| The Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation supports novel methods development and research that substantially advances knowledge of symbiosis in marine and freshwater environments. |
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Supporting new collaborations
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| Through this request for proposals, the Initiative seeks to catalyze new collaborations that combine disciplinary expertise in aquatic symbiosis with leading-edge techniques from other areas of science and complementary disciplines to enable and accelerate discovery that will address – in new ways – fundamental and often long-standing questions regarding the origin, function, and evolution of symbiotic relationships of aquatic organisms. Competitive proposals will articulate how innovative collaborations will open new lines of scientific inquiry, redefine existing paradigms, or overcome critical methodological and technological limitations in the study of aquatic symbioses.
Proposals must be submitted by teams of two investigators — one researcher with demonstrated expertise in aquatic symbiosis and one researcher who brings complementary disciplinary, methodological, or theoretical expertise.
We are particularly interested in collaborations that bring together disciplines that have not historically interacted, where integration of perspectives creates the potential for qualitatively new approaches and insights. |
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Projects should align with one or more of three topic areas:
- How aquatic environments shape symbiotic interactions.
- Evolutionary ecology of symbiosis.
- Development of ambitious new methods, tools, or analytical approaches that expand capabilities to study aquatic symbioses.
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| Projects should pursue high-risk, high-reward ideas with the potential for significant impact. Competitive proposals will articulate how the collaboration enables new approaches to addressing fundamental questions regarding the origin, function, and evolution of aquatic symbiotic relationships. |
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| Submissions are due Friday, July 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. |
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| The Initiative supports scientists and engineers at eligible institutions worldwide, and proposals involving marine or freshwater systems that include microbial partners (bacteria, archaea, or single-celled eukaryotes) are within scope. |
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- Call overview: Visit Moore.org/SymbiosisRFP to learn more about the funding opportunity and download details on eligibility criteria and application guidance.
- Frequently asked questions: Review our up-to-date responses to frequently asked questions.
- Community dashboard: While recognizing that this request for proposals is distinct from past open calls, we encourage applicants to take a look at previously awarded projects on the Initiative dashboard.
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| Please share this announcement with your network and check out the details on Moore.org for more information.
To sign up for future announcements and our Initiative newsletter, please complete this form. Please share this form with others who may be interested, including students, postdoctoral fellows and technicians who may be interested in the Initiative newsletter.
With best regards,
Jon Kaye, Dan Thornhill, Stacey Lien Boyko
symbiosis@moore.org |
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