Matter-to-Life Program (Sloan Foundation)

About this program

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's Matter-to-Life program funds curiosity-driven theoretical and experimental research and meetings to clarify the physical principles and mechanisms that distinguish living systems from inanimate matter, organized around three focus areas: Building Life, Principles of Life, and Signs of Life. Projects may involve constructing or analyzing simple synthetic or abiotic microscale systems to demonstrate or probe life-like behaviors (e.g., replication, metabolism, evolution, sensing, information processing) and are intended to open new interdisciplinary lines of inquiry rather than duplicate federally well-supported work. The program does not support biomedical or disease-related research nor projects aimed at creating mirror organisms, favors non-animal/simple-system approaches, and is open to multidisciplinary and exploratory proposals when scientifically justified. Prospective applicants should submit a two-page Letter of Inquiry to Program Director Ernie Glover at mattertolife@sloan.org following the program’s LOI guidelines.