Research Development & Strategic Initiatives
Interdisciplinary Seed Grants
The Office of Research currently manages three seed grant programs. These programs are summarized below, but details are subject to change. The most up-to-date information on each program will be provided in the corresponding solicitation on InfoReady. All three programs are anticipated to have deadlines each April, although the Initiatives and Kickstarter programs may also have deadlines in September depending on funding availability. Solicitations will typically be posted on InfoReady four months prior to the deadline.
The Grand Challenges Seed Grants program is intended to support activities that develop large-scale interdisciplinary programs across the university. Programs should involve at least three KSU faculty members, target a high-impact issue, and be sustainable 5-10 years beyond the seed funding period. Priority will be given to programs that align with one of the four KSU research communities (i.e., Sustainable Communities, Innovative Creativity, Health and Wellness, and Applied Technologies). Awards are for up to $100,000/year for 2 years ($200,000 total). Funding can be used to collect preliminary data or facilitate collaborations. It is expected that funded teams will generate large-scale, interdisciplinary scholarship (e.g., submit a competitive grant application with direct costs of $1,000,000+, produce multiple publications, develop a major project with national recognition, etc.) within one year of completion of the internal award.
The Initiatives Seed Grants program is intended to support activities that develop collaborative interdisciplinary research projects across the university. Projects should involve at least two KSU faculty members. This seed grant program particularly targets projects that would be problematic for one college to fund. Awards are for $5,000-$10,000 for 1 year. Funding can be used to assist with pilot data, a needs assessment, customer discovery, proof-of-concept, etc. to make a grant proposal more competitive. It is expected that funded teams will generate significant interdisciplinary scholarship (e.g., submit a competitive grant application with direct costs of $100,000+, produce a performance/exhibition with regional draw, etc.). Publications are encouraged.
The Kickstarter Seed Grants program is intended to support activities that lead to interdisciplinary research and creative scholarship. Teams should include at least two people, one of which must be a KSU faculty member. Awards are for up to $5,000 for 1 semester. It is expected that funded teams will generate interdisciplinary scholarship (e.g., journal articles, books, local exhibitions, performances, applications to small grants, etc.).
Click the button below to check for seed grant solicitations on InfoReady.
