VPDoR $5,000 Propel Grant FY24
The Stanford Research Development Office (RDO) is a unit under VPDoR that aims to strengthen collaborative or strategic research, scholarship, and creative activities by helping to set PIs up for sponsored research funding success through proposal-opportunity alignment, early preparation, and proposal development support.
RDO invites applications from Stanford faculty for Propel Grants and anticipates funding up to $160,000 in Small Propel Grants per year.
Propel Grants Purpose
The Propel Grants support collaborative research teams as they prepare proposals for large or strategic external funding opportunities.
The program was created to strengthen research projects that are in the final stages of proposal development. Funded activities should enhance one or more of the following key characteristics exhibited in a successful grant:
- a vetted vision, concept, and/or approach,
- a demonstrably collaborative and cohesive team,
- necessary preliminary data, proof of concept, and/or other elements to convince reviewers of feasibility,
- alignment with and responsiveness to all sponsor and program goals, and
- a well-written and beautifully illustrated proposal.
Two levels of funding are available.
- Up to $5,000: support for writing activities to finalize the proposal
- Up to $50,000: support for research activities to strengthen the proposal.
Propel Grants are not seed grants and are not intended to fund nascent ideas that are still defining the research question or forming the initial team. We expect teams to have an established foundation for their proposed project with most preliminary work completed and a plan to apply for external funding in place.
The research idea must be “beyond the usual'' in scale for their disciplines in terms of research scope, budget, and team size. The definition of “beyond the usual” will vary considerably across disciplines and research areas. Applicants must explain how their research idea is “beyond the usual” and how the external funding opportunity warrants the Propel investment (i.e., the external award is considerably higher than the Propel Grant budget request).
For example, projects with a STEM focus that target a center-type grant, such as NSF Science and Technology Centers, NIH P50, or DOE Energy Frontier Research Centers, would fit well within the scope of the Propel Grant program. Similarly, projects in the arts, humanities, and social sciences that target large, collaborative funding opportunities, such as NEH Collaborative Research Grants, NEA Grants for Arts Projects, and some Mellon grants would be appropriate. This list is not exhaustive.
$5,000 Grant Supported Activities
Funding may be used for proposal writing activities that will elevate your external grant application and drive it forward. Examples can include a writing day, hiring a graphic designer or scientific illustrator, conducting an expert review of your proposal draft, or another activity to make the external application more competitive.
These Small Propel Grants are meant to help you finalize your external grant application and to position your proposal for success.
Priorities
Priority is given to teams with Stanford as the lead institution for the external funding opportunity. Applications are particularly encouraged for, but not limited to, projects that do one or more of the following:
- involve collaborative research across two or more schools at Stanford
- include team members from diverse backgrounds, including those underrepresented in the academy (e.g., ethnic, cultural or socioeconomic backgrounds, research expertise, career stage, institution/sector, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.)
- engage disciplines or fields that have limited internal grant program support
- strengthen collaboration between Stanford and SLAC
Eligibility
Faculty with PI eligibility (members of the University's Academic Council or UML faculty).
Applications from the School of Medicine or disciplines with access to relatively generous internal funding must include a meaningful faculty partnership with one or more Stanford schools to be eligible for funding.
VPDoR is committed to creating an environment that values and embraces diversity; applications from individuals from minoritized communities are particularly encouraged. RDO will award a portfolio of Propel Grants that represent the diversity and breadth of scholarly areas at Stanford.
Timeline
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, every other Wednesday.
Funding decisions will be announced within three weeks of request submission.
Award
Teams may request up to $5,000 with a funding period limited to six months.
Application Format
Each proposal should be uploaded as a single PDF via the application form and is limited to two (2) pages.
Field-specific jargon and acronyms are discouraged unless an accompanying explanation is provided in the text. Font size must be 11 point or larger with 1” margins on all sides.
- Research vision overview.
- Define the problem or aim your research question expects to solve.
- State the research idea that addresses the need identified above and forms the basis of your proposal to an external funding agency.
- Specify how the research idea is “beyond the usual” in scale for your discipline and routine work.
- Team composition.
- List the team members’ names, titles, departments or division, and institution if external to Stanford, indicating which are confirmed or proposed.
- If applicable, describe diversity within the team.
- External funding plan.
- Describe the plan to submit a proposal to an external funding agency within the next 12 months. A minimum of one potential external grant must be identified. Proposing an alternative funding opportunity or back-up plan is encouraged.
- Include the following details on the targeted external grant(s).
- sponsor name
- program name or identifier
- submission date
- expected budget request for the targeted external opportunity
- URL to the funding solicitation if available.
- Propel Grant activities.
- Specify the anticipated expenses or activities the Propel Grant funds will enable
- Explain how the proposed activities will enhance the competitiveness of a proposal to an external funding agency.
Review Process and Criteria
Applications are reviewed by Research Development Office Staff against the Propel Grants purpose, priorities, and eligibility criteria. We therefore strongly advise the application to be written in language that a broad audience can easily understand.
Reviewers should be confident that your proposal to an external funding agency will be better positioned upon completion of the proposed Propel Grant activities.
The application will be reviewed for the following criteria:
- Significance: Is the research idea “beyond the usual”?
- Proposed activities: Are the proposed activities likely to enhance the competitiveness of a proposal to an external funding agency and increase the likelihood of success?
- Potential for external funding: Is the plan to pursue external funding appropriate? Does the team have a strong chance of submitting a well-aligned proposal to an external funding agency?
- Team composition and collaboration: Does the application demonstrate a confirmed collaboration and a cohesive team with sufficient expertise to carry out the research?
Award Reporting Requirements
Grant recipients will be expected to complete a brief survey one month after the award period describing the impact of the Propel Grant activities.
In addition, teams should notify RDO if the Propel Grants contributed to a noteworthy outcome, or if any external funds were received, for up to two years after award.
Contact
We welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants. Please contact the Program Manager, Jessica Boydston, at rdo_seedgrants@stanford.edu.
Answers to frequently asked questions will be posted on our webpage, propelgrants.stanford.edu.