Enabled by support from the State of Texas National Research University Fund (NRUF), the Office of Research and Innovation funds several seed grant initiatives. While each program is designed to support different opportunities, they all share the goal of growing the quality and quantity of research at UT Dallas. Below you will find brief summaries of each seed program. Follow the links for full program details including eligibility requirements and expenditure guidelines. For further information, please contact Emily Lacy.
View Previous Seed Grant Winners
JSOM/STEAM Collaboration Grant
The UT Dallas JSOM/STEAM Collaboration Grant is an internal funding mechanism designed to stimulate interdisciplinary research collaborations between JSOM and STEM faculty. Principal investigators (PIs) who accept a UT Dallas JSOM/STEAM Collaboration Grant commit to the pursuit of external funding for the collaborative effort within 12 months of receiving the JSOM/STEAM Collaboration Grant funding. Activities that are not eligible for support through this mechanism include consulting, dissertation completion, research/analysis pertaining to the operation of UT Dallas, course release, and curriculum development.
Lyda Hill Biomedical Innovation Fund
The Lyda Hill Biomedical Innovation Fund is designed to stimulate collaborative bioengineering research and drive high-impact translation by UT Dallas and UT Southwestern researchers and clinicians. Funded by Lyda Hill Philanthropies, this award opportunity aims to accelerate the work of joint-institutional research teams who demonstrate robust potential to rapidly translate and commercialize their work, with an ultimate goal of advancing the pipeline of promising and commercially viable scientific breakthroughs to improve health.
SPARK Grant
The UT Dallas SPARK Grant is an internal funding mechanism designed to provide research and professional development support to establish the research portfolio of Associate and Full Professors that have not received external funding in the past 24+ months. This program is designed to spark both internal and external collaborations, gain new training, obtain preliminary data or pursue new research directions. The goal of the seed grant is to provide preliminary results and establish credibility in a new research area that will attract high-impact research funding from the state and federal government, industry, or foundations. Applications from PIs from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups identified as underrepresented in the field, such as women and ethnic/racial minorities are highly encouraged. PIs who accept a SPARK grant commit to the pursuit of external funding for the research effort within 18 to 24 months of receiving SPARK grant funding.
New Faculty Research Symposium Grant
The UT Dallas New Faculty Research Symposium Grant is an internal funding mechanism designed to stimulate interdisciplinary research collaborations between newly hired (start date after January 2022) UT Dallas faculty and established (those hired prior to January 2022) UT Dallas faculty. Successful proposals will include at least two faculty members serving as PIs from different UT Dallas departments, programs, or schools. PIs who accept a UT Dallas New Faculty Research Symposium Grant commit to the pursuit of external funding for the collaborative effort within 12 months of receiving the New Faculty Research Symposium Grant funding.
Humanities and Emerging Arts (HEArts) Grant
The UT Dallas Humanities and Emerging Arts (HEArts) Grant Competition is an internal funding mechanism designed to promote scholarly activities in the form of research, outreach, and/or creative activities in all disciplines that will result in publications, recognition, awards, or exhibitions/performances. This program is well-suited to support the endeavors of those faculty with school affiliations that are outside of STEM.
Social Sciences Grant
The UT Dallas Social Sciences Grant program is an internal funding mechanism designed to collect preliminary data that will lead to external funding. This program is well-suited to support the endeavors of those faculty from the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences and the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, although there is no explicit limitation for faculty affiliations.
Strategic Center Investment Program
The UT Dallas Strategic Center Investment (SCI) grant program is an internal funding mechanism designed to seed innovative centers that aggregate collaborative faculty to address problems of significance and facilitate faculty recruitment and retention. Successful Center applications will have a compelling plan for diversity, equity, inclusion and community engagement. For the purposes of this program, the proposed center will be housed and will report to at least one school within UT Dallas. Collaboration between schools is encouraged.
Seed Program for Interdisciplinary Research (SPIRe)
The UT Dallas Seed Program for Interdisciplinary Research (SPIRe) program is an internal funding mechanism designed to stimulate interdisciplinary research collaborations that will lead to external funding. Successful proposals will include faculty members serving as PIs from different UT Dallas departments, programs or schools. This program is well-suited to support the endeavors of those faculty with STEM backgrounds and project interests, although there is no limitation for faculty affiliations.
