Eric and Wendy Schmidt Transformative Technology Fund

Request for Proposals

Overview

The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Transformative Technology Fund (EWSF) was established at Princeton in 2009 by Princeton alumnus Eric Schmidt, the former executive chairman of Alphabet, Google's parent company, and his wife, Wendy. The Schmidts created the $25 million endowment fund for the invention, development, and utilization of cutting-edge technology that has the capacity to transform research in the natural sciences and engineering.

The purpose of the fund, as put forth by President Emerita Shirley M. Tilghman at its inauguration, is “to fund risk-taking projects, understanding that with risk comes not only the potential for huge reward, but some frequency of failure.”

The University therefore seeks to fund the following kinds of research:

The invention of a disruptive new technology having potential major impact on a field of research.
The development of equipment or an enabling technology that will transform research in a field.

PI Eligibility

Faculty and research staff.

Dates

Proposal submission deadline: 5:00 p.m. November 22, 2024.

Size and Term of Awards

The size of the awards is typically between $0.5M and $1M per project, depending on the number and requirements of high-quality proposals received. Funding will normally be spread over one or two years. In years where the quality of the submitted proposals is deemed inadequate, no awards will be made.

Allowable Expenses

Equipment, materials and supplies, support for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers directly working on the project. Renovation costs are not allowed, nor is salary support for the Principal Investigator or any research staff members. Additionally, these awards are exempt from indirect costs.

Application Procedure

Proposals must be no longer than 5 pages, and should focus on the research proposed, emphasizing its potential significance and impact. Please be sure to address the following issues:

The proposal should explain why the invention or development of the specific technology is ground-breaking.
Separate from the proposal narrative document, provide the following materials (not counted for the purposes of the 5 page limit). A one-page budget that specifically describes how the funds will be utilized to accomplish the research objectives. A list of other internal or external funding (applied for or awarded) that explains how they relate to the research described in this particular proposal. A one- to three-page biographical sketch for each principal investigator or senior personnel on the project.
When developing these materials, applicants are strongly encouraged to work with their regular grants manager, who will ensure that a prospective budget, other support, and biographical sketch will have all of the information needed for reviewers to assess them as key components of the proposal. If relevant to the proposed project, letters of support from collaborators may be included, but such letters are not required.
Proposed research that would combine support from the EWSF and other sources is eligible. In such cases the sources, amounts, and status of non-EWSF support must be specified. It is essential to emphasize the impact and leverage (“bang for the buck”) that a grant from the EWSF would provide.

Submission Information

To submit, visit the InfoReady Review page for this program. Fill-in the required fields and upload your application file and click Submit.

Selection Procedure

A peer-review committee will evaluate the proposals and selection of awardees will be based entirely on the overall quality and innovativeness of the proposed research, its significance and its likely impact. The committee will be selected by the Dean for Research and will be comprised of at least five faculty members and/or outside experts having scientific backgrounds across a variety of technical disciplines.

The committee will forward its recommendations to the President, who will consider them and announce the winner(s). Typically, one to three proposals are recommended for funding on any given year.