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Indiana University

Collaborative Research Grants (IUCRG)

In order to ensure that technological difficulties do not hamper any teams from proposing, we have chosen to extend the deadline for IUCRG proposals one week, to the close of business on Monday, November 21.

Request for Proposals (PDF)

September 20, 2011
Indiana University Collaborative Research Grants (IUCRG)

Indiana University is pleased to announce the 2011-12 opportunity to fund Collaborative Research Grants. This opportunity is open to faculty on all Indiana University campuses. Funding decisions will result from a competitive peer review of proposals in response to this call. The Vice President for Research will make the final funding decisions, based on reviewers’ recommendations. The maximum funding per project will be $75,000 but in exceptional cases, when there is a convincing justification, this maximum could be exceeded.

The goals of this competition are to facilitate and support outstanding research and cutting edge discoveries by teams of experts who have not worked together previously in the project’s subject matter. Teams should include experts from different campuses, schools, departments, or disciplines. This opportunity is open to all fields of research and creative work. The intent of the research project is to advance a field and in doing so, impact the lives of Indiana residents, the US and the World. The program as a whole is designed to help increase Indiana University’s competitiveness involving innovative and transformative research; proposals must, therefore, include explicit plans for securing external funding to continue the project. IUCRG recipients are required to submit a proposal for external funding within 18 months from the start of the project. Applicants should make explicit which federal grant agency and the specific RFAs that will be targeted for their grant submission.

IUCRG seed funds are intended to support areas which have the potential to lead to substantial future extramural funding. IUCRG intends to fund projects in emerging fields of study, innovative or multidisciplinary research that could increase Indiana University’s research competitiveness and reputation. Learning from last year’s IUCRG response, here we provide additional guidance regarding subject areas for proposals.

  1. Biological and Health Sciences: innovative multidisciplinary or multi-collaborator approaches to issues in heal, health care; neuroscience; biological, biophysical or chemical sciences;
  2. Technology, Engineering and Computer Sciences: innovative multi-disciplinary or multi-collaborator approaches to compelling issues in technological or engineering research, or approaches to other areas of research that rely upon innovative uses of technology, engineering, or computer sciences; research into effective approaches to K-12 STEM education (not curricular development) or education for sustainability;
  3. International and global studies: innovative multidisciplinary or multi-collaborator approaches to understand and addressing global issues including: global health, global economies, global research collaborations; global natural resources; global politics and societies;
  4. Social and behavioral sciences: innovative multi-disciplinary or multi-collaborator approaches, reliant upon methodologies of the social and behavioral sciences, to issues of local, state, national or international significance.

All proposals should indicate which category or mix of categories from this list of areas best describes the proposed research. Arts and Humanities proposals that do not fit into these categories should be submitted to Indiana University’s New Frontiers seed funding program.

Eligibility: All faculty and staff whose appointments allow them to submit external proposals are allowed to apply. A minimum of two faculty members from different campuses or schools, or different disciplines from the same campus must collaborate as co-primary investigators on the proposed project. Projects must be for NEW areas of research for the investigators, within their areas of expertise, but not a continuation of current research activities. Teams that received funding through IUCRG in 2010-11 are not eligible, but individuals who received funding last year are eligible if they are involved in new collaborations and projects.

Submission Deadlines: Grant proposals must be submitted electronically by the close of business day on November 21, 2011 via the online application form. Written reviews of declined proposals will not be provided. However, applicants can call and request information or a meeting to discuss the reviewer’s comments so that a revised application could be improved and submitted in response to future RFAs.

Terms of Awards: Applicants can request up to $75,000 for one-year. Budgets must be justified and consistent with the scope of the proposed project and may not be changed without further review and approval. Applicants must commit to submitting an external funding proposal within 18 months from the start of the award; failure to do so will preclude eligibility for future internal funding programs. Final reports are required detailing the project’s progress including proposals submitted and funding received. IUCRG support should be acknowledged in all related publications and reports. Recipients of funding in 2012 will participate in an open Workshop in the winter of 2013 where awardees will present project results and detailed plans to secure external funding. Award notices are expected to go out no later than January 31st, 2012 with funds available February 15th, 2012.

Budget Restrictions: Funds may not be used for faculty/administrative salaries or tuition; graduate student stipends may be allowed. Travel to conferences to present project data resulting from and related to the funded project is allowed.

Application Format: The proposal must include:

  • Project description (12 point font; single spaced, 5 page limit excluding references) comprised of the following:
    • Background and Significance of the larger project , including discussion of the scientific or scholarly opportunities made possible through this new collaboration
    • Potential impact and transformative effects of the project on the field
    • Identification of specific RFAs targeted for grant submission within 18 months
    • Goals of the pilot phase of the project including timing of milestones
    • Overview of the Research Plan to accomplish goals
    • Explicit statement of each team member’s role on the project
  • Budget, budget justification, and timeline: Explain why IUCRG funding is essential for securing external funding of the project, and what each budgeted item will contribute to the research plan. Please note that budget reasonableness is an important component of the review criterion.
  • Biosketch or brief CV (4 pgs. max) for each investigator, showing current and pending support. Proposed IUCRG projects must not overlap with current funding.
  • Statement of support from all PI’s Department Chairs and Deans
  • If a similar proposal has been reviewed and declined by any external funding agency, the reviews must be included.
  • No appendices other than funding agency reviews are allowed.

Review Criteria: The proposals will be reviewed by ad hoc panels of subject experts. Final decisions will be made by the Vice President for Research based on reviewer’s recommendations. Awards will be based on:

  • the intrinsic intellectual merit, scope, and potential impact of the project and impact on the research field;
  • the feasibility of the project, appropriateness of the research plan and the reasonableness of the budget;
  • the collaborative nature of the work [project teams that include researchers from different units or Indiana University campuses will be ranked more highly than those that do not];
  • the probability of the larger project securing external funding.

Innovation, Accelerated by Tradition.