Simons Foundation


The Simons Foundation is a private foundation established in 1994 by Marilyn and James Harris Simons with offices in New York City. The foundation funds research in mathematics and the basic sciences.
The foundation makes grants in "four program areas: mathematics and physical sciences; life sciences; autism research; and education & outreach." In 2016, the foundation launched the Flatiron Institute, a multidisciplinary academic research entity focused on computation.
The foundation also funds two editorially independent online publications: Quanta Magazine and Spectrum. Quanta reports on developments in mathematics, theoretical physics, theoretical computer science and the basic life sciences. Spectrum provides news and analysis of advancements in autism research.

Simons Investigators awardees

The Simons Foundation funds the Simons Investigators program which "provides a stable base of support for outstanding scientists, enabling them to undertake long-term study of fundamental questions".
Simons Investigators are nominated by eligible universities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Awards are made in the categories of mathematics, physics, astrophysics, theoretical computer science, mathematical modeling of living systems, and math+X.
Awardees receive research support of $100,000 per year for five years.
YearCategoryAwardeeInstitution
2017MathematicsSimon BrendleColumbia University
2017MathematicsLudmil KatzarkovUniversity of Miami
2017MathematicsIgor RodnianskiPrinceton University
2017MathematicsAllan SlyUniversity of California
2017PhysicsNigel CooperCambridge University
2017PhysicsSteven GubserPrinceton University
2017PhysicsShamit KachruStanford University
2017PhysicsAnders SandvikBoston University
2017PhysicsEva SilversteinStanford University
2017AstrophysicsEve OstrikerPrinceton University
2017AstrophysicsWayne HuUniversity of Chicago
2017Theoretical computer scienceScott AaronsonUniversity of Texas at Austin
2017Theoretical computer scienceBoaz BarakHarvard University
2017Theoretical computer scienceJames R. LeeUniversity of Washington
2017Mathematical modeling of living systemsArvind MuruganThe University of Chicago
2017Mathematical modeling of living systemsDavid SchwabNorthwestern University
2017Mathematical modeling of living systemsAryeh WarmflashRice University
2017Mathematical modeling of living systemsDaniel WeissmanEmory University
2017Math+XAndrea BertozziUniversity of California, Los Angeles
2017Math+XAmit SingerPrinceton University
2016MathematicsVladimir MarkovicCalifornia Institute of Technology
2016MathematicsJames McKernanUniversity of California, San Diego
2016MathematicsBjorn PoonenMassachusetts Institute of Technology
2016PhysicsMina AganagicUniversity of California, Berkeley
2016PhysicsAndrea AlùThe University of Texas at Austin
2016PhysicsAndrei BeloborodovColumbia University
2016PhysicsB. Andrei BernevigPrinceton University
2016PhysicsGarnet ChanCalifornia Institute of Technology
2016PhysicsDaniel EisensteinHarvard University
2016PhysicsAnton KapustinCalifornia Institute of Technology
2016Theoretical computer scienceMadhu SudanHarvard University
2016Theoretical computer scienceDavid ZuckermanUniversity of Texas at Austin
2016Mathematical modeling of living systemsSurya GanguliStanford University
2016Mathematical modeling of living systemsKirill KorolevBoston University
2016Mathematical modeling of living systemsMadhav ManiNorthwestern University
2016Mathematical modeling of living systemsM. Lisa ManningSyracuse University
2016Math+XIngrid DaubechiesDuke University
2015MathematicsIan AgolUniversity of California, Berkeley
2015MathematicsBen GreenUniversity of Oxford
2015MathematicsRaphaël RouquierUniversity of California, Los Angeles
2015MathematicsChristopher SkinnerPrinceton University
2015Theoretical computer scienceDan BonehStanford University
2015Theoretical computer scienceSubhash KhotNew York University
