VPDoR $50,000 Propel Grant - 2023 Autumn Cycle
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 awarding up to $500,000 per year, with awards ranging from $5,000 to $50,000.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION IS 11:59 PM ON OCTOBER 18, 2023
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 (more information on the $5,000 Propel Grant is available here).
- 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.
$50,000 Grant Supported Activities
Activities should be specific and may involve generating additional data, field exhibitions, or demonstrating feasibility, as needed. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- accessing archives,
- conducting additional research experiments,
- consulting with experts,
- performing data analysis,
- hiring research assistants,
- implementing a triangulation protocol,
- producing questionnaires and surveys, and/or
- performing research site visits,
- other elements to enhance chances of funding success.
Note that all applicable university fees apply. Award funds may be used to cover these expenses (e.g., Fees for Visiting Student Researchers, shared facility hourly rates, dedicated computing resources on Sherlock, Oak monthly storage, etc.).
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
|
Application Due |
Grant Starts |
End-of-Grant Report Due |
Autumn Cycle |
October 18, 2023 |
December 1, 2023 |
January 9, 2025 |
Spring Cycle |
April 2, 2024 |
May 6, 2024 |
June 5, 2025 |
Exceptions to the deadlines above may be requested if the proposal is of high strategic value to the university and when circumstances outside the PI’s control would negatively impact the team’s ability to participate (e.g., sponsor’s deadline occurs before the internal deadline).
Such exceptions require a consultation with the Director of Research Development (Kim Baeten, kimbaeten@stanford.edu) in VPDoR and are evaluated on the review criteria by an ad-hoc committee.
Award
For most Propel Grant applications, the budget should be between $5,000 and $50,000, with a funding period limited to 12 months. Requests up to $100,000 and/or up to 24 months may be considered based on demonstrated need and with strong justification.
Note that all applications will be reviewed for whether the amount requested is appropriate and necessary. Applicants are therefore advised to limit their requests to the amount required to complete the proposed activities.
Application Format
Each proposal should be uploaded as a single PDF via the application form and is limited to 7 pages (excluding appendices) as outlined below.
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 (up to two pages).
- Define the significance of your research, the need you aim to address, or the problem your research question expects to solve in terms that a non-specialist audience will understand.
- State the research idea that addresses the need identified above and forms the basis of your proposal to an external funding agency.
- Summarize the current stage of the research or what preparations have been done.
- Specify how the research idea is “beyond the usual” in scale for your discipline and routine work.
- Propel Grant activities (up to two pages, including figures).
- Describe the research activities the Propel Grant funds will support, the timeline or milestones, and intended outcomes.
- Explain how the proposed activities will enhance the competitiveness of a proposal to an external funding agency.
- Provide enough details on the specific design, approach, or activity to be funded by the Propel Grant to allow peer reviewers to assess feasibility.
- Team composition (up to one page).
- List the members’ names, titles, and departments or institutions if external to Stanford, indicating which are confirmed or proposed.
- Describe the status/readiness level of the collaboration.
- If applicable, describe diversity within the team.
- External funding plan (up to one page). 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.
- Explain why the targeted external grant award amount warrants the Propel Grant.
- 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.
- Budget and justification (up to one page).
- Provide a detailed table or breakdown of estimated expenses.
- Include a rationale or justification for the requested funds.
- Budgets that exceed $50,000 require a narrative that demonstrates the additional need.
- Appendices (optional and does not count towards any page limits)
- References
- PDF of the targeted external funding opportunity solicitation(s)
Review Process and Criteria
Applications are initially screened for compliance and program alignment by RDO staff, then competitively reviewed by at least two faculty reviewers for suitability of the proposed plan and likely impact on future external funding. The application will be reviewed by colleagues outside of your discipline. We therefore strongly advise the application be written in language that faculty outside of your discipline can easily understand.
Reviewers should be confident that your team will be better positioned to apply for external grants upon completion of the proposed Propel Grant activities.
The application will be reviewed for the following criteria:
- Significance: Will the research idea be compelling to the external sponsor(s)? Is the research idea “beyond the usual”?
- Feasibility: Does the Propel application convey a well-reasoned research/activity design with specific outcomes? Can the Propel Grant activities be successfully implemented within the proposed timeline and budget?
- 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?
- Appropriate Budget: Does the budget reflect activities that will address the stated needs? Is the amount requested appropriate and necessary?
- 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 (1) submit a brief end-of-grant report at the end of the grant period describing what was accomplished and/or lessons learned, and (2) complete a brief survey one year after the award period describing the impact and outcomes 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.