Organizer Information
The Simons Foundation is a private philanthropic organization based in the United States that supports scientific research, particularly in mathematics and the basic sciences, as well as initiatives connecting science with society and culture. Through its interdisciplinary programs, the foundation encourages new ways of communicating scientific ideas and creating meaningful connections between researchers, artists, and broader audiences.
Open Interval is a Simons Foundation program designed to facilitate sustained collaborations between artists, scientists, and arts organizations. Rather than prioritizing conventional project production or finished artistic outcomes, the program provides time and financial support for participants to explore shared interests, exchange perspectives, and develop new ways of thinking across disciplines.
Title & Description
Open Interval 2027 Artist-Scientist Collaboration Program: Turbulence
Open Interval 2027: Turbulence is an interdisciplinary collaboration program that brings together artists, scientists, and arts organizations to investigate the scientific and creative possibilities of turbulence. The theme encompasses a phenomenon associated with complexity, unpredictability, and the boundary between order and chaos, offering opportunities for exploration across scientific research and artistic practice.
Selected participants will form teams of three: one artist, one scientist, and one representative of an eligible arts organization. These trios will collaborate over several months, engaging with scientific ideas and exploring their cultural, conceptual, and artistic implications.
The program emphasizes open-ended inquiry rather than the production of a predetermined artwork. Applicants are not required to propose a specific project, exhibition, or final outcome. Instead, the initiative supports sustained intellectual exchange, experimentation, and collaborative discovery.
Categories
- Visual Art
- Installation Art
- Performance Art
- Sound Art
- Dance and Movement-Based Practices
- Participatory and Public Art
- Interdisciplinary Art
- Science and Art Collaboration
- Basic Science Research
- Arts Organization Partnerships
The program particularly welcomes artistic practices capable of creating collective experiences for large audiences, including installation, performance, participatory work, sound art, and dance.
Eligibility
Applications must be submitted by complete trios comprising an artist, a scientist, and a representative of an arts organization. All three participants must be based within reasonable traveling distance of one another somewhere in the United States and able to collaborate in person.
Artists should have substantial experience creating, exhibiting, and presenting work, alongside a well-developed artistic perspective. Applicants must demonstrate a genuine interest in collaborating with a scientist. A formal scientific background or previous science-related artistic experience is not required.
Scientists must actively conduct basic science research at a university or research institution and hold a Ph.D. or equivalent qualification. Researchers in astrophysics, neuroscience, quantum physics, biology, mathematics, and related fields are particularly encouraged because of their alignment with the foundation's research priorities. Applicants should be interested in interdisciplinary collaboration and exploring new cultural expressions for their research.
Arts organizations must hold U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Fiscally sponsored programs are not eligible. Organizations should actively support artists' professional development, well-being, and creative autonomy while contributing to arts and public ecosystems beyond purely academic settings. University arts centers may participate, but the foundation seeks collaborations that extend beyond a single institution.
No specific age limit or international eligibility provision is stated in the announcement. The geographic requirement is regional co-location within the United States.
Program Benefits & Awards
Each selected trio will receive $30,000 to support its participation in the program.
The initiative will run from April through December 2027 and include a touchstone meeting in May, with additional cohort gatherings potentially scheduled during the program period.
Participants will benefit from sustained collaboration, interdisciplinary exchange, and opportunities to explore connections between scientific research and artistic practice. The program does not require a completed artwork, exhibition, or other predetermined deliverable.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 21 October 2026
- Finalist Notifications and Interviews: Late November to early December 2026
- Final Notifications: Early January 2027
- Program Period: April–December 2027
- Touchstone Meeting: May 2027
Location
Additional Details
Open Interval prioritizes exploration, intellectual curiosity, and meaningful collaboration over conventional project-based production. Applicants should focus on the strength of their partnership and their shared interest in turbulence rather than proposing a finished artistic concept.
The foundation planned to provide informational webinars following the September 2026 call launch. Interested applicants can also subscribe to program announcements through the Simons Foundation's Science, Society & Culture newsletter page.