External Deadline: March 15, 2024 Internal Deadline: January 8, 2024
An informational webinar for the Packard Fellowships was organized by WCM and Cornell University. To view the recording, please click here.
Instructions for electronic submission: To apply for the Packard Fellowship, please submit the materials requested below to this link no later than January 8, 2024, at 11:59 PM.
Budget: $175,000/year for 5 years; 10% IDC (anticipated)
Number of Applications: 2 applications from Cornell (including Ithaca)
Program Description:
To support the nation's most promising early career professors to pursue their science and engineering research with few funding restrictions. The Foundation is looking for conceptually revolutionary big ideas that have the potential of being widely adopted. The Fellowship Program provides support for highly creative researchers early in their careers; faculty members who are well established and well-funded are less likely to receive the award.
Disciplines that will be considered include physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, astronomy, computer science, earth science, ocean science, and all branches of engineering. Candidates engaged in research in the social sciences, clinical research, research associated with the design and construction of large national facilities, or in projects that are extensions or components of large-scale, ongoing research programs, will not be considered. The Packard Fellowships are directed to less generously supported fields.
- The Packard Fellowships are directed to less generously supported fields.
- In 2024, 20 nominees from invited institutions across the US will be selected to receive the Packard Fellowship award.
Fellowship Advisory Panel: Richard Alley, Chair (Pennsylvania State University); Kristi S. Anseth (University of Colorado Boulder); Erich D. Jarvis (Rockefeller University); Celeste Nelson (Princeton University); Andrei Y. Okounkov (Columbia University); Franklin M. (Lynn) Orr, Jr. (Stanford University); Stephen R. Quake (Stanford University); Robert J. Schoelkopf (Yale University); Christopher W. Stubbs (Harvard University); Eva Tardos (Cornell University); Sarah A. Tishkoff (University of Pennsylvania).
Funding priorities:
Core fundamental, not applied science in many disciplines. Note the program is not interested in funding clinical or social science research.
- Foundation offers largely unrestricted funding to take risks and pursue new and exciting avenues of research.
Selection criteria:
Recommendation letter (first) and importance/impact of research (second) are the 2 most important evaluation criteria. Recommendation letters must be written by prominent figures in the candidate's field, should understand the candidate's work very well, and be able to say that the research is important and the candidate is a leader in the field. Ideally at least one letter writer is not in a supervisory role (not required but suggested). Recommenders who are themselves Packard Fellows, or mentored Packard Fellows, are highly regarded as letter writers.
Publication track record is important to be able to be recognized and labeled as an expert in a field for a specific body of work.
Having previous funding and/or awards can be perceived as a positive.
See the Foundation website for details.
Eligibility
Eligible candidates are in the first tenure-track faculty appointments, usually as Assistant or Associate Professors. Their initial faculty appointments must have begun no earlier than May 31, 2021, and no later than May 31, 2024.
Eligible candidates have a PI status, lead independent groups and have dedicated lab space.
The Fellowship Program provides support for highly creative researchers early in their careers. Faculty members who are well established and well-funded are less likely to receive the award.
Application Requirements
Cornell is limited to submitting 2 nominees. Due to this limitation an internal selection process will be coordinated. Chairpersons/Institute Directors/Division Heads may submit no more than two nominations from their department/division. Note: Chairs/Institute Directors/Division Heads submitting more than one nomination must comment on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two nominees. The same comment should be repeated in both nomination letters. Margins should be at least one inch and font size no less than 11 point.
1. 1-2 page letter of nomination detailing why the candidate should be considered
2. Research statement
- The research statement should describe why the research is important and outline the general goals for the next five years. The statement should also indicate, in general, how funds will be used. This does not need to be a detailed budget and will not be binding on the actual use of funds. The research statement is limited to 1,400 words (maximum two pages of text, prepared in 12-point font with 1-inch margins). If there are relevant figures, images or references, please include these separately on a third page.
- The research statement should pitch an appealing idea around an important topic in your field of work.
- Write the research statement for a broader scientific audience. The reviewers will be seasoned scientists outside your field of work (computer scientists, physicists). Check the Current Advisory Panel Members, select the one/s who are closer to your field of work, and write the research statement in a way you think they will understand and appreciate your work.
- The research statement should be credible, but extensive preliminary data is not required. Showing that previous work in a similar area was performed successfully is sufficient.
3. Biosketch with the nominee's appointment date (month/day/year). List all current external support and potential overlap with the Packard project.
Submit the items listed above here no later than January 8, 2024 at 11:59 PM in the order listed as one PDF document using the naming convention PI last name-first initial_Packard2024.pdf (see example below).
Example: Smith-J_ Packard2024.pdf
Past Recipients
- Basic Science
- Junior Faculty
- New Investigator