Faculty Seed Research Grants

• All full time UTRGV faculty with research/scholarship expectations, based on their institutional faculty workload, are eligible to serve as Investigators (Pls and Co-PIs).
• Faculty members may be included in only one proposal, either as PI or Co-PI.
• Proposals that are requested in support of existing projects are not eligible.
• Faculty members who have not received a Faculty Seed Research Grant as PI or Co-PI in Academic Years 2022-2023, 2023-2024 or 2024-2025 are eligible.

Applicants may request awards up to $5,000 for single PI proposals or up to $10,000 for PI/CO-PI proposals. PIs submitting with Co-PI proposals will be required to explain the collaborative nature of the proposal in the application process.

 Allowable Costs:

1. Wages for student or clerical assistants and focus group participants complying with the minimum wage.
2. Reasonable consultant fees as determined by the review conditional on the documentation submitted by the grant applicant.
3. Travel that is essential and directly related to the project, travel must be documented as essential, and comply with State of Texas Guidelines.
4. Operations (office supplies, software, computer costs, )
5. Capital Justification must be provided, and equipment use must be directly related to proposed research.
6. Faculty Summer Stipend. Not to exceed 50% of the total request. Must include fringe benefits expenses: 16% for faculty.

 Requests for the following will not be funded:

1. Work associated with the completion of a faculty member's master's thesis or doctoral dissertation, curriculum development, or teaching exercise.
2. Travel to meetings, conferences, training workshops to present research results.
3. Projects or topics that do not fall within current state and federal funding guidelines.
4. Course release buyouts.
5. Projects that received seed grant funding in the previous (3) academic years.

The proposal must be submitted via the Seed Research Grant Qualtrics portal by the deadline listed above. Proposals will be reviewed, and recommendations provided to the Provost for a final determination.

Please tailor your proposal’s language to an educated lay audience, NOT experts in your field. Applications that do not follow these guidelines and the specific guidelines below will be excluded from eligibility.

 To be eligible for consideration, proposal submissions must include ALL the elements below:

 1. PI/Co-PI (only 1 and up to 2 Co-PI's maximum) names, titles/ranks, college(s)/school(s), and the project’s title

2. PI/Co-PI Role Statement: Clearly outline the specific responsibilities and contributions of each within the proposed project.

 3. Project Abstract (UPLOAD): A short abstract (150 words or less) that clearly identifies the project's major features.

4. Impact Statement (UPLOAD): Describe impact to the field, universtity mission, alignment with research pathways, and the projects role in the PI's research agenda. (1 page maximum)

 5. Project Description file (UPLOAD - 5 Page maximum excluding reference list)

       Must include ALL the following SUBHEADINGS:

• Project Narrative: Summarize what your project aims to do/achieve.
• (If applicable) Collaborative Nature of the Project: Proposals with Co-PI's should articulate why the project calls for a collaborative or multi-disciplinary approach and how it will be accomplished.
• Methodology: Describe your conceptual or disciplinary framework and methods. 
• Outcomes/Impacts: What are the anticipated outcomes/impacts of the work?
  • How will they be achieved?
  • How will they be measured or otherwise demonstrated?
• Project Significance: Summarize the significance of your proposed research, scholarship, or creative work.
  • Describe its broader intellectual, scholarly, or creative merit and impact.
• Deliverables: Describe plans for publication submission, grant submission, and or other deliverables constituting dissemination of work.
• Project Timeline: Provide an estimated timeline for your project.

 6. Budget and Justification form (UPLOAD)

Seed Grant Budget Form (Word)           

 7. 2-page CV(s)(or NSF or NIH biosketch) for PI and up to two Co-PIs (UPLOAD)

• Each 2-page CV (or biosketch) should demonstrate the faculty member’s ability to meet the goals and outcomes proposed.

Final funding determinations will be made by the Provost after consulting recommendations made by faculty evaluators. During reviews, proposals will be evaluated on clarity, significance, quality, impact to the field, alignment with state and federal funding stipulations, and strong probability of producing the stated deliverables.

 Evaluation Criteria:

1. Significant evidence is provided that the project will impact the field/university mission and aligns with research pathways.
2. Objectives should be clearly and succinctly stated in language accessible to the non-specialist.  
   • Are the objectives appropriate?
   • Is there the right number of objectives
3. Significance of the project should be clearly  stated and compelling.
   • Have the investigators provided a convincing argument for the significance of this project?
   • Will the project contribute to the investigators scholarly field?
   • Upon completion, does the project have the potential to impact the investigators' respective field and greatly strengthen their scholarly/creative agenda?
4. Methods for the study must be clearly stated and appropriate for the study.
   • Are the methods clearly stated? Are they adequate to complete the project?
   • Is the application persuasive in why it chose a certain methodology for the project?
   • Do the methods tie back clearly to the objectives of the project? Internal consistency is important.
5. The application makes clear that there will be deliverable outcomes.
   • Journals? Book Manuscript? Exhibit? Performance? External Funding Applications?Permanent collection contribution?
   • Is there sufficient evidence to support that this funding will result in a deliverable?
6. The role of multi-disciplinary scholarship/creativity and collaboration between faculty is clearly explained and justified (if applicable).
7. Is the budget requested justifiable and within the constraints of eligibility?
8. The PI (and CO-PIs) have demonstrated the ability to meet the goals and outcomes proposed.

An award consists of (1) the award letter, which includes any special provisions applicable to the award; (2) funding and the amount of the approved budget; and (3) the following conditions:

 Project Reports

A project report form must be submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs no later than one semester after the funding period (i.e., prior to December 31, 2026.)

Projects are delinquent if the PIs fail to comply with the reporting process and will not be eligible for future seed funding.

Projects are considered delinquent if the report submitted fails to include evidence of a submitted or completed deliverable.

 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, footnotes, or 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. We anticipate all award decisions being out in July. 

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.

Awarded Proposals by College

Awarded Proposals by PI Rank

Awarded Proposal Category