Guidelines and Application

Eligibility Criteria

All applications must meet the following criteria:

• The request must be related to organizing or hosting an in-person, hybrid, or virtual event (e.g., conference, meeting, symposium, workshop, summer school, etc.) related to the fields of astronomy (including planetary science), cosmology, fundamental physics, climate change science, and/or increasing the representation and persistence of underrepresented groups in these fields.
• Applicants must submit their proposal through one of the following:
• • a tax-exempt public charity organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
  • a Federal, State, or Local government body, agency or instrumentality that is treated as an organization described in Code Sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code; or
  • a governmental unit referred to in Section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code.

For applicants at universities, we encourage you to contact your office of sponsored projects or affiliated foundation to gather the necessary information to apply.

• Non-US entities are not eligible to apply.
• The funding request must be within $20,000 and $80,000 (inclusive) in increments of $10,000, including indirect costs.
• The total event cost must be less than $500,000.
• The event must take place between November 1, 2024 and November 30, 2025.
• The primary audience of the event must be undergraduate level and above, and aimed at the scientific community.
• Events may not restrict attendance to a particular identity group.

For existing Heising-Simons Foundation grantees: applicants may not already have an active grant for the proposed event, or have received more than $100,000 cumulatively from the Foundation for the proposed event or event series within the last four years.