadmin@sloan.org
Communications Director: Nate Williams at communications@sloan.org

Note: Program directors do not take unsolicited meetings. For priority review, send a two-page letter of inquiry to grantsadmin@sloan.org.

Overview

Founded in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan Jr., former president and CEO of General Motors, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is one of America's most prestigious scientific philanthropies with assets totaling $2.0 billion as of 2022. The Foundation awards approximately 200 grants per year (excluding Sloan Research Fellowships), totaling roughly $80 million in annual commitments supporting original research and education in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and economics. The Foundation believes these fields are chief drivers of the nation's health and prosperity. In recent years, major grants have included a $16 million commitment to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-V) and a $30 million multiyear initiative to make STEM doctoral programs more equitable. The Foundation operates through five major program areas: Research, Higher Education, Technology, Public Understanding, and New York City.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Sloan Research Fellowships: $75,000 each (two-year fellowships for early-career faculty)

Awarded to outstanding early-career researchers with potential to revolutionize their fields
Covers eight scientific and technical fields
Funds may be used for any research expense including staffing, travel, equipment, or summer salary
Requires nomination from department head or senior researcher

Higher Education - Exemplary Pathways to STEM Graduate Education: Typical grants of $280,000+

17 grants totaling more than $4.8 million awarded in 2024-2025
Builds partnerships between Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and institutions with strong STEM graduate programs
Promotes faculty-to-faculty collaboration on research and teaching

Higher Education - Sloan Centers for Systemic Change: Up to $1.4 million over four years

Implementation grants to transform graduate education at university level
Focus on systemic institutional change
Up to four campuses selected from Phase I grantees

Higher Education - STEM Doctoral Equity Initiative: $250,000 seed grants (two-year)

$30 million multiyear commitment
10 U.S. schools received grants totaling $2.5 million in 2024
Develops evidence-based policies for more equitable physical science and engineering doctoral programs

Energy and Environment: $2.6 - $5.7 million per RFP cycle

Recent RFPs: Energy System Electrification (6 grants, $2.6M), Energy and Environmental Sensors (4 grants, $5.7M), Net-Zero and Negative Emissions Technologies (4 grants, $5.1M), Energy Insecurity and Just Transitions (9 grants, $4.1M)
Note: Program budget fully allocated through 2025; funding consideration may become available in 2026
Focus on place-based energy transitions, industrial decarbonization, energy systems climate adaptation

Technology - Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs): $650,000 - $700,000+

Supports universities establishing OSPOs to institutionalize support for open source software in research
Examples: Carnegie Mellon University ($650,000), Saint Louis University ($704,482)
Focus on tooling, institutions, economic models, and incentives around research software

Technology - Better Software for Science: Varies

Supports development and maintenance of critical scientific software infrastructure
Recent example: $912,604 to Julia Computing, $659,359 to UC Berkeley for Python support tools

Public Understanding - Film and Media: $20,000 - $50,000 for film; larger grants for other media

Sundance Institute Science-in-Film Initiative awards total $84,000 annually
Feature Film Prize: $25,000
Various fellowship and commissioning grants
Supports books, radio, film, television, theater, and new media reaching non-specialized audiences

Application Method: Letters of Inquiry by invitation or open call; rolling basis for most programs with quarterly approval for major grants (>$250K)

Priority Areas

Research Program:

Energy and environment (interdisciplinary, collaborative research)
Economics (improving inclusive prosperity and quality of life)
Fundamental research in physical sciences

Higher Education Program:

Widening pathways to STEM graduate education
Transforming graduate education through university centers
Increasing diversity in the STEM professoriate
Supporting Minority Serving Institutions partnerships

Technology Program:

Open source software in research
Digital infrastructure for science
Software preservation and sustainability
Research software development and maintenance

Public Understanding Program:

Science communication through books, film, theater, and media
Challenging stereotypes of scientists and engineers
Creating realistic, compelling stories about science and technology
Bridging the two cultures of science and humanities

