Thomas Jefferson Fund

Funding Agency:
French-American Cultural Exchange

The Thomas Jefferson Fund provides a unique framework to enable promising and innovative projects to reach their full potential and enrich French-American research collaborations.

The Thomas Jefferson Fund issues a yearly call for proposals and fund projects led by two outstanding young American and French researchers at the beginning of their careers, with mid- to long- term positions at a research or higher education institution in the United States or in France (post-doctorate level, assistant or associate professor, maître de conférences or chargé de recherche).

The Fund aims to encourage cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research projects of the highest quality and especially seeks to support emerging collaborations involving a team of younger researchers.

Grants will be awarded per funding cycle in each of the following fields:

• Humanities and Social Sciences (SSH)
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
• Sciences for Society (interdisciplinary STEM-SSH projects)

Each grant will amount to $20,000 over two years to be split equally between the French and the American teams. Co-financing from the researchers’ universities is encouraged to ensure the sustainability of these research partnerships.

These funds will support transatlantic mobility of researchers, collaborative research activities, the organization of international workshops or conferences, and the publication of joint articles.

The Thomas Jefferson Fund seeks out cutting-edge projects of great originality where an initial investment can make a substantial difference by putting American and French partners at the forefront of a new area of inquiry. The two-year terms of the Thomas Jefferson Fund grants will provide the stable platform and confidence that projects on the cusp of taking off require. This investment in early-stage projects and in engaging talented young scholars from diverse backgrounds working at the frontiers of knowledge will jumpstart innovative initiatives and facilitate the emergence of a new generation of international leaders.

Deadline: Feb. 24, 2021

Agency Website

Eligibility Requirements

The Fund considers projects jointly submitted by two scientists at the beginning of their careers, including notably:

  • On the American side, researchers at the post-doctorate level, assistant or associate professors at a university in the United States are eligible.
  • On the French side, researchers at the post-doctorate level, maîtres de conferences and chargés de recherche at a French institution of higher education and research are eligible.

US or French citizenship is not required. Applicants must provide proof that they are employed at either the US or French institution for at least the duration of the partnership, i.e. 2 years. Senior researchers may be included as team members but not as project leaders. PhD candidates are not eligible as project leaders. An additional partner institution may be added to the project proposal, but this additional partner will not receive any funding from the Thomas Jefferson Fund. Only the research or higher education institutions of the project leaders will receive funding. 

Amount

$20,000

Amount Description

Each grant will amount to $20,000 over two years to be split equally between the French and the American teams. Co-financing from the researchers’ universities is encouraged to ensure the sustainability of these research partnerships.

Funding Type

Grant

Eligibility

Faculty
Junior Faculty
Post Doctoral Fellows

Category

Arts & Humanities
Engineering and Physical Sciences
Environmental & Life Sciences
Interdisciplinary
International Opportunities
Social Sciences

External Deadline

February 24, 2021