Is this actionable now?

rolling. Program-aligned letters of inquiry are accepted on an ongoing basis; separate open calls may have fixed deadlines.

Researchers/institutions whose work fits a current Sloan program area (science, technology, economics, and STEM higher education). Grants generally go to nonprofit/charitable and academic entities.

What burden and restrictions apply?

Recipients comply with the executed grant agreement, narrative and financial reports, payment schedule and permitted charitable uses. Support is restricted to the approved work plan, eligible costs and award period; unsupported, unrelated, double-funded or noncompliant expenditure is excluded.

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Grants

Award size is program- and proposal-specific; no umbrella minimum or maximum is published. · Alfred P. Sloan Foundation · rolling applications

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation makes grants supporting research and education in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and economics. It does not accept unsolicited proposals; grantseekers submit a Letter of Inquiry to the relevant program, and promising LOIs are invited to submit a full proposal. Current lifecycle: rolling. Real economics: Award size is program- and proposal-specific; no umbrella minimum or maximum is published..

Tier 2 · ranked #9researchscienceSTEMeconomics

Apply Official site Open in the live directory

Key facts

Funder	Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Amount	Award size is program- and proposal-specific; no umbrella minimum or maximum is published.
Deadline	Rolling — apply anytime
Decision time	Sloan states that a response to a letter of inquiry can take up to eight weeks; full-proposal timing is program-specific.
Eligibility	Researchers/institutions whose work fits a current Sloan program area (science, technology, economics, and STEM higher education). Grants generally go to nonprofit/charitable and academic entities.
Restrictions	Recipients comply with the executed grant agreement, narrative and financial reports, payment schedule and permitted charitable uses. Support is restricted to the approved work plan, eligible costs and award period; unsupported, unrelated, double-funded or noncompliant expenditure is excluded.
Status	rolling

Always confirm on the official page before applying — dates and terms change.

Application process

Identify the relevant Sloan program
Email a 2-4 page letter of inquiry to its program director
Wait up to eight weeks for response
Submit a full proposal and cover sheet only if invited
Complete due diligence and grant agreement

Background

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation operates Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Grants. This pass separates direct cash, repayable finance, credits, incentives and umbrella programs so later ranking does not compare unlike instruments. Sloan publishes a searchable database of grants and program portfolios. The foundation uses an LOI-first process rather than unsolicited full proposals. Program directors are the first substantive point of contact.

How the application really works

Identify the relevant Sloan program → Email a 2-4 page letter of inquiry to its program director → Wait up to eight weeks for response → Submit a full proposal and cover sheet only if invited → Complete due diligence and grant agreement

Tips

Show direct fit with science.
Show direct fit with technology.
Show direct fit with engineering.
Show direct fit with mathematics.
Show direct fit with economics.
Show direct fit with STEM higher education.

Watch out for

Current lifecycle is rolling.
Recipients comply with the executed grant agreement, narrative and financial reports, payment schedule and permitted charitable uses.
Support is restricted to the approved work plan, eligible costs and award period; unsupported, unrelated, double-funded or noncompliant expenditure is excluded.

Track record

Sloan publishes a searchable database of grants and program portfolios.
The foundation uses an LOI-first process rather than unsolicited full proposals.
Program directors are the first substantive point of contact.

The reviewed official corpus does not publish an applicant denominator and comparable selection rate.

Frequently asked questions

Is this actionable now?: rolling. Program-aligned letters of inquiry are accepted on an ongoing basis; separate open calls may have fixed deadlines.
What is the real economic value?: Award size is program- and proposal-specific; no umbrella minimum or maximum is published.
Who is eligible?: Researchers/institutions whose work fits a current Sloan program area (science, technology, economics, and STEM higher education). Grants generally go to nonprofit/charitable and academic entities.
How does selection work?: Identify the relevant Sloan program; Email a 2-4 page letter of inquiry to its program director; Wait up to eight weeks for response; Submit a full proposal and cover sheet only if invited; Complete due diligence and grant agreement. Sloan states that a response to a letter of inquiry can take up to eight weeks; full-proposal timing is program-specific.
What burden and restrictions apply?: Recipients comply with the executed grant agreement, narrative and financial reports, payment schedule and permitted charitable uses. Support is restricted to the approved work plan, eligible costs and award period; unsupported, unrelated, double-funded or noncompliant expenditure is excluded.
What evidence exists?: Sloan publishes a searchable database of grants and program portfolios. The foundation uses an LOI-first process rather than unsolicited full proposals. Program directors are the first substantive point of contact. The reviewed official corpus does not publish an applicant denominator and comparable selection rate.

Sources

sloan.org/grants/apply — Official LOI, response time and invited-proposal process (checked 2026-08-10)
sloan.org/programs — Official current program portfolio and program-director routing (checked 2026-08-10)
sloan.org/grants-database — Official award and track-record database (checked 2026-08-10)