VPDoR Large Propel Grant - 2022 Autumn Cycle

On behalf of the Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Research (VPDoR), the Stanford Research Development Office (RDO) is pleased to invite applications from Stanford faculty for Large Propel Grants. The objectives of the program are to support collaborative research efforts in their pursuit of external funding and maximize competitiveness of external funding applications.

RDO anticipates awarding up to ten Large Propel grants per year (four to five per cycle*), with awards of $50,000 per team.  Awards up to $100,000 may be considered based on demonstrated need.

*Award cycles are detailed in the timeline below.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION IS 11:59 PM ON OCTOBER 25, 2022

Purpose

Propel grants are designed to help Stanford-led research teams clear those final hurdles to submitting a competitive proposal for external funding.

Funded activities should support the development of key characteristics for grant success, including:

• vetted vision, concept, and/or approach that fairs well in review
• demonstrated strong collaboration and cohesive team
• necessary preliminary data, proof of concept, and/or other elements to convince reviewers of feasibility
• aligned with and responsive to all sponsor and program goals
• well-written and beautifully illustrated proposal

Who should apply?

This is not a traditional seed grant. The program is intended to support projects which are:

• Already defined, with teams preparing to apply for external sponsored research funding.
• Collaborative in nature and “beyond the usual” in scale for their disciplines in terms of research scope, award budget, and team size.

RDO will award a portfolio of projects that represent the diversity and breadth of scholarly areas. Preference will be given to disciplines or fields that have limited internal grant program support. Applications from biomedical fields will only be considered when they include a meaningful faculty partnership with other Stanford school(s).

We are committed to creating an environment that values and embraces diversity: Applications from those persons who are typically underrepresented in their field are particularly encouraged.

$50,000 Grant Supported Activities

Funding from the Large Propel Grants is intended to help Stanford researchers position themselves well for larger, external sponsored research funding. Activities should focus on establishing feasibility or generating additional preliminary data, as needed for the externally funded sponsored research application. Activities should be specific and well-defined but can fall in a wide range and are to be determined by the PI. Examples include, but are not limited to specific research experiments, establishing access to archives, consultations with experts on evaluation or data management, and/or other elements to enhance chances of funding success.      

Large Propel Grants are not intended to fund nascent projects that are still defining the research question or forming the initial team; such proposers are encouraged to apply to other programs that may be better suited to serve such needs.

Priorities

Applications are particularly encouraged for, but not limited to, projects that have one or more of the following:

• involve collaborative research across two or more departments.
• include team members from backgrounds underrepresented in the academy (e.g., ethnic, cultural or socioeconomic backgrounds, research expertise, career stage, institution/sector, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.).
• strengthen collaboration between Stanford and SLAC.

Eligibility

The target audience for a Large Propel Grant are collaborative teams “beyond the usual” in scale who are positioned to submit an extramural funding application in the next year (up to 24 months with strong justification), but who need to strengthen proof of feasibility. Biomedical applications need to include a meaningful faculty partnership with other Stanford school(s).

All Stanford faculty with principal investigator (PI) eligibility may apply (i.e., members of the University's Academic Council or UML faculty) are eligible to apply.

The applicant in Stanford Seed Funding must be the lead PI. Applications submitted by other personnel (grad students, postdocs, etc.) will not be reviewed.

Timeline

Award Amount and Term

For most applications, the budget should be limited to $50,000 to support efforts over the next 12 months. Requests up to $100,000 and/or up to 24 months may be considered based on demonstrated need.

Application Instructions

Applications are accepted through the Stanford Seed Funding website. The application must be written in clear, concise language accessible to a non-specialist audience.

1. Overarching research topic (maximum one page). This should be a high-level overview of the research idea/vision that forms the basis of your external funding application and clarification on how the project is collaborative in nature and “beyond the usual” in scale.
2. Team composition (0.5 page).  Include the member name, title, and department or institution if external to Stanford, specifying which are confirmed or proposed and the status/readiness level of the collaboration. If applicable, describe the diversity within the team. We especially encourage applications from those who are underrepresented in their field.
3. External funding plan (0.5 page). Describe the plan to pursue external sponsored research funding. A minimum of one potential external grant must be named in the application. Include information on the potential funding source and the project submission date.
4. Proposed activities (maximum three pages, not including references). Describe the research activities the Propel Grant funds will support, the timeline, the anticipated outcomes, and how this will enhance the competitiveness of an external grant application. Please provide enough details on the specific experimental design, approach, or activity to allow for expert reviewers to assess likely impact.
5. Budget and justification (maximum one page). Provide a table of estimated expenses and describe how this grant will enhance the competitiveness of your external application. If your budget exceeds $50,000, please justify.

Review Process and Criteria

Applications are initially screened against program alignment and compliance by RDO staff, then competitively reviewed by at least two faculty reviewers with topical expertise for suitability of the proposed plan, likely impact on future external funding, and alignment with the program purpose and priorities.

Successful Large Propel Grant applications should result in the submission of at least one proposal to an external funding agency and address the following criteria:

• Significance & Impact of the overarching research idea: Will the overarching research idea be compelling to the external sponsor(s)?
• Feasibility and suitability of the proposed activities: Does the application convey a well-reasoned research design, appropriate methodologies, and specific outcomes?
• Appropriate Budget: Does the budget reflect the actual needs of the project to accomplish the specific aim(s)?
• Potential for external funding: Is the plan to pursue external funding reasonable and resulting in a high chance of submission of a well-aligned proposal?
• Team Composition: Does the project team form a diverse, balanced, and collaborative partnership?

RDO will award a portfolio of projects that represent the diversity and breadth of scholarly areas. Preference will be given to disciplines or fields that have limited internal grant program support.

Award Reporting

Grant recipients will (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 project in the longer term.

In addition, teams should notify rdo_seedgrants@stanford.edu if the Propel Grants contributed to a noteworthy outcome or if any external funds were received, for up to two years after award.