New York City Program:

Supporting pre-college STEM education initiatives specifically in NYC

What They Don't Fund

Explicit Exclusions:

Political campaigns or activities, lobbying for or against legislation
Grants to individuals (except through Books program)
Grants to for-profit institutions (generally)
Religion, medical research, or humanities research
Pre-college education (except through New York City initiative)
Endowments, fundraising drives, or fundraising dinners
Capital projects including purchase, construction, or renovation of buildings or laboratories
Unsolicited grant proposals (LOI required first)

Note: The Foundation will occasionally support purchase or construction of scientific equipment if essential to a Foundation-supported research project.

Governance and Leadership

Interim President: Ruth Brenner (June 2025 - December 2025)

President-Elect: Stacie Bloom (assumes presidency January 2026). Announced October 2025, Bloom will lead the Foundation in its mission to support original research and education in STEM fields.

Previous President: Adam Falk (2018-2025), past president of Williams College, recently departed to lead the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Board Chair: Susan Tierney

Board of Trustees: Bonnie L. Bassler (Princeton University), Francine Berman (UMass Amherst), Judith Chevalier (Yale University), Thad Hill (Calpine Corporation), Paul A. Jacobson (General Motors), Farnam Jahanian (Carnegie Mellon University), Ray Jayawardhana (Johns Hopkins University), Jeff Knight (Summit Rock Advisors)

Key Program Leadership: Doron Weber serves as Vice President and Program Director for the Public Understanding of Science and Technology program. The Foundation maintains a full staff directory at sloan.org/about/staff.

Leadership Philosophy: "The Foundation believes that these fields [science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and economics]—and the scholars and practitioners who work in them—are chief drivers of the nation's health and prosperity, and that a reasoned, systematic understanding of the forces of nature and society, when applied inventively and wisely, can lead to a better world for all."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Step 1 - Letter of Inquiry (LOI):

The Foundation does not accept or review unsolicited grant proposals
Submit a Letter of Inquiry by email to the appropriate program director or grantsadmin@sloan.org
LOI should not exceed 2 pages (some programs may require 3-4 pages)
Must be PDF or Microsoft Word document in 11-point font
Required content: project goals, outputs, plan to achieve goals; current state of relevant research; project duration; estimated total cost and amount sought from Sloan; names, affiliations, and titles of key project members

Step 2 - Invitation for Full Proposal:

Grantseekers submitting promising LOIs will be invited to submit a formal grant proposal
Full proposals follow strict formatting guidelines (inflexible requirements)
Proposals not meeting requirements will not be considered

Step 3 - Rigorous Review Process:

The Foundation's review process mimics peer review at high-quality academic journals
For major grants or complex work, independent expert review may be sought
Grantseekers given opportunity to respond in writing to reviewer comments
Work with program director to ensure sufficient time for submission, redrafting, review, and amendments

Important Preparation:

Read carefully through program descriptions at sloan.org/programs
Browse previous grants in the program area to understand supported project types
Review Grant Proposal Guidelines (separate documents for Research Projects and Non-Research Projects)
Note budget restrictions: upper limit on indirect costs, limits on PI salaries and tuition support

Open Calls: The Foundation occasionally issues open calls for specific initiatives, posted at sloan.org/grants/open-calls

Decision Timeline

Letter of Inquiry Response: Up to 8 weeks to receive a response. If more than 8 weeks have passed, it is appropriate to email the relevant program director to inquire about status.

Grant Approval Timeline:

Grants are made year-round
Major grants (>$250K) are approved only quarterly by the Board of Trustees
Trustee Grants (>$125K) are reviewed by independent expert panel before quarterly board presentation
Timeline varies depending on funds requested and work complexity
Grantseekers should work with program director to ensure sufficient time for all review stages

Fellowship Timeline: Sloan Research Fellowship awardees are typically announced in February of each year.

