Research Seed Grant

Overview

Research Seed Grants are designed to support faculty in acquiring preliminary data and developing a competitive proposal for significant external funding. A clear justification of funding need (e.g., mid-career research transition, new research collaboration, etc.) is required, as is a specific target(s) for funding opportunities.

Two Tracks Available

  • Track 1: awards for up to 1 year of funding (up to $25,000)
  • Track 2: awards for up to 2 years of funding (up to $50,000)

External Funding Plans must reflect a strong return on investment of the seed funds. For example, a Track 1 project may target NIH R01, NSF single investigator research grant, IES research grant, NEH collaborative research grant, etc. A Track 2 proposal should pursue one or more funding opportunities that are at a level higher than a traditional single investigator-initiated research grant for their discipline (i.e., multi-project or center grant, major collaborative research project).

Faculty are expected to submit at least one external proposal related to the seed grant within six months of project completion. Additional outcomes, such as publications, conference presentations, and student mentorship are expected as appropriate for the discipline.

Important Dates

  • November 1, 2024 - January 14, 2025: Research Development Staff are available to review drafts before submission
  • January 21, 2025, by 11:59 p.m.: Application Deadline
  • Mid-February 2025: Proposal Review
  • April 2025: Faculty applicants notified of the funding decision
  • July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026 (Track 1): Project Period
  • July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2027 (Track 2): Project Period

Request for Proposal (Word document, includes templates)

Unit Head Approval Form (Fillable PDF) 

Reach out to Research Development Services if you have questions about this program.

Eligibility

Eligible PIs are tenure-track faculty and career research faculty with the classification of research associate, research professor, research scientist, research engineer, principal research scientist, professor of practice (with primary duties in research), or librarian, and with a 0.50+ FTE appointment during the academic year of the research award.  

Ineligible PIs:  

  • Faculty who received an OVPRI Research Seed Grant within the past 3 award cycles 
  • Emeritus, retired, courtesy, visiting, instructor, and pro-tem faculty, as well as postdoctoral scholars 
  • Recipients of any competitive award from the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation who have not submitted a final report for their prior award(s) 

Note: Faculty who are ineligible to serve as PI/Co-PI may serve as key personnel on a project team.

Faculty are only permitted to serve as the PI or Co-PI on one application per cycle. Applicants may serve as collaborators or team members on additional proposals.

Budget & Use of Funds

Track 1 Awards:12-month project, up to $25,000

Track 2 Awards: 24-month project, up to $50,000

Allowable Costs: Funds may be used for costs necessary to plan and execute the proposed research project (consistent with university and state rules) including:

  • Travel, which may include funds to support a planning workshop or faculty retreat, to host a distinguished speaker who will help you initiate your project, to visit key resources and/or archives, or to visit a program officer to discuss your project.
  • Equipment
  • Materials and supplies
  • Contractual services
  • Salary for career research faculty, graduate students, undergraduates, and/or technical personnel under the supervision of the principal investigator.
    • Note 1: If you plan to hire graduate employees, please include only their salary and OPE in your budget. The GE tuition, insurance, and fees will be contributed by the OVPRI, at the College of Arts and Sciences rates, to maximize funds available for your work. If your unit has higher tuition/fee rates, please include the supplemental amount under “OTHER” on the budget template.
    • Note 2: The R&R Budget template used for your submission automatically calculates and auto-populates cells for GE tuition, fees, and insurance. Please work with your budget/grant administrator to ensure your budget only includes salary and Other Payroll Expenses for GEs.
  • Other direct costs: core/shared user facility use, speaker stipend, etc.
    •  For project budgets that include use of Core Facilities, OVPRI funds will be transferred directly to the Core (funds for all other costs will be transferred to a faculty-managed departmental index for the award).
  • Faculty summer stipend and/or course release (as per departmental policies and guidelines)

Unallowable Costs:

  • Replacing current funding from another internal or external source
  • Renovation, remodeling, or alteration of research laboratories or core/shared facilities

Application Instructions & Materials

 

Application: The Research Seed Grant applications must be submitted using the online submission form with the documents described below.

  1. Application Form (online): 
    1.  
      1. Provide basic information in the form’s text boxes. (Note that the form cannot be saved part way through.)
         
