VPDoR Research on Racial Equity and Justice Seed Grant Program

Overview

The Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Research (VPDoR) and the Research Development Office (RDO) are pleased to launch their Research on Racial Equity and Justice (RREJ) Seed Grant program. This seed grant program provides awards of $10k-$50k each to help Stanford researchers position themselves well for larger, extramural funding opportunities, for example by supporting the formation of partnerships or establishing feasibility*.  Complete, stand-alone research projects that are otherwise hard to fund may also be considered. This program is open to all disciplines and aims to increase research in the area of racial equity and justice, broadly defined. This includes studies of environmental justice, systemic and epistemic racism, and many other topics. In addition to being the main project, the proposed racial equity and justice research can also constitute an expansion of another project to include a racial equity and justice component.

Up to $250,000 in funds will be awarded from VPDoR.

*Some extramural funding opportunities require a certain level of readiness or community engagement prior to the application for funding. The RREJ seed grant aims to support such preliminary work.

Part of a larger ecosystem: In line with the missions of VPDoR and RDO, this particular program aims to primarily support research efforts and the pursuit of additional research funding. The RREJ Seed Grant program complements other efforts to strengthen research on - and implementation of - racial equity and justice at Stanford, such as programs by the Center for Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity (CCSRE), Freeman Spogli Institute, Woods Institute for Environment, Institute for Research in Social Sciences, Haas Center for Public Service, Stanford Maternal & Child Health Research Institute, University initiatives announced by the President last year, and many others.

Collaboration with CCSRE: VPDoR is working closely with the Center for Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity (CCSRE), which launched their Race and Justice Research Initiative in 2020, supporting 10 faculty-led research projects from across the university. New grantees funded by the VPDoR RREJ program will have the opportunity to join this larger community of racial equity scholars, engage in grantee meetings, roundtables, and research symposia. Grantees will also have opportunities to share their research to the broader CCSRE community through research talks, webinars, and social media.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION IS 5:00 PM (PT) ON DECEMBER 6, 2021.

Please note - due to system maintenance the deadline time has been adjusted to 5:00 pm. We anticipate the Seed Funding site to be unavailable shortly thereafter through 12 pm on December 7th.

Program Priorities

We will give preference to projects that enable a subsequent application for extramural research funding, such as those applications that have identified a larger research project but are focused on partnership formation, early community engagement, proof-of-concept research, preliminary studies, or other activities that strengthen feasibility of the intended research.

Applications are particularly encouraged for, but not limited to, projects that

• indicate a specific path towards future funding (e.g., funding opportunity with prerequisites)
• entail collaborative, multidisciplinary research across multiple schools
• have a diverse team of researchers (E.g., ethnic, cultural or socioeconomic backgrounds, research expertise, career stage, institution/sector, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.)

Applications from researchers typically underrepresented in the proposed field of study are especially encouraged.

Eligibility and Requirements

• All Stanford Faculty with PI eligibility are eligible to apply (i.e., members of the University's Academic Council or MCL faculty).
• Applicants may submit more than one proposal, provided each project is distinct.

Funding and Award Period

• Proposals can request a budget in the range of $10,000 to$50,000 for a maximum of 12 months.
• Awards are made available through the financial office in the recipients’ respective school/department.

Proposal Instructions

Full proposals should be submitted through the Stanford Seed Funding website.  The proposal should be single spaced with a minimum of an 11-point font, and contain the following sections:

1. Project Narrative (up to three (3) pages maximum, excluding references)
   • Briefly describe the research project that you are seeking to support/work towards. Include the key research questions, an overview of your approach, and how the project may improve our understanding of  racial equity and justice related issues.
   • Explain the need for this seed grant and what you plan to do with these particular funds.  Describe how this may fit into the overarching research project and enable future funding, as applicable. If you have received or plan for other funding for this project, please explain the unique value that this RREJ Seed Grant would bring.
   • Briefly describe your research team and how each will contribute to the program. Include a description of your team’s diversity.
2. Budget Justification (1 page)
   • The budget can be relatively short and does not need to include detailed line items. Seed grant funds cannot be used for subawards to other institutions. Allowable expenses include, but are not limited to:
     • Data collection and analysis;
     • Planning, start-up and collaboration activities;
     • Equipment, data access, or material costs;
     • Personnel directly supporting the project (including graduate or undergraduate students); and
     • Travel directly associated with the project activities.
   • Proposed budgets do not require OSR review as this program is internally-funded.
   • Budgets should not exceed $50,000.
3. 2-4 page biosketch or resume for each investigator (typical sponsor formats encouraged)
4. PI’s current and pending research support (include sponsor name, term, and amount of funding)

Timeline

• November 5, 2021                                  Program launch
• December 6, 2021 by 5:00 pm             Proposal deadline
• December 17, 2021                                Decision notification
• January 2022                                           Award starts
• January 2023                                           Final report deadline
• January 2024                                           Impact survey

Review Process and Criteria

A Review Committee composed of program staff and Stanford faculty will evaluate proposals and recommend projects for funding based on:

• The potential impact and quality of the proposed research project
• Anticipated impact of RREJ seed funds within the context of other past, current or future funding
• The level of interdisciplinarity and team diversity
• Alignment with the program priorities (outlined above)

In addition, we will aim for a portfolio of awards that is balanced in topic areas and distribution across the university.

Award Terms and Conditions

• Awards will be between $10,000 and $50,000  for 12 months.
• Anticipated project start date is January 15, 2022.
• Please see the Stanford Purchasing Policies and Guidelines if you have questions regarding allowable expenses.
• By accepting this award, the PI agrees to the following reporting to help us in our evaluation of this seed grant program. Awardees must:
  • submit a brief final report (2 pages excluding references) at the end of the award period, and
  • complete a brief survey 2 years later describing the impact and outcomes of the project.
• Grant submissions and publications that resulted from the seed project are of particular interest. Additional guidance will be provided to funded applicants.