Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the continuation of the COS/VSE Collaborative Seed Fund, aimed at developing stronger scientific links between the investigators in the College of Science and the Volgenau School of Engineering.

Awards:

From $10,000 to $25,000 each

Overview:

Seed funding proposals are invited from faculty of COS and VSE who want to explore a research collaboration. The monies can be generally used for planning and research development activities that can lead to possible extramural funding. Funds can be used for meetings, supplies, students or post-docs, equipment, or other common research uses. Use of funds for faculty or administrative staff salaries is not allowed.

Total funding is $75,000.

The key deliverable for awards will be the submission of one or more proposals to extramural funding agencies, including federal (NIH, DOE, DOD, NSF, DHS, NASA, etc.), state, and nonprofit foundations.

Funds will be provided for one-time awards that may be used up to one year from the time they are awarded.

Research that is already supported by other sources is not eligible for funding. Gap funding to bridge support between external grants or contracts will not be considered. The applicants must clearly demonstrate that the proposed project is likely to generate extramural funding. Thus, the proposal must not overlap with any existing grants.

Procedure for Submitting Proposals:

Applications are due no later than March 26, 2021, with the review and decision occurring by May 1.  Applications must be sent via email to [log in to unmask] AND [log in to unmask], COPYING [log in to unmask].   

Application:

Seed Fund proposals should identify the program and agency to which a future proposal will be submitted, describe the research project in clear language, delineate how the award will result in a more competitive proposal, and include a budget for the Research Seed grant and a timeline for submission to an external funding organization.

Please include the following in the application:

1. Abstract (1 page)
2. Technical Proposal: limited to 3 pages (single spaced, 12 point font)
3. The project description must include, in this order:
1. General background.
2. Technical significance of the research.
3. Impact of this research and application areas where this research can or will be applied.
4. Specific objectives and anticipated results.
5. Description of methods including anticipated barriers or technical difficulties.
6. Also specify the resources needed for this project (equipment, materials, etc.) and indicate their availability.
7. List of other faculty with whom you will be collaborating and their role in the project.
4. References: limited to 1 additional page
5. Specific plan for development of the extramural proposal
6. Budget
7. Current and Pending Support
8. If you have been a recipient of an MDR award(s), list any application(s) submitted for external funding as a result of the award and it they were funded.
9. Biographical Sketch
10. Letter of support from department Chair (if you are the Chair of your department, your letter of support should come from the Dean of your College).

Eligibility:

Any COS or VSE faculty member whose research is administered through OSP is eligible. Participation of tenure line faculty who have not received tenure yet is highly encouraged.  George Mason University faculty members whose research is administered through affiliated institutions, emeritus, adjunct, and visiting faculty, as well as post docs, are not eligible to lead projects, but may be included on the research team. Each PI may submit only one proposal (as PI) during each proposal cycle. If the project’s PI is from COS, then a VSE faculty member must be a Co-PI and vice versa.

Criteria for Selection:

The overall merit of the research project will be considered and evaluated by a review committee, composed of the ADRs from COS and VSE and two faculty members representing the disciplines of the applicants. The final selection will be made based on the following criteria:

• Intrinsic Merit of the Work.
• Potential for the award to provide a basis for further research support from external sponsors. It is expected that a competitive proposal will be submitted to an external funding organization within a year of the completion of the Research Seed Fund period.  As such, a clear plan for external funding must be provided.
• Potential impact of the research on the academic field of study.
• Likelihood that the proposed work will be completed during the award period.

The review committee may request additional information as needed to make a decision about an application.

Award Conditions:

Award funds may be used to support reasonable and necessary costs for the collection of pilot research data or for proposal development. Some, but not all, allowable expenses include: support for travel and supplies; postdoctoral candidate stipends; full or partial stipends and tuition for advanced graduate students who have completed their coursework; and research stipends for undergraduate research assistants.

Reporting Requirements:

Within 60 days of the end of the approved award period, the recipients must provide to the ADRs of COS and VSE a final report describing the work that was accomplished. Proposal(s) arising from the seed fund submitted to external sponsor(s) should be described in the final report. The report should also describe any significant deviations from or extensions to the project described in the original proposal.

Best regards,

Pat Gillevet – Associate Dean for Research, COS

Art Pyster – Associate Dean for Research, VSE

Elizabeth P. Dean, MTA, CMP

Special Assistant to the Dean

Volgenau School of Engineering

P: 703.993.1500

C: 203.605.2741

E: [log in to unmask]