VPDoR $50,000 Propel Grant - FY26 Spring Cycle

Purpose and Scale

Propel Grants support the preparation of near-ready, complex proposals for submission to large-scale external funding opportunities. Funding is intended to strengthen the competitiveness of the proposal itself through targeted, value-added activities. It is expected that Propel funds will support activities that go beyond what is typically required for standard submission.

The program does not support early-stage idea development, exploratory concept work, preliminary data collection, or initial team formation. Projects must already have a well-defined research agenda, an identified external funding opportunity, and a committed, collaborative team.

Eligible projects target external funding mechanisms that are unusually large, complex, or resource-intensive in terms of scope, budget, team size, or disciplinary reach. While projects may address important societal or research challenges, eligibility is determined by the scale and complexity of the targeted funding opportunity, not solely by the significance or impact of the research topic.

Examples of appropriate mechanisms include (but are not limited to):

• STEM: NSF Science and Technology Centers, NSF Physics Frontiers Centers, DOE Energy Frontier Research Centers, NIH P50/U54
• Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences: NEH Collaborative Research Grants, NEA Grants for Arts Projects, Mellon grants, other collaborative grants

Propel Grants support strategic enhancements that elevate an already well-developed proposal, such as deepening existing work to better align with sponsor expectations, demonstrating exceptional coordination across partners, or addressing sponsor expectations in ways that distinguish the proposal from peer submissions.

Teams must submit an external proposal within 12 months of the award.

Priorities

RDO aims to award a portfolio of grants representing Stanford's breadth of scholarly areas. Priority is given to Stanford-led proposals that align with the Propel Grant’s funding goals and incorporate one or more of the following:

• Partnerships across two or more Stanford schools
• Interdisciplinary teams
• Engagement with disciplines that have limited internal funding resources
• Collaboration between Stanford and SLAC

Eligibility

• Applicants must be Stanford faculty who meet the University’s PI eligibility requirements.
• School of Medicine applicants must include at least one co‑PI whose home department is in another Stanford school.
• The targeted external funding opportunity must be “beyond the usual” for the discipline, meaning unusually large‑scale or complex in scope, budget, team structure, or sponsor expectations.
• Projects must be collaborative; single‑investigator or narrowly focused projects are not eligible.
• Propel Grants support proposals with a planned submission within 12 months, ensuring that activities directly strengthen a near‑ready external proposal.

Definition of “Beyond the Usual” 

For the purposes of this program, “beyond the usual” refers to external funding mechanisms that are unusually large‑scale or complex for the discipline. These opportunities typically require:

• Extensive coordination across multiple investigators, units, or institutions
• Multidisciplinary or multi‑institutional collaboration
• Significant sponsor expectations related to structure, management, integration, or proposal development
• A scope or budget that exceeds standard single‑investigator or small‑team grants

Applicants must demonstrate that their proposed effort exceeds routine preparation and aligns with the scale and complexity of the targeted external opportunity.

To help ensure your project aligns with the program’s goals, we invite you to contact us before preparing a proposal. We’re happy to discuss your idea and help determine whether it fits the Propel Grant’s purpose and scale.

Grant-Supported Activities

Propel Grants support strategic, value‑added activities that strengthen the competitiveness of proposals for large‑scale, complex external funding opportunities. The goal is to help teams move from a strong proposal to an exceptional one—one that stands out in highly competitive review environments.

Propel funding is intended for activities that:

• Advance the proposal beyond baseline sponsor requirements
• Demonstrate clear progress between proposal stages (e.g., from concept paper to full proposal, or from full proposal to site visit)
• Address elements that reviewers consistently use to differentiate top‑tier submissions
• Strengthen the team’s coordination, integration, and readiness
• Provide evidence, clarity, or rigor that improves the proposal’s persuasiveness

These activities should meaningfully elevate the proposal in ways that routine preparation cannot.

