Frequently Asked Questions

The following list of questions has been developed from prior nominees to assist invited institutions with future proposals.

Program Eligibility & Invitations

Why is the Brown Investigator Program restricted to invited universities?

Following the original vision of the founder, the Institute intends to concentrate on fulfilling its research mission with the lowest possible overhead. Therefore, minimizing the number of submissions to be reviewed becomes essential.

How is the list of invited universities determined?

Candidates must be members of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and are ranked by peer review in physics and chemistry.

Will the list of invitees be made public?

No.

What are the department restrictions on the Invitee's choice of an Applicant?

The Applicant must be a member of either the physics or chemistry department.

What are the restrictions on sub-discipline?

If the Applicant is in chemistry, the primary interest must be fundamental chemistry. If in physics, the focus must be either condensed matter or atomic physics.

Eligibility Criteria

Why are the Awards restricted to the tenure +10-year rule?

The program supports high-quality, curiosity-driven basic research. The early post-tenure period is often a critical opportunity for scientists to pursue bold, new ideas that may not yet attract traditional funding.

How is the tenure +10 years measured?

Tenure refers to the date of first receipt of a tenure commitment at a major research university (not necessarily the Invitee institution). The start of the award cannot be more than 10 years after that date.

Does the subject matter of the invite's application have to be new or novel?

The subject matter of the proposed research will unlikely be totally new or novel. The Applicant will likely have been thinking about the question for some time and never had the time or resources to pursue it. Nevertheless, the Institute will be careful in funding an extension of major efforts on behalf of the Applicant if it just reflects an extension of prior pursuits.

If the line of inquiry is new, how much and what type of preliminary work is required?

Sufficient background diligence needs to be demonstrated to guard against a re-invention of the wheel or perpetual motion syndrome. This is particularly true when reaching across inter-disciplinary lines. Applications should address these concerns directly.

*What are the factors that the SAB considers in making their selections?

The SAB recognizes that the Invitee has already done the hard work in selecting the applicant. The SAB will make a judgment on how well the applicant's proposal (a) matches the Institute's desire to pursue curiosity driven basic science, (b) demonstrates a full understanding of the existing science and state of knowledge, (c) has proposed a thought-out plan that is capable of being executed within the period of performance, and (d) has addressed any likely problems that might be encountered.

Funding & Duration

What is the dollar value and duration of the Award?

Theorists: up to $1,250,000; Experimentalists: up to $2,000,000; Maximum duration: 5 years (may be shorter).

Must funding be distributed evenly over the award period?

No. Funding may be distributed as needed, with justification provided in the proposal.

Allowable Costs

What expenses can the Award cover?

Expenses directly related to research, excluding faculty compensation and indirect costs exceeding 10% of non-equipment expenses.

Can the Award cover faculty compensation?

No.

Can funds be used for shared resource user fees?

Yes, provided fees are consistent with those charged to other users.