The Science Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan organization, is running our second competition to fund approximately ten <$10,000 research projects in all domains of basic science. SciFnd ("Sci Fund") is seeking to (i) support the basic science research ecosystem, (ii) increase public visibility and engagement with science, and (iii) experiment with efficient ways of evaluating proposals. There are three ways you can get involved!

1--Apply to our "What Ifs…?" competition. Open to any level of experience, with applications mainly through a 3-minute video pitch. We are looking for creative, inspiring ideas; institutional affiliation and publication record are not criteria for success. Deadline: October 12th or when 200 submissions are received, whichever comes first. RFA details and application link: https://science-foundation.org/what-ifs-2026-rfa/   

2--Apply to be a reviewer for "What Ifs…?"! 

The Science Foundation is seeking reviewers for our second funding competition! Are you a current or past faculty member or professional scientist with expertise in math, physics, chemistry, biology, or earth science, or a science teacher or science communicator? Do you have a few hours to participate in a fun, efficient review process this October/November (we'll provide a $200 honorarium)? Reviewer invitation and application link: https://science-foundation.org/what-ifs-2026-rfr/  

3--Follow us online and share with anyone who loves science! 

Substack:  https://scifnd.substack.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scifdn/  

Become a Friend of the Science Foundation: https://forms.gle/8TstnoJbsYbaF99z9 

Questions? whatifs@science-foundation.org