Research Seed Grant (RSG)

Research Seed Grant (RSG) is sponsored by University of Oregon, Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI). Designed to support faculty in establishing new research projects, acquiring preliminary data, conducting feasibility studies, initiating new community or industry projects, or other critical activities to launch new projects that currently do not have funding support.

Research Seed Grant | Research and Innovation Research and Innovation Menu OVPRI Research Seed Grants (RSG) are designed to support faculty in establishing new research projects. Funds support acquiring preliminary data, conducting feasibility studies, initiating new community or industry projects, or other critical activities to launch new projects that currently do not have funding support.

To be considered a new project, the work should be clearly distinct from current or recently funded work and more than an incremental advancement. The RSG requires the eventual development and submission of an external funding proposal based on the activities funded by this mechanism.

Early-career faculty with start-up funding or investigators with significant other support (e.g., gifts, endowed chairs, etc.) are discouraged from using this mechanism. Reach out to Research Development Services if you have questions about this program.

Track 1: awards for up to 1 year of funding (up to $25,000 – see guidelines for details) Track 2: awards for up to 2 years of funding (up to $50,000 – see guidelines for details) November 17, 2025 - January 14, 2026: Research Development Staff are available to review drafts before submission January 21, 2026, by 11:59 p. m.

: Application Deadline Mid-February 2026: Proposal Review April 2026: Faculty applicants notified of the funding decision July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027 (Track 1): Project Period July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2028 (Track 2): Project Period Download the full 2026 Request for Proposal (Word document, includes templates) Eligible PIs are tenure-track faculty and career research faculty with the classification of research associate , research professor, research scientist, research engineer, principal research scientist, professor of practice (with primary duties in research), or librarian, and with a 0.

50+ FTE appointment during the academic year of the research award.

Faculty who received an OVPRI Research Seed Grant within the past 3 award cycles Emeritus, retired, courtesy, visiting, instructor, and pro-tem faculty, as well as postdoctoral scholars Recipients of any competitive award from the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation who have not submitted a final report for their prior award(s) Faculty are only permitted to serve as the PI or Co-PI on one application per cycle.

Applicants may serve as collaborators or team members on additional proposals. NOTE: Faculty who are ineligible to serve as PI/Co-PI may serve as key personnel on a project team. PIs may not apply to both the Faculty Research Award and the Research Seed Grant programs for the same project .

Further, we do not anticipate that PIs will have more than one active OVPRI award at a time except in unusual circumstances (e.g., recipients of Strategic Investment Fund awards). Note: Please contact your Departmental Grant Administrator early to assist you with the budget.

Track 1 Awards: 12-month project, up to $25,000 Track 2 Awards: 24-month project, up to $50,000 Allowable Costs: Funds may be used for costs necessary to plan and execute the proposed research project (consistent with university and state rules) including: Salary for career research faculty, graduate students, undergraduates, and/or technical personnel under the supervision of the principal investigator Note 1: If you plan to hire graduate employees, please include only their salary and OPE in your budget.

The GE tuition, insurance, and fees will be contributed by the OVPRI, at the College of Arts and Sciences rates, to maximize funds available for your work. If your unit has higher tuition/fee rates, please include the supplemental amount under “OTHER” on the budget template Note 2: The R&R Budget template used for your submission automatically calculates and auto-populates cells for GE tuition, fees, and insurance.

Please work with your budget/grant administrator to ensure your budget only includes Other Payroll Expenses for GEs on row 76 Other direct costs: core/shared user facility use, speaker stipend, etc. For project budgets that include the use of Core Facilities, OVPRI funds will be transferred directly to the Core (funds for all other costs will be transferred to a faculty-managed departmental index for the award).

Please clearly show Core Facilities costs on a line of its own under Other Costs Travel, which may include funds to support a planning workshop or faculty retreat, to host a distinguished speaker who will help you initiate your project, to visit key resources and/or archives, or to visit a program officer to discuss your project.

Faculty summer salary and/or course release (as per departmental policies and guidelines) Replacing current funding from another internal or external source Renovation, remodeling, or alteration of research laboratories or core/shared facilities Application Instructions & Materials Application: The Research Seed Grant applications must be submitted using the online submission form with the documents described below.

Application Form (online) : Provide basic information in the form’s text boxes. (Note that the form cannot be saved part way through.) Proposal Documents: (single-spaced text, Times New Roman, Arial, or other easily readable font, in 11-point or larger, and 1” margins).

Abstract (250 words or less): A summary of the project goals and activities. Please write on a separate page from the Narrative. Proposal Narrative (3-page limit): Use the Project Narrative template at the end of the guidelines document to complete this component of the application.

