Ashoka University and the Simons Foundation launched The Simons-Ashoka Fellowship programme to accelerate research in natural sciences today. Housed at the Trivedi School of Biosciences at the university, the programme will select a cohort of six outstanding post-doctoral researchers working towards advancing the frontiers of biomedical sciences and other allied fields, including physical & engineering sciences, pure & applied mathematics and computer & information science. The Simons-Ashoka fellows will receive mentorship from six Senior Fellows, recruited from a base of accomplished scientists in India. Furthermore, the fellows will receive an annual compensation of Rs 18 lakh for a maximum of three years along with other allowances.

This is a initiative by The Simons Foundation outside the United States in a developing country. Established in 1994 by Dr Jim and Dr Marilyn Simons in New York, the foundation is known for supporting research in natural sciences. Quantum physicist Alain Aspect, a principal investigator for Simons Collaboration on Localisation of Waves, was one of recipients of the recently announced 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics.

The Simons Fellowship Programme at Ashoka University is a model of collaborative research in the quantitative biomedical sciences and allied fields.