International Research Exploration Seed Grant - 2026

Purpose

The IRE Seed Grant supports Stanford faculty in developing international research networks through early‑stage, exploratory projects. The program provides resources for two types of projects:

• Launching new international partnerships by gathering preliminary data, refining research concepts, and establishing the foundation for joint publications and future external grant applications.
• Strengthening existing international collaborations by pursuing transformative, emerging, or genuinely new research directions that require additional development before seeking external funding. Applicants on this pathway should briefly describe their prior collaboration history and explain clearly why the proposed direction represents a substantive departure from current work.

Across both pathways, the program prioritizes exploratory work: early ideas, new directions, and concept‑shaping activities. At the same time, the program is designed to help faculty build equitable partnerships, test promising approaches, and generate the early evidence and momentum that position teams for future competitive external grants.

Since 2013, the International Research Exploration Fund has helped faculty address a wide range of global research challenges. Typical activities supported include:

• Bringing international research partners to Stanford.
• Traveling to meet collaborators, conduct fieldwork, or accelerate partnership development.
• Conducting feasibility, pilot, or proof‑of‑concept studies.
• Establishing research infrastructure at Stanford or abroad.

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Priorities

Competitive applications will demonstrate that the proposed research:

• Leads to new or expanded international collaborations.
• Is exploratory, innovative, and appropriate for seed‑stage support.
• Addresses a critical need as defined by the applicant’s field or discipline.

Strong Preference: The review committee will give significant weight to proposals that:

• Establish new international relationships with long‑term potential.
• Build or deepen partnerships in low-to-middle-income countries.
• Engage undergraduate, graduate, or postdoctoral researchers.
• Provide international research experiences for early‑ and mid‑career faculty.
• Clearly articulate how seed funding will position the team for future external support.
• Applicants with existing resources that could reasonably support the proposed work are discouraged from applying.

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Eligibility

• Stanford faculty who meet the university's PI eligibility requirements (i.e., members of the Academic Council and University Medical Line faculty).
• Each application must identify at least one international collaborator with a leadership or co‑investigator role to ensure equitable, substantive partnership.

Note: Postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and non-Stanford personnel may participate in proposed activities but are not eligible to serve as PI.

Applicants with active funding that could reasonably support the proposed work should not apply.

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Award Amount and Term

Applicants may request up to $25,000 in direct costs for a project period of up to 12 months.

• Partial funding may be awarded depending on the appropriateness of proposed activities and the number of meritorious applications.
• Budgets will be evaluated for necessity and reasonableness. Applicants are encouraged to request only the funds essential to achieving project goals; smaller budgets are welcome and appreciated.
• Applicants should consult their department administrator or financial analyst when preparing budgets.

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Allowable and Unallowable Activities

Funds may be used for:

• Travel and living expenses (lodging, food, incidentals) for Stanford faculty, postdocs, and graduate students.
• Travel and hosting costs for international collaborators visiting Stanford.
• Workshops, meetings, or partnership‑building activities.
• Consumable supplies and costs associated with feasibility, pilot, or proof‑of‑concept studies.

Funds may not be used for:

• Faculty salary, course buyouts, administrative staff, tuition, capital equipment, or health/welfare benefits.
• Subawards or expenses on behalf of other organizations.

For questions about allowable expenses and budget preparation, consult your department administrator, financial analyst, or the Stanford Purchasing Policies and Guidelines before contacting the program manager.

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2026/27 Timeline

June 3, 2026 (11:59 pm): Application deadline
June 4–5: Compliance and programmatic fit screening by VPDoR staff
June 8–15: Faculty peer review period
June 16: Portfolio review and award decisions by VPDoR
By June 17, 2026: Applicants notified of decisions and award period begins
July 30, 2027: Award period ends
August 27, 2027: Final project report due
August 2028: Impact survey due

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Review Process and Criteria  

Stage 1: Compliance and Programmatic Fit Screening

VPDoR staff will screen all applications for compliance with eligibility requirements and programmatic fit before peer review. Screened applications will be verified for:

• PI eligibility (Academic Council or University Medical Line faculty).
• Presence of at least one eligible international collaborator in a leadership role.
• Adherence to format requirements (page limits, font, margins).
• Proposed activities within the scope of allowable expenditures.
• Non-duplication with existing resources (based on Current and Pending Research Support).

