Faculty Seed Research Grants
The purpose of the Faculty Seed Research Grant (FSRG) is to provide funding for faculty beginning new research, scholarly projects, and creative works intended for publication, presentation/performance, and/or getting preliminary data to strengthen proposals for external funding. The program encourages work leading to discovery, organization, refinement, and effective transmission of knowledge and creativity. All academic disciplines at the University will be considered and all full-time UTRGV faculty are eligible to serve as Principal Investigators (Pls).
There will be one grant cycle with applications due in the fall, and funding available for expenditures during spring and summer. All funds must be spent or encumbered by the end of the fiscal year.
All proposals must be submitted via the Faculty Seed Research Grant Portal.
The deadline for Submission of Proposals is: October 31, 11:59 PM CST
More information can be found in the Faculty Seed Research Grants Guidelines.
- All full-time faculty members currently employed by UTRGV are eligible for funding.
- All PIs and Co-PIs are eligible for only one award during any academic year and may apply for only one seed grant per year.
- Projects without other funding will be given priority.
- Faculty listed as the PI are only eligible to receive a grant once every three years.
Applicants may request awards up to $5,000 for single PIs or $10,000 for collaborative (interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary*) proposals. Collaborative proposals must clearly indicate in their application materials how their collaborative work benefits the anticipated outcomes of the work.
- All requests must be specific, i.e., funds for a specific research or scholarly project, or creative work.
- All requests must come in the form of a completed application using appropriate forms and submitted by the deadline.
- Costs must follow Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) guidelines regarding fees and wages. For guidance, please contact Dr. Thomas Spencer at thomas.spencer@utrgv.edu.
- Actual funding levels of the awards are at the discretion of the Faculty Research Council.
Allowable Costs
- Wages for student or clerical assistants, and focus group participants complying with the minimum wage
- Reasonable consultant's fees as determined by the review conditional on the documentation submitted by the grant applicant.
- Travel that is essential and directly related to the project, travel must be documented as essential, and comply with State of Texas Guidelines.
- Operations (office supplies, software, computer costs, etc.)
- Capital Justification must be provided, and equipment use must be directly related to proposed research.
- Faculty Summer Stipend not to exceed 50% of the total request. Must include fringe benefits expenses: approximately 16% for faculty.
Requests for the following will not be funded:
- Work associated with the completion of a faculty member's master's thesis or doctoral dissertation, curriculum development, or teaching
- Travel to meetings, conferences, and travel to training workshops or to present research
- All costs not related to the proposed project.
- Course release buyouts.
- Projects that received seed grant funding during the 2021-2022 academic year.
Timeline for Expenditures
Funds allocated must be used or encumbered by the end of the fiscal year.
*Multi-disciplinary work is classified as collaboration done across different disciplines(e.g., Music and Biology.) Interdisciplinary work is classified as collaboration done between similar fields, i.e., Biology and Chemistry. This type of FSRG is intended to encourage partnerships between faculty for new research, scholarly projects, and creative works intended for publication, presentation/performance, and/or getting preliminary data to strengthen proposals for external funding.
The proposal must be submitted via the Seed Research Grant Portal by the deadline listed above. Please follow the specific guidelines below. Applications that do not follow these guidelines will be excluded from eligibility.
Your application will be reviewed by a committee of UTRGV faculty representing each college. Please tailor your content to generalists who are not experts in your field by explaining the project/research and discussing its contribution or significance.
All proposals will be asked to include:
- PI/Co-PI names, titles/ranks, college(s), and the project’s title
- Project Abstract: A short abstract (250 words or less) that clearly identifies the major features of the project.
- Project Description: 2,000 word maximum
5. CV(s) upload for all participating faculty: CVs should demonstrate the ability to meet the goals and outcomes proposed
Reviews of the proposals will be completed by the Faculty Research Council as outlined in HOP ADM 06-304. During reviews, proposals will be evaluated for their clarity and understandability in explaining the significance of the work, the methodology, and the budget.
The proposals will be reviewed on a scale from 1 to 5 based on their clarity for the following five points.
- The research, scholarly projects, and creative work activity and objectives are clearly explained.
- The budget is reasonable in relation to the expected research, scholarly project, or creative work.
