Multi-investigator Seed Grants Initiative

The Multi-investigator Seed Grants Initiative is a research funding opportunity to support scholarly projects within the UND College of Arts & Sciences.

In accordance with the college’s Strategic Plan, the proposed research should encourage collaboration among faculty, especially for preliminary results to support future grant applications.

Proposals that clearly align with UND priorities, especially those that could have demonstratable impact on the State, are encouraged and given preference in funding decisions. Collaborative efforts between faculty working in different divisions of the College and/or other colleges at UND are welcomed. However, the Principal Investigator must be housed within the College of Arts & Sciences, and funds expended in the college.

Proposals

Proposals must include a plan for broadly disseminating the results of the research, including a plan for sharing the results with the general public. Proposals selected for funding must result in a grant proposal submitted to external funding agencies/organizations within one year of the completion of the project.

• Grant Period: April 1, 2024 to May 15, 2025
• Deadline to Apply: January 8, 2024

Eligibility

• Any full-time faculty (including those on special appointment) in any College of Arts & Sciences department or program may apply as long as research or creative activity is required under their UND contract and they will complete the proposed work while employed at UND.
• Proposals that include collaborative efforts with UND faculty housed outside of the College of Arts & Sciences are allowed, but the PI must be College of Arts & Sciences faculty, and funds expended in the College.
• More than one proposal can come out of a single department or program. In those cases, the department chair or program director must rank the proposals and explain their rankings in writing. Rankings are due by the deadline for proposal submission. Chairs or directors cannot rank proposals in which they are an investigator. If needed, a tenured faculty member with no stake in the proposal may be appointed by the chair or director to rank departmental or program proposals.
• An individual faculty member can be included as an investigator in more than one submitted proposal.
• While faculty who have previously received an award are eligible, priority may be given to faculty who have not. A demonstrable outcome from previous funding in this program (e.g. receipt of external grant, high impact journal article) is viewed favorably.
• Faculty who have previously received an award but have not submitted a final report are ineligible to receive a new award.
• Proposals that fail to follow the guidelines outlined on this page may be returned without review.

Application Preparation

Cover Sheet

• Project Title
• Investigator Name(s) and Affiliation(s)
• Faculty Rank(s)
• Faculty and Department Chair or Program Director Signature(s)

Abstract

A brief (200 words or less) non-technical description of the research/creative activity to be performed and the expected outcomes

Project Narrative (three pages maximum)

• Clearly explain how the proposed activity will apply to the identified UND priority. If applicable, explain how it responds to a critical need of the state. Describe the proposed research/creative activity, and include some brief background on the topic, specific objectives, and proposed methods at a level appropriate to a cross-section of faculty in the College of Arts & Sciences.
• Describe the proposed activity’s potential for publications, conference papers, recordings, performances and/or other outcomes.
• Clearly and briefly describe the plan for broadly disseminating the results of the research, including a plan for sharing the results with the general public. In the event that the proposal is selected, more detailed plans in this section should be coordinated with Dean's office staff to disseminate information about your project.
• Explain why the proposed activity has potential to lead to external grant funding, and identify a target funding agency and program. Include a planned timeline for submission of an external grant proposal (see timeline).
• State whether the project will be supported through other resources, including the source and amount (whether monetized or not). However, in the case of multiple funding sources, clear delineation of funding source(s) and expenditure must be made.

Budget and Budget Justification (two pages maximum)

• Individual awards are limited to $30,000. 
• The budget must be broken down into individual line items with each item justified. For additional instructions, please refer to the Budget Guidelines for Research Initiatives.You should work with your department administrative staff before final submission of your proposal to ensure budget guidelines were followed. Failure to follow budget guidelines may result in proposal being returned for correction and/or adjustments to budget line items.
• The following are unallowable budget items:
  • Travel to attend conferences
  • Enhancing campus physical infrastructure
  • Funding studies already completed
• The following are allowable budget items:
  
  • Support for Graduate Research Assistant(s) and/or undergraduate assistants
  • Summer salary (up to one month)
  • Travel to conduct scholarly activity other than attending conferences
  • Purchase of supplies/research materials and/or research equipment
  • Employing technical assistance
  • Software purchase(s)
  • Paying for promotional materials and services
  • Funding public outreach events
  • Paying for content access fees
  • Covering subscription fees for research networks
  • Leasing off-campus space for research/creative activity
• Please note that all expenditures are subject to State of North Dakota and UND budget restrictions and accounting standards.

Project Bibliography

The bibliography (one page maximum, not included in three page limit for narrative) should consist of primary and secondary sources that relate directly to the project. It is advisable to include works that pertain to both the project's substance and its theoretical or methodological approaches. Reviewers often use the bibliography to evaluate preparation in the subject area and approach to the topic. Links to online material cannot be used to circumvent the one page limit.

Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae (two pages per investigator maximum)

The CV should include education, employment history, and most relevant scholarly products (e.g., publications, presentations, performances, juried exhibitions).

Award Selection Criteria

Members of the Resources and Infrastructure Committee within the College of Arts & Sciences will review and score proposals and make funding recommendations to the Dean, who will award funding.

Committee members will be asked to evaluate and rank applications according to the following criteria:

1. Likelihood that the project will lead to a new, or substantially expanded, collaboration; 
2. Alignment of the activity with an identified UND priority;
3. Quality or promise of quality of the applicant's work, qualifications of the applicant, and the likelihood that the work will lead to external grant funding;
4. Potential for the project to address state needs;
5. Quality of the conception, organization, and description of the project, including clarity of the project goals and design;
6. Likelihood that the successful completion of the project will bring recognition to the College of Arts & Sciences and UND;
7. Availability of funds; and
8. Adherence to proposal guidelines included here.

Award Requirements

• Provision of regular updates for social and/or other media dissemination.
• If an award results in a tangible product such as a book, article, or a video/ audio recording, a copy must be provided to the College. The College’s support for the project should be acknowledged in all resulting presentations, publications, exhibits, performances, etc.
• UND policies and procedures must be followed for expenditure of funds including travel, purchases, reimbursements, payroll appointments and hiring processes. Please note that according to UND policy, anything purchased with UND funds is the property of UND (e.g., supplies, books, equipment, etc.).
• Submission of a final report to the College of Arts & Sciences (see timeline). The report must include a brief summary of results of the project, how results were or will be disseminated, how funds were expended and whether or not the project resulted or will result in publications, presentations, performances, exhibits, etc. 
• Submission of an external grant proposal (see timeline).

Timeline and Submission of Proposals

Questions

Contact Mark Hoffmann with questions.