References Cited (no page limit) Biographical Sketch or CV (5-page limit per person): All PIs should submit a Biographical Sketch or CV. While there is no specific format, you are encouraged to use the format associated with the funding agency to which you would typically apply (e.g., NSF, NIH, NEH, etc.).

Current and Pending Support (no page limit): For each PI, use the Current and Pending template at the end of the RFP to list any current and/or pending funding for any research project at UO, whether or not related to the proposed project. Include any institutional start-up, licensing revenue, and other funds available to the PI for research. Budget: – Use the SPS R&R 1 to 5 Year Detailed Budget template found on the Forms webpage .

Contact your Departmental Grant Administrator early to assist with the SPS Excel budget template as it is very complex. Note 1: internal awards do not require indirect (F&A) costs. Please set that cell in the template to 0.

Note 2: If you are including graduate employees, see the Budget & Use of Funds section above for details on how to budget for these personnel. Budget Justification: Use the Budget Justification template at the end of the guidelines document to complete this component of the application. Unit Head Approval Form: Scanned copy or e-signature confirming your unit head approves of the proposed application, including the budget.

NOTE: If the signature is digital, the PDF cannot be combined with the rest of the application (combining erases the digital signature). With digital signatures, please upload the Unit Head Approval Form separately from the application PDF.

Reviewer Comments on Resubmissions : If you are proposing a project in preparation for a resubmission to a specific funder, please include the reviewer comments on the first submission as an appendix. Complete all components of the application and combine them into a single PDF in the order listed above , with each component on its own page. Save with the naming convention [Contact PI Last Name] _FY 26 Research Seed Grant .

Fill out the basic information in the online application form. Upload the complete PDF. NOTE: If the Unit Head Approval Form has a digital/ e-signature, the PDF cannot be combined with the rest of the application, but rather must be uploaded separately (combining erases the digital signature).

Each PI may complete the demographic survey (see guidelines for more information). Review Process and Criteria RDS will conduct an initial review of applications to ensure that proposals comply with all guidelines. A review panel of faculty will conduct a peer review to evaluate the grant proposals and make recommendations to the Vice President for Research and Innovation.

The VPRI makes the final funding decisions and will inform applicants of their funding status. Research Project : Weighted 30% How clearly does the applicant describe the research problems or questions? Does the applicant specify a critical gap in the research to be addressed?

Evaluate the novelty of the project. Is the project clearly distinct from current or priorly funded work? Does it represent more than an incremental advancement of existing research programs?

Please evaluate the project's significance. What is the strength of the project's intellectual merit? Research Approach : Weighted 30% Aims/Goals: Assess the project’s aims/goals for clarity and feasibility.

How well do the aims address the stated project goals? Methodology: Are the methods appropriate, feasible, and well-justified? Team Roles and Responsibilities: If the project has a team, are the roles and responsibilities of the team members well explained and justified for the proposed research?

Researcher or Research Team : Weighted 10% Rate the PI's/ Team's qualifications and experience as they relate to proposed research objectives/goals. Do they have the needed experience to complete the project aims? If they are pivoting to new research directions given the current federal climate, do they have the right partners/advisors/mentors to position them for success?

How well does the proposed research align with the PI's/ team members' long-term research agendas and/or future directions fueled by changes in the federal landscape? Assess the past success of PI's/ team members' obtaining external research funding. If they are pivoting to a new funder given the current federal climate, does their past record of success indicate productivity and ability to submit compelling, competitive proposals?

External Funding Strategy : Weighted 25% Assess the plan for external funding. Does the proposal clearly identify an external funding mechanism or program that aligns with the chosen Track (e.g. a Center-type grant for Track 2, individual research award for Track 1)? How well does the project align with the named funding mechanism(s)?

How well does the proposal describe a feasible and appropriate strategy for preparing and submitting the project for external funding? Timeline and Budget: Weighted 5% Assess the proposal timeline. Is it realistic given the research goals and proposal development activities?

Evaluate the project budget. Is it well-justified? Is it sufficient to support the development and implementation of the project?

Comment boxes : Please comment on the project’s level of risk in relation to the potential reward of a successful outcome. Consider planned mitigation of risk and the potential transformative nature of the research. Please summarize your review of the proposal’s strengths and weaknesses in 3-4 sentences to be shared with the applicant.

A final report is required and due to Research Development Services no later than one month (30 days) after the conclusion of funding. RDS will supply awardees with a link to the final report form in the last quarter of their project.

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