Schmidt Sciences has announced the eight 2026 Schmidt Polymaths who will receive a combined total of up to $20 million to take their research in ambitious new directions. Each Polymath will receive up to $2.5 million over five years in flexible funding, giving them the freedom to experiment with methods and approaches that conventional grants may not support. The award recognizes proven records of bold scientific achievement and willingness to tackle complex questions beyond their established areas of expertise.
Schmidt Sciences is a nonprofit organization founded in 2024 by Eric and Wendy Schmidt. Eric Schmidt is the former CEO of Google. The organization prioritizes research in areas poised for impact, including AI and advanced computing, biosciences, climate, and astrophysics and space.
“Each of these researchers has already shown real range and originality in their work. Now they’re ready to bring that to an entirely new set of questions,” said James Ricci, director at Schmidt Sciences. “The award gives them the freedom and runway to make that leap and see where it leads.”
Three of the eight new Schmidt Polymaths are women.
Zohreh Davoudi is an associate professor of physics at the University of Maryland. She joined the faculty there in 2017. Dr. Davoudi will apply quantum sensing and simulation tools to study how the early universe evolved, aiming to detect new particles and their interactions and to deepen our understanding of cosmology. Dr. Davoudi completed a bachelor’s degree in 2007 and a master’s degree in 2009 from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran. She holds a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Washington and conducted postdoctoral research at the Center for Theoretical Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Grace X. Gu is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Gu will study how the structure and processing of food influence taste, texture, and nutrition, pairing food science with AI and manufacturing to design personalized, functional edible products. Dr. Gu is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where she majored in mechanical engineering. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Lauren Zarzar is a professor of chemistry at Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Zarzar will study how reactions in tiny spaces, such as the thin films inside a foam or the fluid compartments that cells form, can open new ways to make molecules and materials. Dr. Zaezar is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in chemistry and economics. She holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Harvard University.