VPDoR $5,000 Propel Grant FY26

The Stanford Research Development Office (RDO), a unit within VPDoR, supports Principal Investigators (PIs) throughout the proposal development process. To improve the competitiveness of large and complex external funding proposals, RDO invites applications for Propel Grants, which fund the final stages of proposal preparation.

Purpose and Scale

Propel Grants support the final stages of developing collaborative proposals for large-scale, complex external funding opportunities. These grants target efforts that go beyond the usual preparation, enhancing competitiveness through strategic, value-added activities. Eligible projects exceed standard expectations in terms of scope, budget, or team size, and often involve interdisciplinary partnerships that address major societal or research challenges.

Projects may span any discipline. Examples include large team grants in STEM (e.g., NSF Science and Technology Centers, DOE Energy Frontier Research Centers, NIH P50/U54) and collaborative grants in the arts, humanities, or social sciences (e.g., NEH Collaborative Research Grants, NEA Grants for Arts Projects, Mellon grants). This list is illustrative, not exhaustive.

Teams must have completed preliminary work and be positioned to submit a proposal within 12 months. Propel Grants do not fund initial team formation or concept development; instead, they support strategic activities that significantly improve the competitiveness of the external proposal, such as advancing preliminary work, strengthening collaborations, demonstrating meaningful progress between stages of proposal development, or addressing gaps that typical preparation would not cover.

Priorities

Priority is given to Stanford-led teams that:

• Involve faculty partnerships across two or more Stanford schools.
• Include team members from interdisciplinary backgrounds.
• Engage with disciplines that have limited internal grant support.
• Strengthen collaboration between Stanford and SLAC.

RDO aims to award a portfolio of grants representing Stanford's breadth of scholarly areas.

Eligibility

• Stanford faculty who meet the university's PI eligibility requirements (i.e., members of the Academic Council and University Medical Line faculty).
• School of Medicine applicants must have a co-PI from another Stanford school.
• The external funding opportunity must be large-scale, collaborative, and multidisciplinary, typically involving substantial budgets, cross-disciplinary teams, and complex project scopes. Proposals for single-investigator or narrowly focused projects are not eligible.
• Propel Grants support activities that strategically elevate competitiveness, rather than routine tasks. Applicants should demonstrate how their requested activities go beyond standard preparation to position the proposal for success.

Grant Supported Activities

Propel Grants support strategic, value-added activities that enhance the quality, clarity, and competitiveness of proposals for large, complex external funding opportunities. These grants do not fund routine proposal preparation tasks (e.g., drafting standard sections, collecting baseline data, or meeting basic submission requirements).

Priority is given to activities that improve the overall polish, clarity, presentation, or persuasive impact of the proposal, such as:

• Conducting an expert review of the proposal draft.
• Coordinating a proposal writing day to address feedback from mock review panels.
• Engaging professional grant writers or science communicators to ensure the proposal is compelling, clear, and accessible, especially for interdisciplinary or non-expert reviewers.
• Hiring a graphic designer or scientific illustrator to develop key proposal graphics, visual storytelling elements, or cohesive branding.

Other eligible activities may include refining research approaches, strengthening collaborations, or addressing specific gaps, so long as they go beyond standard preparation and contribute meaningfully to the proposal's competitiveness. These could involve:

• Hosting stakeholder workshops or collaborative planning meetings.
• Applying advanced data analysis or visualization techniques.
• Supporting administrative coordination, such as hiring student assistants to facilitate Propel-funded efforts.
• Covering applicable university fees (e.g., VSR costs, shared facility rates, computing/storage resources).

For more examples of how Propel funds can be used, please refer to the FAQs.

Timeline

Small Propel Grants are reviewed every two weeks. Funding decisions are typically announced within three weeks of submission.

Award

Small Propel Grant applicants may request up to $5,000 in direct costs for a project period of up to 6 months.

Awards may not cover the full requested amount if the activities are not aligned with the program's purpose. Smaller budget requests are welcome and appreciated.