  2. Proposal Documents: (single-spaced text, Times New Roman font in 11-point or larger, and 1” margins).
    1.  
      1. Abstract (250 words or less): A summary of the project goals and activities. Please write on a separate page from the Narrative.
      2. Proposal Narrative (3-page limit): Use the Project Narrative template at the end of the guidelines document to complete this component of the application.
      3. References Cited (no page limit)
      4. Biographical Sketch or CV (5-page limit per person): All PIs should submit a Biographical Sketch or CV. While there is no specific format, you are encouraged to use the format associated with the funding agency to which you would typically apply (e.g., NSF, NIH, NEH, etc.).
      5. Current and Pending Support (no page limit): For each PI, use the Current and Pending template at the end of the RFP to list any current and/or pending funding for any research project at UO, whether or not related to the proposed project.
      6. Budget: Use the "R&R 1 to 5 Year Detailed Budget" Excel template on the Sponsored Projects Forms webpage.
        1. Note 1: internal awards do not require indirect (F&A) costs. Please set that cell in the template to 0.
        2. Note 2: If you are including graduate employees, see the Budget & Use of Funds section above for details on how to budget for these personnel.
      7. Budget Justification: Use the Budget Justification template at the end of the guidelines document to complete this component of the application.
      8. Unit Head Approval Form: Scanned copy or e-signature confirming your unit head approves of the proposed application, including the budget. NOTE: If the signature is digital, the PDF cannot be combined with the rest of the application (combining erases the digital signature). With digital signatures, please upload the Unit Head Approval Form separately from the application PDF.
         
  3. Optional Demographic Report (online)
    • The OVPRI is committed to creating an environment that fosters sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and racial and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. The application form includes a section to disclose demographic information aimed at assessing the success of our activities towards this goal. Response to these questions is entirely optional and is not considered in award decisions. This information will not be seen by the review committee but used by OVPRI leadership to ensure our internal granting programs are inclusive and equitable and serve diverse populations at UO.

Submission Instructions

Complete all components of the application and combine them into a single PDF in the order listed above, with each component on its own page. Save with the naming convention [Contact PI Last Name] _FY 24 Research Seed Grant.

  1. Fill out the basic information in the online application form.
  2. Upload the complete PDF. NOTE: If the Unit Head Approval Form has a digital/ e-signature, the PDF cannot be combined with the rest of the application, but rather must be uploaded separately (combining erases the digital signature).
  3. Submit the form.
  4. Each PI may complete the demographic survey (optional).

Review Process and Criteria

RDS will conduct an initial review of applications to ensure that proposals comply with all guidelines. A review panel of faculty will conduct a peer review to evaluate the grant proposals and make recommendations to the Vice President for Research and Innovation. The VPRI makes the final funding decisions and will inform applicants of their funding status.

Below are the criteria used by the review committee when scoring proposals. The committee scores each element on the following scale: 1 – Excellent; 2 - Very Good; 3 – Good; 4 – Fair; 5 - Poor

  1. Research Project:  Weighted 30%
    • How clearly does the applicant describe the research problems or questions?  Does the applicant specify a gap in the research to be addressed?
    • Please evaluate the project's significance. What is the strength of the project's intellectual merit?
  2. Research Approach: Weighted 30%
    • Aim, Goals & Methodology: Assess the project's aims, goals and methodology. Are the overall project aim and/or goals clearly defined and reasonable? Are the methods appropriate and well-justified?
    • Team Roles and Responsibilities: If the project has a team, are the roles and responsibilities of the team members well explained and justified for the proposed research?
    • External Funding: Assess how well the proposal's research activities enhance the competitiveness of the project for external funding.
  3. Researcher or Research Team: Weighted 10%
    • Rate the PI's/ Team's qualifications and experience as they relate to proposed research objectives/goals. Do they have the needed experience to complete the project aims?
    • How well does the proposed research align with the PI's/ team members' long-term research agendas?
    • Assess the past success of PI's/ team members' obtaining external research funding.
  4. External Funding Strategy: Weighted 25%
    • Assess the plan for external funding. Does the proposal clearly identify an external funding mechanism or program? How well does the project align with the named funding mechanism(s)?
    • How well does the proposal describe a feasible and appropriate strategy for preparing and submitting the project for external funding?
    • (As applicable) Based on the PI's/Team's plan for external funding, how well do they address the funder's requirement for broader impacts (NSF); plans for enhancing diverse perspectives (NIH); or other funder-specified expectations for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion?
  5. Timeline and Budget: Weighted 5%
    • Assess the proposal timeline. Is it realistic given the research goals and proposal development activities?
    • Evaluate the project budget. Is it well-justified? Is it sufficient to support the development and implementation of the project?
  6. Comment boxes:
    • Please comment on the project’s level of risk in relation to the potential reward of a successful outcome. Consider planned mitigation of risk and the potential transformative nature of the research.
    • Please summarize your review of the proposal’s strengths and weaknesses in 3-4 sentences to be shared with the applicant.

Reporting

A final report is required and due to Research Development Services no later than one month (30 days) after the conclusion of funding. RDS will supply awardees with a link to the final report form in the last quarter of their project.