Notification Methods: Direct communication from program staff via email.

Success Rates

Success rates and specific acceptance percentages are not publicly disclosed by the Foundation. However, context clues from recent open calls provide some insight:

Energy System Electrification RFP: Nearly 50 submissions received, 6 grants awarded (~12% success rate)
Energy and Environmental Sensors RFP: Nearly 150 submissions received, 4 grants awarded (~3% success rate)
Net-Zero and Negative Emissions Technologies RFP: Nearly 80 submissions received, 4 grants awarded (~5% success rate)
Energy Insecurity and Just Transitions RFP: Nearly 70 submissions received, 9 grants awarded (~13% success rate)

These figures suggest competitive selection processes for open calls, though success rates likely vary significantly across programs and application types.

Reapplication Policy

The Foundation does not explicitly publish a comprehensive reapplication policy on its website. For the Sloan Research Fellowship program, the FAQ section addresses reapplication for candidates who applied in previous years, though specific details are not fully available in public documentation.

Applicants with questions about reapplication policies should contact program staff directly at grantsadmin@sloan.org or the relevant program director.

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from the Foundation

Writing Style: "Avoid rhetoric and hyperbole. Illustrate with real instances or examples." (From Grant Application Guidelines)

Follow Guidelines Strictly: "Adhere to the formatting and content requirements laid out in the grant application guidelines. These requirements are inflexible. Proposals not meeting these requirements will not be considered."

Budget Preparation: Review the Foundation's Proposal Guidelines for restrictions on indirect costs, PI salaries, and tuition support before submitting LOI budget estimates.

Research Preparation: "Interested applicants should read carefully through the Foundation's program descriptions in the Programs section of the website and are encouraged to browse through some of the grants made in the program to get a feeling for the kind of projects the program supports."

Recently Funded Projects (2024 Examples)

STEM Doctoral Equity: University of Pittsburgh received $250,000 to develop evidence-based policies for more equitable physical science and engineering doctoral programs, with focus on systemic institutional change.

Film and Media: "Love Me" by Sam and Andy Zuchero received the $25,000 Sloan Feature Film Prize at Sundance 2024 for compelling science storytelling.

Energy Research: Colorado School of Mines received more than $1 million for research into critical minerals production, societal considerations in energy research, and EV charging infrastructure.

Open Source: Carnegie Mellon University received $650,000 to establish an Open Source Program Office, institutionalizing support for research software.

Key Success Factors

Alignment with Mission: Successful projects demonstrate clear connection to advancing science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or economics through original research, education, or public understanding.

Interdisciplinary Approach: Many funded projects emphasize collaborative, interdisciplinary scholarship across social and natural sciences.

Systemic Impact: The Foundation values projects with potential for systemic change, particularly in higher education and institutional practices.

Innovation: Projects should demonstrate potential to advance their fields, whether through groundbreaking research, transformative educational initiatives, or novel approaches to science communication.

Feasibility and Rigor: Applications must demonstrate rigorous methodology, realistic timelines, and achievable goals with appropriate expertise on the team.

Evidence-Based Approaches: Particularly for education initiatives, the Foundation values evidence-based policies and practices.

Common Considerations

Independent Review: Understand that your proposal may undergo independent expert review, and be prepared to respond constructively to reviewer feedback.

Budget Realism: Budget restrictions are strictly enforced. Ensure your budget aligns with Foundation guidelines on indirect costs, salary support, and allowable expenses.

Strategic Timing: For major grants, work backwards from quarterly board meeting schedules to ensure adequate time for the full review process.