Propel is not a seed grant. It is designed to support teams that are already well‑positioned and need targeted resources to go the extra mile. Propel does not fund:

• Routine proposal preparation (e.g., drafting standard sections, assembling required documents)
• Activities essential to simply achieve a baseline competitive submission
• Exploratory or foundational research
• Initial team formation or early‑stage concept development

Timeline

• March 30, 2026: Applications Due
• April to May: Review period
• By May 26, 2026: Grant period begins

Exceptions to internal deadlines may be granted in limited circumstances and must be approved in advance. These exceptions are reserved for external opportunities of high strategic value to the university or for situations in which timing constraints fall outside the PI’s control (e.g., sponsor deadlines announced with limited notice or unexpectedly accelerated timelines).

All exception requests require prior consultation with the VPDoR Director of Research Development. Applicants should contact rdo-funding-programs@stanford.edu as soon as they become aware of a potential barrier to submitting during the Propel application cycle.

Award

Up to $50,000 in direct costs for up to 12 months.

The targeted external funding request should typically be at least 20 times greater than the maximum Propel Grant amount. For example, a team with an external budget of $500,000 would be expected to request no more than $25,000 of Propel Grant funds. In all cases, smaller budget requests are welcome and encouraged.

Requests may be only partially funded if not all proposed activities align with the program’s purpose.

Multiple Applications

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

Across all Propel awards (Small and Large), total support for a single project may not exceed $50,000.

Each application must demonstrate meaningful progress since the prior request and clearly articulate how the newly proposed activities advance the team toward submission of the targeted external proposal. Applications should show that the work funded by earlier Propel support has been completed and that the next stage requires a distinct set of strategic activities.

Review Process and Criteria   

All applications undergo staff review and, for Large Propel Grants, may undergo peer review. Evaluation focuses on the following criteria.

• Strategic Proposed Activities (highest weight)
  • Activities are clearly designed to strengthen a competitive external proposal.
  • Activities go beyond routine proposal preparation and provide direct, value-added support to improve proposal competitiveness.
  • The plan demonstrates how support will increase the likelihood of securing external funding.
• Beyond the Usual Alignment
  • The targeted external proposal is large-scale, collaborative, multidisciplinary, or otherwise unusually complex in scope, budget, or sponsor expectations relative to the discipline.
  • Alignment with the Propel Grant is determined by the scale and complexity of the external funding opportunity, not solely by topic significance.
• Readiness to Submit
  • The project is near-ready for external submission and grounded in completed work.
  • The team is established, well-coordinated, and capable of executing the proposed activities within the timeline.
  • The Propel Grant application provides evidence of complementary expertise that demonstrates the team can advance the proposal effectively.
• Significance
  • The proposed research addresses an important problem and is well-aligned with the targeted external sponsor.
  • The project demonstrates unusually ambitious scope, budget, or team structure relative to disciplinary norms.
• Appropriate Budget
  • The requested budget is reasonable and focused on essential, proposal-enhancing activities.
  • The amount is proportional to the scope of work and the size of the targeted external funding opportunity.
• Feasibility
  • Activities are achievable within the proposed timeline and budget.
  • The team has the expertise, coordination, and capacity to complete the work.
• Potential for External Funding
  • By the end of the Propel Grant period, the team will be prepared to submit a competitive proposal to an external sponsor.
  • A contingency plan is articulated to account for any potential changes to submission plans.

Learn more about what makes a successful grant application on the RDO website.

Applicants should focus primarily on demonstrating alignment with the Propel Grant’s purpose and clearly explaining how the proposed activities will strengthen the competitiveness of their external funding proposal. These considerations carry the greatest weight in determining funding decisions.

Application Instructions

Submission: Submit the application as a single PDF through the VPDoR Internal Awards Portal.

Audience: Write for a broad academic audience. Reviewers and staff will likely be from outside your field and may not have technical expertise in your discipline.

Formatting: Minimum 11‑point font, 1‑inch margins.

Length: Large Propel Grant applications are limited to 7 pages (including figures; references excluded) and must include the following sections.

