The Moore Inventor Fellows program provides $675,000 over three years to support scientist-inventors who create new tools and technologies with a high potential to accelerate progress in the foundation’s areas of interest: scientific discovery, environmental conservation and patient care.

The internal deadline is Friday, October 23.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation seeks to identify outstanding inventors and innovators who harness science and technology to enhance the conduct of scientific research, strengthen environmental conservation, or improve the experience and outcomes of patient care. The Moore Inventor Fellows program focuses on supporting scientist-inventors at a critical prototyping stage to capture opportunities that otherwise might be missed.

Selected fellows will receive $600,000 over three years, as well as $25,000 in indirect costs each year, for a total of $675,000. Host institutions are required to make a contribution of $50,000 in annual direct support of the inventor’s work, for a total package of $825,000.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Must be within 10 years of receiving advanced terminal degree (M.S., Ph.D., or M.D.)
• May come from a broad array of disciplines, including, but not limited to environmental science and conservation, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, big data, climatology, emerging infectious diseases, oceanography, biology, engineering, physics, chemistry, materials science, neuroscience, and public health.

For more informatiom, view the short slide deck created by the Office of Foundation Relations.

Applicant Instructions:
Please provide the following information in a single PDF:

1. Cover page

·         Funding opportunity name

·         PI’s name, department, and college

·         Title of the proposed project

·         A statement that says “I have verified that I may serve as a principal investigator for this project.”*

2. Statement of invention (no more than two pages, including citations; single-spaced, 12-point font and one-inch margins). The first paragraph should describe clearly and without jargon the invention, the problem it seeks to address, and its potential impact. The statement of invention should also include the following:

·         Description of invention

·         Importance in the area of science, environmental conservation, or patient care and experience

·         Stage of invention

·         Current funding

·         Feasibility

·         Potential impact

·         Approach for measuring progress during the grant term

3. Budget narrative that outlines how grant funds will be used (one page)

4. Summary CV (two page max)

5. Statement from Department Chair or Dean to assure that the nominee has at least 25 percent of their time to devote to their invention and $50,000 in annual direct support from the institution (total of $150,000 direct support over the project period).

* The principal investigator (PI) for the project must meet the PI Status guidelines as defined by the university and the program guidelines.