Program Fit: Different programs have distinct focuses. Ensure your project aligns with the specific priorities of the program to which you're applying.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No Unsolicited Proposals: You must submit a compelling 2-page Letter of Inquiry first and receive an invitation before submitting a full proposal. Use this LOI to make a strong, concise case for your project's alignment with Foundation priorities.
Browse the Grants Database First: The Foundation explicitly recommends reviewing previously funded projects in your program area at sloan.org/grants-database to understand what they support. This is essential reconnaissance before crafting your LOI.
Rigor Matches Academic Standards: The Foundation's review process is designed to match peer review at top academic journals, with potential independent expert review. Prepare proposals with the same rigor you'd apply to a high-impact journal submission.
Timing is Strategic: Major grants (>$250K) are only approved quarterly. Work with program staff to understand the review timeline and ensure you're not rushing critical stages. Allow 8 weeks for LOI response alone.
Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Wins: Recent grant patterns show strong preference for interdisciplinary approaches, particularly in energy/environment, and collaborative partnerships in higher education (especially with MSIs).
Follow Guidelines Obsessively: The Foundation states their formatting and content requirements are "inflexible" and proposals not meeting requirements "will not be considered." This is not hyperbole—strict adherence is mandatory.
Budget Restrictions Matter: Review the Grant Proposal Guidelines for specific restrictions on indirect costs, PI salaries, and tuition before crafting your LOI budget. These limits are non-negotiable and can affect project feasibility.

References

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Official Website, "Home," https://sloan.org/, accessed November 2024.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "Apply," https://sloan.org/grants/apply, accessed November 2024.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "Programs," https://sloan.org/programs/, accessed November 2024.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "Grant Application Guidelines for Research Projects," https://sloan.org/storage/app/media/files/application_documents/Sloan-Grant-Proposal-Guidelines-Research-Projects.pdf, accessed November 2024.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "Grant Application Guidelines for Non-Research Projects," https://sloan.org/storage/app/media/files/application_documents/Sloan-Grant-Proposal-Guidelines-Non-Research-Projects.pdf, accessed November 2024.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "2024-2025 Exemplary Pathways Grantees," https://sloan.org/programs/higher-education/exemplary-pathways/2024-2025-exemplary-pathways-grantees, accessed November 2024.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "What We Do Not Fund," https://sloan.org/grants/apply/what-we-do-not-fund, accessed November 2024.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "Trustees," https://sloan.org/about/trustees, accessed November 2024.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "Staff," https://sloan.org/about/staff, accessed November 2024.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "Stacie Bloom Named Alfred P. Sloan Foundation President," Press Release, October 6, 2025, https://sloan.org/storage/app/media/files/press_releases/Stacie_Bloom_Named_Alfred_P_Sloan_Foundation_President.pdf.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "Sloan Research Fellowships," https://sloan.org/fellowships, accessed November 2024.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "Technology," https://sloan.org/programs/digital-technology, accessed November 2024.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "Energy & Environment," https://sloan.org/programs/research/energy-and-environment, accessed November 2024.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "Public Understanding of Science & Technology," https://sloan.org/programs/public-understanding/, accessed November 2024.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "Grants Database," https://sloan.org/grants-database, accessed November 2024.
Wikipedia, "Alfred P. Sloan Foundation," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_P._Sloan_Foundation, accessed November 2024.
Inside Philanthropy, "Alfred P. Sloan Foundation," https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/grants-s/alfred-p-sloan-foundation, accessed November 2024.
University of Pittsburgh, "Pitt received a seed grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation," https://www.pittwire.pitt.edu/pittwire/accolades-honors/sloan-foundation-awards-stem-doctoral-equity-grant-2024, accessed November 2024.
Sundance Institute, "Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Sundance Institute Announce Recipients of Science-In-Film Initiative's Feature Film Prize and Three Artist Grants," https://www.sundance.org/blogs/alfred-p-sloan-foundation-and-sundance-institute-announce-recipients-of-science-in-film-initiatives-feature-film-prize-and-three-artist-grants-2/, accessed November 2024.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, "Announcing the Grantees from the Energy System Electrification Request for Proposals," https://sloan.org/programs/research/energy-and-environment/energy-electrification-grants, accessed November 2024.