Every seven years or so a professor in a US/Canadian University can apply for a sabbatical leave. It’s a very nice thing: your University allows you to catch up on your research, learn new techniques, write a book, etc. That is to say, you become a postdoc again. And in many cases questions arise: should I stay at my University or go somewhere else? In many cases yearlong sabbaticals are not funded by the home University, i.e. you have to find additional sources of funding to keep your salary.
I am on a year-long sabbatical this academic year. So I had to find a way to fund my sabbatical (my University only pays 60% of my salary). I spent Fall 2014 semester at Fermilab and am spending Winter 2015 semester at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Here are some helpful resources for those who are looking to fund their sabbatical next year. As you could see from the list, they are slightly tilted towards theoretical physics. Yet, there are many resources that are useful for any profession. Of course your success depends on many factors: whether or not you would like to stay in the US or go abroad, competition, etc.
- General resources:
Guggenheim Foundation
Deadline: September
Fulbright Scholar Program
Deadline: August
- USA/Canada:
Simons Fellowship:
https://simonsfoundation.org/funding/funding-opportunities/mathematics-physical-sciences/simons-fellow-program/
Deadline: September
IAS Princeton:
http://www.sns.ias.edu/apply
Deadline: November
Perimeter Institute:
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/research/visitors/visit-perimeter
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/sabbatical-program-visiting-professors
Deadline: November
Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University:
http://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/fellowship-program/how-apply
Deadline: November
FNAL:
URA Visiting Scholar program
http://www.fnal.gov/pub/forphysicists/fellowships/ura_visiting_scholars/
Intensity Frontier Fellowships
http://www.fnal.gov/pub/forphysicists/fellowships/intensity_frontier/
Deadline: twice a year
IAS Princeton (Member/Sabbatical):
http://www.sns.ias.edu/apply
Deadline: November 15
- Europe:
Alexander von Humbuldt:
Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award
http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/pub_progsearch.main?p_lang=en&p_forschungsaufenthalt_id=&p_karrierestufe_id=4&p_promotions_jahr=1997&p_nation=USA&p_button_search=Search#programmsuche_ergebnis
Humboldt Research Award
http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/pub_progsearch.main?p_lang=en&p_forschungsaufenthalt_id=&p_promotions_jahr=1997&p_karrierestufe_id=4&p_nation=USA&p_button_search=Search&p_detail_text_id=6446
Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowships:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/about-mca/actions/iif/index_en.htm
Deadline: varies
CERN Short Term visitors:
http://ph-dep-th.web.cern.ch/ph-dep-th/?site=content/applying.html
Deadline: varies
Hans Fischer Senior Fellowship (TUM-IAS, Munchen)
http://www.tum-ias.de/how-to-apply/hans-fischer-senior-fellow.html
Deadline: varies
Some general info could also be useful:
http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2013_02_01/science.opms.r1300127
Many University also have separate funds for sabbatical visitors. So if there is a University one wants to visit, it’s best to ask.
Good luck!
