The Sloan Research Fellowships are awarded annually by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation since 1955 to "provide support and recognition to early-career scientists and scholars". This is distinct from the Sloan Fellows in business.
Fellowships were initially awarded in physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Awards were later added in neuroscience (1972), economics (1980), computer science (1993), and computational and evolutionary molecular biology (2002).[1] In 2007, 118 young faculty were granted awards.[2] In 2008, 125 young faculty were granted awards.[3]
The foundation has been supportive of scientists who are parents by allowing them extra time after their doctorate during which they remain eligible for the award:
"Candidates for Sloan Research Fellowships are required to hold the Ph.D. (or equivalent) in chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, economics, neuroscience or computational and evolutionary molecular biology, or in a related interdisciplinary field, and must be members of the regular faculty (i.e., tenure track) of a college or university in the United States or Canada. They may be no more than six years from completion of the most recent Ph.D. or equivalent as of the year of their nomination, unless special circumstances such as military service, a change of field, or child rearing are involved or unless they have held a faculty appointment for less than two years. If any of the above circumstances apply, the letter of nomination (see below) should provide a clear explanation. While Fellows are expected to be at an early stage of their research careers, there should be strong evidence of independent research accomplishments. Candidates in all fields are normally below the rank of associate professor and do not hold tenure, but these are not strict requirements. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation welcomes nominations of all candidates who meet the traditional high standards of this program, and strongly encourages the participation of women and members of underrepresented minority groups."[1]