Small Propel Grant funds are provided on a reimbursement basis. Expenses incurred during the award period may be reimbursed up to the awarded amount.

Multiple Applications

Teams may submit more than one Small Propel Grant application for the same project, provided each request supports a distinct stage of proposal development (e.g., preliminary proposal, full proposal, site visit, etc.).

The total Propel Grant support a project may receive (across both Small and Large grants) is capped at $50,000.

Each application should clearly differentiate the stage of work and show continued progress toward the targeted external funding opportunity.

Review Process and Criteria   

RDO staff will review all applications to ensure compliance with program guidelines, alignment with program goals, appropriate justification of requested funds, and evidence of the team’s readiness for external funding.

Applications are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Significance
  • The research idea is likely to be compelling to external sponsors.
  • The proposed project goes beyond the usual for the discipline in terms of scope, budget, or team size.
• Readiness
  • The external funding project is grounded in existing preliminary work.
• Proposed Activities
  • Activities are designed to enable a competitive proposal to an external funder.
  • The plan increases the likelihood of securing external support.
  • Learn more about what makes a successful grant application on the RDO website.
• Appropriate Budget
  • The budget is reasonable and focused on essential activities that address the stated needs.
  • The requested amount is proportional to the proposed scope of work.
• Feasibility
  • The research design/approach for Propel Grant activities is achievable.
  • Activities can be completed within the proposed timeline and budget.
  • The team possesses sufficient expertise and cohesion to execute the project effectively.
• Potential for External Funding
  • By the end of the Propel Grant period, the team will be well-prepared to submit a competitive proposal aligned with an external sponsor.
  • A contingency or backup plan is articulated if submission plans change

Applicants should focus primarily on demonstrating how their project aligns with the Propel Grant’s purpose and explaining how the proposed activities will strengthen the competitiveness of their external funding proposal. These aspects will carry the most weight in assessing programmatic alignment.

Application Format

Each application should be uploaded as a single PDF via the VPDoR Internal Awards Portal.

Because reviewers may come from outside your field, write for a broad academic audience and provide enough context to show the project’s feasibility and significance.

Formatting requirements: minimum 11-point font, 1-inch margins.

Small Propel Grant applications are limited to 3 pages (including figures, excluding references) and should include the following sections:

1. Research idea for the external proposal
   1. Introduce the problem/need and proposed solution. Clearly state the research challenge your project addresses and how your approach offers a solution compelling to external sponsors. This idea should form the basis of your external proposal.
   2. Demonstrate readiness. Briefly describe the current stage of the project and any preliminary work or foundational research.
   3. Show significance. Explain how the project goes beyond conventional expectations in scope, scale, or team structure and why the targeted external grant and project scope align with Propel’s goals
2. Propel Grant activities
   1. Describe proposed activities. Specify the tasks the Propel Grant will fund and explain how these activities will strengthen the competitiveness of the external proposal.
   2. Address feasibility. Demonstrate how proposed activities can be completed within the requested budget and timeline by describing key milestones, deliverables, and anticipated outcomes between now and the external funding deadline.
3. Team composition
   1. List members. Include names, titles, and departments or institutions if external to Stanford, noting who is confirmed and who is proposed.
4. External funding plan
   1. Identify target(s). Name at least one external grant. Proposing an alternative or backup option is encouraged.
   2. Provide details for each targeted external grant:
      1. Sponsor name
      2. Program name or identifier
      3. External sponsor deadline
      4. Expected budget request
      5. URL to the funding solicitation
5. Appendices (optional)
   1. References or works cited
   2. PDF of the targeted external funding solicitation(s)

To stay within the 3-page limit, use concise language, short paragraphs, and tables or bullets where appropriate, and include only information essential for reviewers to evaluate your application.

Award Reporting Requirements

1. Survey: Small Propel Grant recipients will be expected to complete a brief survey one month after the award period describing the impact of the Propel Grant activities.
2. Notification: 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 receiving the award.