Sustainability Research Institute
The UT Dallas Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) grant program is an internal funding mechanism designed to seed a new interdisciplinary Institute that addresses one or more challenges in sustainability. A successful SRI application will have a compelling plan for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The envisioned SRI will have one or more research themes aligning with the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) implemented in concert with the UT Dallas Sustainability effort led by the Office of Facilities and Economic Development. For the purposes of this program, the proposed Institute will be initially housed in the Office of Research and Innovation but will report to at least one school within UT Dallas. Collaboration between schools is encouraged.
Seed Program for Interdisciplinary Research (SPIRe) – Sustainability
Building from recent workshops exploring research and development opportunities in sustainability, the Seed Program for Interdisciplinary Research (SPIRe) – Sustainability is an internal funding mechanism designed to stimulate interdisciplinary research collaborations in sustainability that will advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Applications from PIs who are at an early career stage and/or from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups identified as underrepresented in the field, such as women and ethnic/racial minorities. are highly encouraged. Successful proposals will include UTD faculty members serving as PIs from different UT Dallas departments, programs or schools. PIs who accept a UT Dallas SPIRe – Sustainability award commit to the pursuit of external funding for the collaborative effort within 12 to 18 months of receiving funding.
Collaborative Biomedical Research Award
The UT Dallas Collaborative Biomedical Research Award (CoBRA) grant program is an internal funding mechanism designed to stimulate interdisciplinary research collaborations between faculty at UT Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) that will lead to external funding. Successful proposals will include faculty members serving as PIs from both UT Dallas and UTSW. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, brain science, cancer and biomedical engineering.
Graduate Research and Cancer Education (GRACE) Fellowship Program
The purpose of the Graduate Research and Cancer Education (GRACE) Fellowship Program is to encourage UT Dallas full time doctoral students to engage in cancer related research while performing their studies. This program recognizes and supports outstanding students who are pursuing a doctoral degree in any discipline offered at UT Dallas and are under the mentorship of one or more UT Dallas faculty members.
Proposal Resubmission Enhancement Program (PREP)
The UT Dallas Proposal Resubmission Enhancement Program (PREP) is an internal funding mechanism designed to assist faculty who have received positive reviews of their grant application from federal agencies and are close to the pay line but are not yet funded. PREP is intended to provide funds to address limitations or issues identified by a peer-review panel with the requirement of resubmission to a federal agency. PREP is not intended to be used in place of start-up funds, to initiate an entirely new research endeavor, or to fund research that has not been evaluated by a federal funding agency.
Workshop Grant Competition
Workshops offer an opportunity for scientists, engineers, and scholars from within and outside of UT Dallas to gather and discuss significant research opportunities, issues related to problems of national significance, or emerging areas of science and technology. The Office of Research and Innovation seeks proposals for workshops that are hosted at UT Dallas and led by UT Dallas faculty. It is expected that the workshop will bring together recognized leaders from across the United States and/or abroad to engage with UT Dallas faculty and students. Any research topic can be the focus of the workshop.
R.O.A.D. to D.C. Program
he R.O.A.D. to D.C. initiative was created by the Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) to provide faculty the platform to build and cultivate relationships with program managers from agencies such as National Institute of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and other D.C. area agencies in an effort to enhance research funding
DFW Research Data Center Grant
The UT Dallas Research Data Center (RDC) Grant is an internal funding mechanism designed to encourage the development of proposals to conduct research in the DFWRDC that have a strong likelihood of leading to external funding.
UT Dallas is a consortium member of the DFW Federal Statistical Research Data Center. Federal Statistical RDC’s provide access for approved researchers and projects to use selected non-public government and other data under secure conditions. The DFWRDC opened October 2018 and is located at 2200 N Pearl Street Dallas, TX in the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank.
Grant Proposal Editing/Writing Resources
The Office of Research and Innovation is pleased to announce Grant Proposal editing/writing resources to help prepare faculty competitive proposals. The Grant Writer resources will assist faculty in the development of small and large proposals across multiple agencies. The Office of Research and Innovation will cover the expenses associated with editor support.
We have a variety of Grant Proposal editors available with a track record of success in supporting faculty from other institutions. If any faculty member would like to take advantage of this opportunity, contact Emily Lacy to make arrangements.