The Moore Foundation's Experimental Physics Investigators Initiative seeks to support creative individuals who have recently received tenure (or its equivalent) to tackle interesting new research problems with enough flexibility to pivot when necessary and to bring on students and a postdoc to accelerate their progress. The Foundation will make available additional equipment funds if progress dictates a course change, and will enable investigators to spend time with peers in the same career stage who are probing physics frontiers with new tools and ideas to foster collaborations and out-of-the-box research ideas. The goal is to allow creative individuals to pursue exciting research goals, try new ideas, and explore areas that might not otherwise attract this level and duration of financial support  from conventional funding sources. 

This program is specifically designed to support individual experimental physics researchers and their teams.

The experimental fields being considered include atomic/molecular/optical physics, biophysics, chemical physics, condensed matter, fluid dynamics, geophysics, laser physics, materials, polymer physics, plasma physics, precision measurements, quantum information, and soft matter physics. 

What is not supported: Observational astronomy; Theoretical and computational work unless part of larger experimental research efforts; Education research or public engagement; Ongoing work of large collaborations (e.g., astrophysics/astronomy, exotic matter searches, fusion, gravitational physics, high energy physics, nuclear physics).

September 17, 2025, : Zoom Meeting Registration Link

Pre-application deadline: October 14, 2025, 12:00 pm Pacific Time
Invited Full Proposal Deadline: February 4, 2026, 12:00 pm Pacific Time
Link to FOA Here: Moore Experimental Physics Investigators Initiative

Candidate Eligibility: 

Applicants must have received tenure or the equivalent in the last five years. For the 2026 cohort application deadline on 14 October 2025, applicants must have earned tenure after 14 October 2020.

Institutional Limit: Each university can support one (1) applicant.

Application Information:  Applicants must submit a CV and a two-page white paper that includes the following information:

• A brief description of the proposed experiment, 

• its potential impact,

• its relationship to the PI's current research,

• motivation for the work, and

• The PI's research experience

Applications not adhering to this requirement will be returned without review.

Merit Review Criteria: Internal white papers will be reviewed based on the criteria detailed in the solicitation.