1. Research idea for the external proposal. Use clear, accessible language to describe the project and its fit with the targeted external opportunity.
   1. Define the problem and proposed solution. Introduce the research idea as it will appear in the external proposal. Briefly explain, in non-technical terms, the problem you are addressing, why it matters, and your proposed approach.
   2. Demonstrate readiness. Summarize the completed work (e.g., preliminary data, prior scholarship, pilot activities) that shows the team has met the essential requirements of the targeted external funding opportunity and is prepared to submit a near-ready proposal.
   3. Show fit and scale. Explain why the targeted external funding opportunity is unusually large, complex, or resource-intensive for your discipline (e.g., multi-PI, multi-institutional, center-type, large budget). Clearly describe how the project and team go “beyond the usual” relative to typical single-investigator or small-team grants in your field.
2. Propel Grant activities. Focus on strategic, value‑added activities that directly strengthen the competitiveness of the external proposal.
   1. Specify proposed activities. Describe the concrete activities the Propel Grant will fund and explain, for each activity, how it directly improves the competitiveness of the external proposal (e.g., clarifies the narrative, strengthens evidence, enhances integration or governance, addresses sponsor‑specific expectations). Avoid routine proposal preparation activities.
   2. Address feasibility and progress. Provide a timeline with key milestones and expected outcomes, showing that all activities can be completed within budget and before the external deadline. If this is not the first Propel application for this project, briefly indicate progress since prior support and how the proposed activities represent a new stage of development.
3. Team composition. Highlight the team’s capacity, coordination, and complementary expertise.
   1. List members. Include names, titles, and departments or institutions (if external to Stanford), indicating who is confirmed and who is proposed. Clearly identify the PI and any co‑PIs.
   2. Demonstrate team cohesiveness and capability. Describe prior collaboration, complementary expertise, or any existing structures (e.g., working groups, steering committees) that show the team is well‑coordinated and capable of executing both the Propel activities and the targeted external project.
4. External funding plan. Show that the project is aligned with a specific, large‑scale external opportunity and that the team has a realistic submission strategy.
   1. Identify target funding opportunities. List at least one external sponsor and program that the team intends to target.
   2. Provide key information for each opportunity: 
      1. Sponsor name
      2. Program name or identifier
      3. External sponsor deadline (or anticipated deadline, if not yet posted)
      4. Expected budget request
      5. URL to the funding solicitation (if available)
   3. Address contingency planning. Briefly describe how the team would pivot if the primary funding opportunity, timeline, or submission plan changes (e.g., alternative sponsors, mechanisms, or cycles). This should demonstrate potential for external funding even if circumstances shift.
5. Budget* and justification. Ensure the budget reflects essential, proposal‑enhancing activities and is proportional to the opportunity.
   1. List of expenses and associated costs. Provide an itemized budget for the requested Propel funds.
   2. Explain the rationale for the requested funds. Briefly explain how the expenses support the proposed activities and strengthen the external proposal.
   3. Identify current support and avoid duplication. Describe any existing internal or external support related to this project and explain how the Propel Grant will fill gaps rather than duplicate other funding.
   4. Ensure proportionality. The requested amount should be proportional to the scope, timeline, and activities proposed, and appropriate relative to the size and scale of the targeted external funding opportunity.
6. Appendices (optional). Use appendices only to support, not replace, the main narrative.
   1. References or works cited
   2. PDF of the targeted external funding solicitation(s)

*Budgets do not require institutional representative review, but we encourage applicants to work with their department administrator/financial analyst on budget development.

Special Instructions for Resubmission Proposals

If you plan to use a Propel Grant to support the resubmission of a previously submitted external proposal, we encourage you to contact the Research Development Office (RDO) before you begin your application. Resubmissions often benefit from a slightly different approach, and RDO can provide tailored guidance to help you make the strongest possible case.

Email us at rdo-funding-programs@stanford.edu to discuss your project. This call for applications includes the standard instructions for all applicants, but resubmission proposals might follow a different set of requirements. After meeting with RDO, teams will receive customized resubmission instructions that reflect sponsor feedback, the stage of revision, and the most strategic Propel activities for strengthening the next submission. This early conversation helps you prepare a more focused, competitive application.

Award Reporting Requirements

1. Impact Survey: Large Propel Grant recipients will be expected to (a) submit an initial report at the end of the grant period describing what was accomplished or lessons learned, and (b) complete a survey two years after the award period describing the impact and sustained outcomes 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.