URL: https://www.schmidtsciences.org/schmidt-science-polymaths/

NOTE: The foundation has not yet announced the 2027 cycle for this LSO but is expected to soon. The internal competition is announced in anticipation to allow prospective candidates sufficient time to prepare their applications. All information in this announcement is subject to change.

Objectives

The Schmidt Science Polymaths program aims to encourage the best “polymath” scientists to expand their research portfolios by exploring a substantive disciplinary shift after achieving tenure or equivalent status. The Polymaths program is intended for awardees to explore new ideas across disciplines that use new technologies and insights that are generally too new or risky to garner regular support.

Specifically, Polymaths looks for the most promising and innovative researchers who have a track record of thinking across disciplinary boundaries and who have recently achieved tenure (within the past 3 years). Focusing on the 3-year period after tenure or tenure-equivalency enables the award to reach professors at a time in their careers when academic freedom is maximized but often not fully realized. Academic freedom is directly related to position permanence in this context and is therefore an important requirement for this award.

Funding Information

Up to $500,000 per year for up to 5 years ($2,500,000 total).

Eligibility

Candidates must:

  • Have achieved tenure or equivalent status within the past 3 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.

Internal Selection Process

BU may forward up to 2 nominees.

Interested applicants should submit the following materials via InfoReady Review by: 6/15/2026

  • Research Plans Summary (2 pages max) answering the following:
    • Describe 1-3 intriguing subjects or problems you might work on, keeping in mind that the Polymath Award intends to support researchers venturing far beyond their established lines of research. Your proposed work and/or approach should be significantly different from your past work and innovative within the proposed field(s)/discipline(s)
    • How would pursuing the proposed subjects/problems contribute to a significant shift compared to your current and past work?
    • What excites you about this new direction? What is the potential impact of pursuing it?
    • References may be included on 1 additional page
  • Addressing Challenges Statement (500 words max) describing a pivotal moment in your career where you sought out a challenge beyond your core field(s)/discipline(s) and how you addressed that challenge
  • Preparation Statement (250 words max) describing how your expertise and credentials have prepared you to be a Schmidt Science Polymath. In other words, what makes you an intensely creative leader who demonstrates an immense capacity for innovative new thinking or shifts in research directions that can lead to impactful breakthroughs given flexible resources?
  • Up-to-date CV with special attention to the following information: lists of relevant funding and relevant publications (max 5 pages)

As necessary, a faculty review committee will review internal applications and select the institutional nominee(s). The Office of Research and Foundation Relations will coordinate with the selected nominees to submit their materials.

Deadlines

Internal Materials Due: Monday, June 15, 2026 by 11:59 pm ET

Anticipated Notification Date: Friday, July 10, 2026

**Anticipated External Materials Due: Monday, August 10, 2026

 

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