The Office of Foundation Relations is pleased to share this open call for funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
UCSC Contact: Samantha Forde | forde@ucsc.edu
Funder: Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Opportunity: 2026 Experimental Physics Investigators Initiative (EPI)
Deadline: October 14, 2025, 12PM PT
Overview
The Experimental Physics Investigators Initiative was established to help the next generation of scientific leaders achieve remarkable physics insights and open new frontiers. The Initiative seeks to support creative individuals who have recently received tenure (or its equivalent) to tackle interesting new research problems with enough flexibility to pivot when necessary to accelerate their progress.
Moore Informational Office Hours
The Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigators Initiative team hosts virtual office hours each year in September and early October to answer questions regarding the application process. The presentation slides from the most recent Q&A session are available
See previous Experimental Physics Investigators.
Award Amount & Terms
- $1,250,000 over five years with additional funds for equipment
- This amount includes a 12.5% overhead allowance on eligible expenses
- Grants will be made to the applicant’s non-profit or public university or research institution
Eligibility
- Investigators must have earned tenure (or equivalent) at their U.S. institution and are within five years of their first tenure appointment at the time of submission of their pre-proposal.
- For the 2026 cohort application deadline on 14 October 2025, applicants must have earned tenure after 14 October 2020.
Timeline
- October 14, 2025 Pre-proposal submission deadline
- December 15, 2025 Full proposal invitations sent
- February 4, 2026 Full invited proposals due
- August 25, 2026 Cohort announced
Special Instructions
Please notify the Office of Foundation Relations if you are interested in applying to this opportunity (fr@ucsc.edu). For support developing your proposal, please contact the Research Development Specialist assigned to your unit or send a request to resdev@ucsc.edu.
The Office of Foundation Relations is a unit of University Advancement. The FR team creates and maintains mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with private organizations, matching grant initiatives with educational and research programs and centers. FR supports faculty and staff to identify and approach these and other private foundations for funding, to assist in strategic positioning of the grant application, and to facilitate funder campus visits. For a list of recent funding opportunities, please visit the FR website: FR Calls for Funding.