- The role of collaborative scholarship/creativity in the project and its expected outcomes (as applicable to multi/interdisciplinary proposals), or the creativity of the project is clearly explained (as applicable to single discipline proposals.)
- The proposal clearly identifies the scholarly/creative significance of the project and the ways in which it contributes to the field.
- The PI and Co-PIs have previously demonstrated the ability to meet the goals and outcomes proposed.
The committee will use the following scale for questions 1 through 5 and calculate the average score.
1 = Not Acceptable; 2 = Acceptable; 3 = Good; 4 = Excellent; 5 = Outstanding
Notification of award will be sent to the PI via email. PIs whose proposals are not chosen for funding will be advised as soon as possible.
An award consists of (1) the award memo, which includes any special provisions applicable to the award; (2) the funding to be provided based on the submitted budget by which the review committee has based its support (or otherwise communicates any specific approvals or disapprovals of proposed expenditures); and, (3) the following conditions:
Project Reports
An initial project report form must be submitted to the Office of the Provost no more than 60 days after the end of the fiscal year. The Office of the Provost will subsequently share the project report with the Office of Research. Projects are delinquent if the PIs fail to comply with the reporting process and will not be eligible for funding so long as the delinquency prevails. Projects are considered delinquent if the PIs fails to submit either report that includes updates on the deliverables outlined in the proposal.
Acknowledgment
Acknowledgment of the UTRGV FSRG will be indicated in all publications, paper presentations, etc., resulting from the project. The following acknowledgment is suggested: "This project was supported by a University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Faculty Seed Research Grant , (enter starting and ending dates)."
Patents, Copyright, and Royalty Agreement
The same policies regarding patents, copyrights, and royalty agreements indicated in the most current UTRGV Handbook of Operating Procedures shall apply to any products resulting from the funded projects.
Equipment
Equipment and non-expendable supplies purchased with grant funds are the property of UTRGV and will be listed on the property inventory of the PI's respective department or division.
Proposal FAQ
Can I apply for, or be a Co-PI, on more than one seed grant application?
No, faculty should prioritize which type of application best serves their needs at this time and apply for only one grant.
Can I submit a previously used grant application for a different program or agency?
Please follow the directions for the UTRGV seed grants and only submit the material that is requested, in the formats requested. Applications that do not follow the directions will not be considered.
Who is the audience for my application?
Your application will be reviewed by the Faculty Research Council. Please tailor your content to generalists who are not experts in your field by explaining the project/research and discussing its contribution or significance.
Does the word count include references and/or footnotes, appendices?
Please submit only the information requested by the application.
Can I just email my application?
Please utilize the submission link provided for your application. You can copy and paste information into that form and also attach your CV and budget form.
I do creative work, not research, am I eligible for this program?
Yes, this program is intended to help provide seed funds to faculty undertaking artistic and creative work as well as those pursuing research for presentation and publication. Who can be listed as a Co-PI?
This seed grant program is intended for faculty only, so full-time UTRGV faculty members are the only people eligible to be listed as PI or Co-PI. Please see the allowable costs for information on paying other wages from your seed grant.
Do I need to submit IRB approval with my application?
It is not necessary to submit that paperwork with your seed research grant application, but for more information about the IRB process, please contact the Office of Sponsored Research.
When will I find out if I received a seed grant?
Decisions will be sent to applicants as soon as possible, but no later than the start of the spring semester.
Can I have a seed grant and an external grant for the same project?
Yes, there is nothing prohibiting faculty from using seed grant funds for a project that is also funded from an external source. Can I buy release time with my seed grant?
No, at this time it is not possible to use seed grants to purchase course release time. Please see the funding call for additional information on permissible uses of funds.
I received a seed grant last year, can I apply again?
In order to provide opportunities for as many qualified applicants as possible, faculty are only eligible once every three years.
Recipient FAQ
Can I change an item in my budget? Yes, the budget can be adjusted after the award, but it is not possible to award a faculty stipend once the grant process is underway. The only allowable changes are to expenses for the project, i.e. different materials or equipment, or a change in research travel plans.
If I do not spend all the money during the fiscal year, can I still use it for the following year?
No. Funds need to be spent during the current academic year.