VPDoR $50,000 Propel Grant FY27

Propel Grants guidelines may be revised periodically to reflect program improvements. With rolling deadlines, updates can take effect between publications of the guidelines and applications are reviewed under the version in effect on their submission date. The current version and any changes will be posted at propelgrants.stanford.edu.

Purpose and Scale

Propel Grants support the preparation of near-ready, complex proposals for submission to large-scale external funding opportunities. Funding strengthens the competitiveness of a proposal that is already well developed, through targeted, value-added activities. Propel funds must support work that goes beyond what standard proposal preparation requires.

A near-ready proposal has a well-defined research agenda with substantially developed aims or scope, an identified external funding mechanism or solicitation, and a committed, collaborative team already in place. Resubmissions are a strong fit for the program, since prior reviewer feedback defines the need precisely and the proposal is already close to external readiness.

Eligible projects target external funding mechanisms that are "beyond the usual" for the applicant's discipline, as defined below. Projects may address important societal or research challenges, but eligibility is determined by the scale and complexity of the targeted funding opportunity, not by the significance or impact of the research topic on its own.

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 applicant's discipline. The scale applies to the mechanism you are targeting, not to the intellectual ambition or complexity of your own project. A sophisticated, highly innovative project submitted to a standard grant mechanism is not within scope.

Because the scale is relative to disciplinary norms, the same mechanism can be in scope for one field and out of scope for another. For example, an NIH R01 is standard practice for School of Medicine faculty and would not qualify, but it may represent an unusually large and complex undertaking for faculty in a school where awards of that size and structure are rare. 

Mechanisms that meet this definition typically share several of the following characteristics: 

• 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 what is standard for the applicant's field

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

Standard investigator-initiated research grants are not within scope when they are routine for the applicant's field, even if the proposed science is ambitious or the team is interdisciplinary.

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

Because scope is field-relative, we encourage you to contact us at rdo-funding-programs@stanford.edu before preparing an application. We are glad to discuss your idea and help determine whether it fits the program's purpose and scale. If your target opportunity falls outside Propel Grants scope, we would still welcome a conversation, as RDO offers other forms of proposal support or we can help you identify the appropriate support team that may be a better match.

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" as defined above.
• Projects must be collaborative. Single-investigator or narrowly focused projects are not eligible. See the FAQs for how we define a team.
• The external proposal must have a planned submission date within 12 months of the Propel award, ensuring that funded activities directly strengthen a near-ready external proposal.

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 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 preliminary proposal 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. Examples of supported activities are listed in the frequently asked questions.

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, such as drafting standard sections or assembling required documents
• Activities needed only to achieve a compliant submission
• Exploratory or foundational research, including data collection intended to establish the feasibility of an unformed idea
• Initial team formation or early-stage concept development

Award

Small Propel Grants: up to $5,000 in direct costs for up to 6 months.
Large Propel Grants: 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 total Propel Grant support requested for the project, combined across all awards (not per individual request). For example, a project targeting a $300,000 external award should not exceed $15,000 in total Propel Grant funding, even if that support comes through more than one award over time.

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

The award period begins upon notification of a funding decision and ends at the sponsor's deadline or at the maximum award period for your tier (6 months for Small, 12 months for Large) from the funding decision, whichever is sooner, consistent with the program’s purpose as pre-submission proposal support rather than project funding.

Timeline

Beginning in FY2027, both Small and Large Propel Grants use rolling deadlines. Applications may be submitted at any time, and teams can request funds as needs arise rather than fitting requests into set windows.

• Small Propel Grant funding decisions will typically be announced within two weeks of submission. Plan to apply early enough that your 6-month award period can be completed before your sponsor's deadline.
• Large Propel Grant funding decisions will typically be announced within five to six weeks of submission.

Because Large Propel Grants are competitively reviewed and the evaluation can take time, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit at least three months before their sponsor's deadline. This buffer accounts for the review period and ensures teams have adequate time to complete Propel-funded activities before the external submission is due.

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, etc.).

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.

The strongest applications spend most of their narrative on the Propel Grant activities and how they align with the target opportunity, not on background about the research project itself.

• Strategic Proposed Activities
  • 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 opportunity is "beyond the usual".
  • Alignment with the Propel Grant is determined by the scale and complexity of the external funding opportunity, not solely by topic significance.
  • The project demonstrates unusually ambitious scope, budget, or team structure relative to disciplinary norms.
• 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.
• 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
  • Propel Grant funded 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.
  • The proposed research is well-aligned with the targeted external sponsor.

Learn more about what makes a successful grant 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.

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. This is the most important section of your application. 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.
   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 Reporting
   • 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.
   • 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.