Applications that do not pass this screening will not advance to peer review. Applicants will be notified promptly if their application is screened out.

Stage 2: Peer Review

Applications that pass screening will be evaluated by at least two faculty reviewers from diverse disciplines. Reviewers will score each criterion on a 1–5 scale.

Because reviewers will come from outside your discipline, applications should be written for a broad academic audience with sufficient detail to assess feasibility. Jargon should be defined or avoided

VPDoR will make final award decisions based on peer review scores, preference criteria (see Priorities), and portfolio balance across topic areas and schools. In cases where proposals are comparably scored, preference criteria and portfolio balance will inform final selection.

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Application Format

Please submit a single PDF of the application through the application system (the Apply button is in the lower right corner of the screen). 

Font: 11‑point font or larger

Margines: 1‑inch on all sides.

Please include the following sections:

1. Project Narrative (3 pages maximum, excluding references). Organize the narrative using the headings below. Because reviewers come from outside your discipline, write for a broad academic audience and define technical terms.
   1. Concept & Critical Need
      1. What is the research problem or question?
      2. Why is this project exploratory (i.e., what is not yet known, and why is seed funding the appropriate instrument at this stage)?
      3. If applying under the strengthening pathway: briefly describe your prior collaboration history and explain how the proposed direction represents a genuine new departure.
   2. Approach & Feasibility
      1. Summarize planned activities and methods.
      2. Outline milestones and a 12-month timeline demonstrating the project can be completed within the grant period.
   3. International Partnership & Balance
      1. Identify collaborators and their institutional context (institution, country, relevant expertise).
      2. Explain how the collaboration is equitable and mutually beneficial, specifically addressing how intellectual contributions, authorship, and project benefits will be shared with international partners.
      3. If applicable, describe how undergraduate, graduate, or postdoctoral researchers will participate and what international research experience they will gain.
   4. Growth & Future Funding
      1. Describe the specific output from this project (e.g., preliminary dataset or proof-of-concept finding) that will directly strengthen a future external application.
      2. Identify specific agencies, programs, or grant mechanisms for which this seed work will prepare you, and explain why this seed grant is necessary to compete for those opportunities.
2. Budget and Justification (1-2 pages)
   1. Provide a budget table with estimated costs.
   2. Justify how each expense supports the project goals.
3. Short CV or Résumé (4 pages maximum each). Provide a short CV for each investigator with a leadership role, including the Stanford PI and any international co-investigators.
4. Current and Pending Research Support for the Stanford PI.
   1. Specify the source of support or sponsor, project title, total award amount, and project dates for all current and pending support.
   2. Explicitly address whether any existing or pending support could cover any component of the proposed work, and if so, explain how this application is non-duplicative.

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Award Conditions

By accepting this award, the PI agrees to the following obligations:

Final Report: Submit a two-page final report within four weeks of the award period end date describing accomplishments and/or lessons learned. A reporting template will be provided by VPDoR.

Impact Survey: Complete a brief electronic survey approximately one year after submitting the final report (estimated time: 15 minutes). The survey is administered by VPDoR and collects information on longer-term outcomes, including external funding secured, publications, and partnership development. Survey responses are used for program evaluation and are not shared publicly.

Service on Future Review Panels: Serve as a peer reviewer on future IRE Seed Grant review panels within four years of the award. Reviewers are asked to evaluate approximately 3–6 proposals. VPDoR will coordinate scheduling and provide reviewer guidance.turn to in page me