Faculty Research Support Program: Seed Funding

About this opportunity

Campus:

IU Bloomington

Contact:

Fraya Fox,frsp@indiana.edu

Brea Perry, Interim Associate Vice President and Vice Provost for Research,blperry@indiana.edu

Deadline:

November 1, April 3

Award cycle:

Funding available:

$40,000 Maximum award

The FRSP-Seed Funding program supports new research projects that have not been previously submitted for external funding from federal, state, international, or private entities but are targeted for submission to a specific external agency and whose likelihood of funding on submission would increase with the acquisition of data or proof of concept.

Eligibility

Eligible PIs

  • All tenured and tenure-eligible faculty members at IU Bloomington
  • Research scientists at IU Bloomington
  • Research center directors at IU Bloomington
  • Medical Sciences faculty at IU Bloomington
  • Emeriti faculty who are still active in research. (Some budgetary restrictions may apply. Contact your fiscal officer or the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs for details.)
  • Non-tenure track faculty whose evaluation criteria are based on research activity, i.e., clinical faculty, lecturers

Not Eligible as PIs

  • Visiting and adjunct faculty members
  • Staff scientists (support-oriented positions)
  • Postdoctoral research associates
  • PIs with outstanding final grant reports from previously IU Research-funded projects
  • Previous awardees of IU Research funds for the same or highly-similar projects

Eligible Projects

  • New, innovative projects that are targeted for submission to a specific external federal, state, international, or private non profit entity within one year of the start of funding and that will benefit from the acquisition of data or proof of concept
  • Projects of individual faculty members in the sciences, arts, humanities, and social sciences are eligible as well as projects involving collaboration between physical and natural scientists and the arts, humanities, or social sciences

Ineligible Projects

  • Renewals and continuation projects
  • Proposals focused on the development of teaching or academic programs
  • Ineligible: non-funded competitive renewal proposals. Funding for such non-funded renewal proposals should be sought through the Bridge Funding program.
  • Proposals in areas supported by the IU Presidential Arts and Humanities Program
  • Proposals from commercial, industrial, and other for-profit entities

Funding

  • The maximum amount that will be awarded for any project is $40,000. IU Research will provide 85% of the total award amount ($34,000 maximum). Awards will typically be between $15,000 and $25,000.
  • The applicant's department, college, or school must provide a 15% match.
  • Budgets should be one-time amounts to be expended over a maximum of nine months. The Seed Funding program does not provide multiple-year awards or renewals.

Application requirements

Applicants must complete an electronic application, upload a completed budget worksheet and a completed application form. Please note page limitations.

Application sections include:

  • letter of support from the chair or division head that includes specific information (see FRSP-Seed Guidelines on InfoReady)
  • project description that includes specific information (see FRSP-Seed Guidelines on InfoReady) (5-page maximum)
  • budget justification that provides rationale for requested funds for all personnel, course release, materials, equipment, and travel, as well as any item whose purpose or cost computation is not self-evident (1-page maximum)
  • a list of all personnel that includes specific information (see FRSP-Seed Guidelineson InfoReady) (1-page maximum)
  • biosketch (NIH format)
  • completed FRSP-Seed Budget Worksheet (see InfoReady)