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Scialog (a blend of “science” and “dialogue”) is a multi-year programme of Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA) that brings early career faculty together in small-group discussion and ends each meeting with teams of Fellows writing seed-funding proposals. Everything below is as described on the official RCSA pages on 2026-10-29; initiatives open and close, so check the page for the initiative you care about.
What it is and who runs it
Scialog supports research, intensive dialogue and community building around “scientific challenges of global significance”. Fellows identify bottlenecks in a focus area, pursue high-risk discovery research, and report progress at annual closed conferences. RCSA runs the programme, and senior scientists lead each focus area. RCSA describes itself as devoted to philanthropy in science; it began in 1912 as Research Corporation, built on Frederick Cottrell’s electrostatic precipitation work, and also runs the Cottrell Scholar Award.
The aims, per the programme FAQ, are to generate novel high-risk basic science ideas, new collaborations and early career networks, and to help funders work together. Each initiative is a themed series, and several funders can sit alongside RCSA. For example, the Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems series lists Allen Family Philanthropies, The Frederick Gardner Cottrell Foundation and The Kavli Foundation as sponsors.
Eligibility
Scialog invites about 50 early career faculty as Fellows for each initiative. You can nominate yourself. To put forward another early career scientist, contact the programme director or ask the colleague to self-nominate. In practice:
- Career stage: “early career” runs from the first year on the faculty through recently post-tenure. The FAQ describes this as generally from a beginning assistant professorship through one or two years after promotion to associate professor, typically within about eight years of a first independent appointment.
- Where: faculty at universities and colleges in the United States or Canada.
- Not eligible: graduate students and postdocs, unless they hold an independent appointment.
- Exception: scientists at research institutes or national laboratories may qualify if they are at an equivalent stage and lead their own group.
A Code of Conduct applies to participants. If you are unsure whether your stage counts, see the general definition in early-career researcher (ECR), then confirm against the RCSA FAQ, which is the deciding source.
What it funds or requires
Scialog seed funding goes to teams of Fellows formed at the conference. The conference itself is mostly small-group discussion among about 50 Fellows with one or two keynotes. Fellows sit in topical groups of about 10 with one or two Facilitators, and in mini groups of two or three. Teams write for “one year of seed funding”. For how this kind of award fits among other funders, see seed funding and private foundation research funding.
Application and compliance steps
From nomination to funded team
- Check which initiatives are open. Each initiative has its own page, and applications are made through a “Start an Application” link on the RCSA site.
- Apply or be nominated. You may nominate yourself; to nominate someone else, contact the programme director or ask them to self-nominate.
- Attend the conference. The FAQ describes arrival by 4:00 p.m. on day one, an opening at 5:00 p.m., team formation after the first two days, and an end at about 11:00 a.m. on the final day.
- Form a team of typically two or three Fellows (occasionally four) who have not previously collaborated. Each Fellow may join up to two teams, with different members on each.
- Submit a two-page proposal for one year of seed funding for a new collaborative project. The FAQ states that proposals are due at 6:30 a.m. on the final morning of the conference, and teams also give short pitches.
Typical timeline phases
The programme moves in phases rather than on a fixed calendar that applies to every initiative. First comes the nomination and invitation window, set separately for each initiative (the Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems page, for instance, gave a deadline “for full consideration” for its 2027 meeting). Then the closed conference where teams form and write. Then seed funding for one year, and annual closed conferences where Fellows communicate their progress. Series run over several years: the initiatives below span two to three years each.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a postdoc or student appointment qualifies. The FAQ excludes both unless the person has an independent appointment.
- Arriving with a ready-made team. Team members are Fellows who have not previously collaborated.
- Joining more than two teams or repeating the same membership across both.
- Treating the proposal as a full grant application. It is a two-page proposal, due at 6:30 a.m. on the final morning of the conference.
- Relying on an old deadline. Deadlines are per initiative; a passed date means watching for the next series, not reapplying to the same one. Compare the process with a conventional foundation grant for early-career investigators.
Related programs
The initiatives listed on the official Scialog page on 2026-10-29, with the years RCSA gives for each series:
| Initiative | Years listed |
|---|---|
| Information, Computation, and Thermodynamics in Biology | 2027-2029 |
| Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Atmospheres | 2027-2029 |
| Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems | 2025-2027 |
| Quantum Matter and Information | 2025-2027 |
| Sustainable Minerals, Metals, and Materials | 2024-2027 |
| Early Science with the LSST | 2024-2026 |
Another RCSA programme for early career faculty is the Cottrell Scholar Award, covered in our Cottrell Scholar guide. For a wider comparison of early-career awards, see the major early-career foundation fellowships.
FAQ
What does Scialog stand for?
It combines “science” and “dialogue”. The programme is built around discussion first and proposal writing second.
Who can be a Scialog Fellow?
Early career faculty at universities and colleges in the US or Canada, generally from a first assistant professorship to a year or two after promotion to associate professor. You may nominate yourself.
How many people attend each Scialog conference?
About 50 Fellows, split into topical groups of about 10 and mini groups of two or three.
Can I apply with a team I already work with?
No. Teams are formed at the conference from Fellows who have not previously collaborated.
Sources
- RCSA, Scialog programme page, https://rescorp.org/scialog/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- RCSA, Scialog FAQ, https://rescorp.org/scialog/faq/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- RCSA, Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems initiative, https://rescorp.org/scialog/neurobiology-and-changing-ecosystems/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- RCSA, About, https://rescorp.org/about/ (checked 2026-10-29)