2015Theoretical computer scienceChristopher UmansCalifornia Institute of Technology
2015PhysicsJonathan FengUniversity of California, Irvine
2015PhysicsAlexei KitaevCalifornia Institute of Technology
2015PhysicsAndrea LiuUniversity of Pennsylvania
2015PhysicsMark Van RaamsdonkUniversity of British Columbia
2015PhysicsAshvin VishwanathHarvard University
2015PhysicsAnastasia VolovichBrown University
2015PhysicsMatthieu WyartNew York University
2015Mathematical modeling of living systemsMichael DesaiHarvard University
2015Mathematical modeling of living systemsAndrew MuglerPurdue University
2015Mathematical modeling of living systemsJames O’DwyerUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2015Math+XMichael WeinsteinColumbia University
2014MathematicsAlex EskinUniversity of Chicago
2014MathematicsLarry GuthMassachusetts Institute of Technology
2014MathematicsRichard KenyonBrown University
2014MathematicsAndrei OkounkovColumbia University
2014Theoretical computer scienceMoses CharikarPrinceton University
2014Theoretical computer scienceShang-Hua TengUniversity of Southern California
2014PhysicsPatrick HaydenStanford University
2014PhysicsMarc KamionkowskiThe Johns Hopkins University
2014PhysicsLeo RadzihovskyUniversity of Colorado at Boulder
2014PhysicsRachel SomervilleRutgers University
2014PhysicsAnatoly SpitkovskyPrinceton University
2014PhysicsIain StewartMassachusetts Institute of Technology
2014Mathematical modeling of living systemsPaul FrançoisMcGill University
2014Mathematical modeling of living systemsOskar HallatschekUniversity of California, Berkeley
2014Mathematical modeling of living systemsPankaj MehtaBoston University
2014Mathematical modeling of living systemsOlga ZhaxybayevaDartmouth College
2013MathematicsNgô Bảo ChâuThe University of Chicago
2013MathematicsMaryam MirzakhaniStanford University
2013MathematicsKannan SoundararajanStanford University
2013MathematicsDaniel TătaruUniversity of California, Berkeley
2013Computer scienceRajeev AlurUniversity of Pennsylvania
2013Computer sciencePiotr IndykMassachusetts Institute of Technology
2013Computer scienceSalil VadhanHarvard University
2013PhysicsVictor GalitskiThe University of Maryland
2013PhysicsRandall KamienUniversity of Pennsylvania
2013PhysicsJoel MooreUniversity of California, Berkeley
2013PhysicsĐàm Thanh SơnThe University of Chicago
2013PhysicsSenthil TodadriMassachusetts Institute of Technology
2013PhysicsXi YinHarvard University
2012MathematicsManjul BhargavaPrinceton University
2012MathematicsAlice GuionnetMassachusetts Institute of Technology
2012MathematicsChristopher HaconThe University of Utah
2012MathematicsPaul SeidelMassachusetts Institute of Technology
2012MathematicsAmit SingerPrinceton University
2012MathematicsTerence TaoUniversity of California, Los Angeles
2012MathematicsHorng-Tzer YauHarvard University
2012Computer scienceSanjeev AroraPrinceton University
2012Computer scienceShafrira GoldwasserMassachusetts Institute of Technology
2012Computer scienceRussell ImpagliazzoUniversity of California, San Diego
2012Computer scienceJon KleinbergCornell University
2012Computer scienceDaniel SpielmanYale University
2012PhysicsIgor AleinerColumbia University
2012PhysicsMichael BrennerHarvard University
2012PhysicsSharon GlotzerUniversity of Michigan
2012PhysicsMatthew HastingsDuke University
2012PhysicsChris HirataCalifornia Institute of Technology
2012PhysicsCharles KaneUniversity of Pennsylvania
2012PhysicsHirosi OoguriCalifornia Institute of Technology
2012PhysicsFrans PretoriusPrinceton University
2012PhysicsEliot QuataertUniversity of California, Berkeley

White House BRAIN Initiative Alliance membership

As of December 2018, the Simons Foundation is listed as a White House BRAIN Initiative Alliance Member.
The Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain is working to understand the internal processes underlying cognition.