Funding opportunity announcement: Seed Funding

Updated Sept. 2025

Proposal deadlines

Oct. 13, 2025 by 5 p.m., Pacific Time, submitted via InfoReady Review.

Program description

Research & Innovation offers competitive funding to support preliminary research, scholarly or creative activities that will lead to extramural funding. Seed Funding is intended to enable exploratory research, collaborations, or similar activities that will enhance the competitiveness of an eventual grant proposal to an external sponsor. Proposals are encouraged that promote interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary research, scholarly and creative work. Seed Funding can provide the resources for new collaborative scholarly activities that span traditional academic disciplines.

Research & Innovation offers Seed Funding up to $5,000. Matching cost share is required (a one to one match).

Leadership contacts

Administrative contacts

Award information

Anticipated funding amount for individual awards: Up to $5,000. See budgetary information for details.

Matching funds are required. The amount of matching funds must be equal to the amount requested from Research & Innovation (a 1:1 match).

Project period

The project period will be one year from the date of the award and will be stipulated in the award notice.

Eligibility information

Applicants must hold at least a 50% academic faculty appointment at the University of Nevada, Reno and have a current role statement that includes research or professional development responsibilities.

Proposal preparation and submission instructions

The application must consist of the following five elements (a through e below):

  1. Cover page and abstract: On the cover page, please provide the project title, PI and co-PI names, and total requested amount.
  2. Project description (three page limit) that includes the following content:
    1. Specific aims or objectives: Outline the central research question or goals and the strategic questions you plan to answer.
    2. Background and significance: Describe why the project matters, how it fills a gap, and how it aligns with the PI’s broader research goals.
    3. Approach/Methodology: describe your study design, data collection methods, analysis plans, etc.
    4. Project timeline
    5. Collaborative strategies: if applicable, describe your plans for engaging with collaborators.
    6. Future funding strategy: describe how these seed funds will enable successful applications for funding from external sources. Be specific about what funding programs you will seek out to continue this work, and include a timeline for requesting those funds.
  3. Budget and budget justification (two page limit): In a table format, provide a budget request that itemizes costs in each category relevant to your request. The budget must include the total of the requested amount and the required one-to-one cost share. In addition, a budget narrative must be included to describe each component of the budget and explain how each item is required to achieve the aims of the project.
  4. A letter that indicates where the matching funds will come from, signed by the individual with authority to commit those funds.
  5. CV or biosketch in the format customary in the field.

Applications must be submitted through InfoReady Review.

Applications must be received by 5 p.m. by the due date in the deadlines section.

Submission questions should be emailed to researchdevelopment@unr.edu.

Budgetary information

Cost share is required. The amount of matching funds must be equal to the amount requested from Research & Innovation (a 1:1 match).

Unallowable expenses:

  • Course buyouts
  • Summer salary
  • Hosting

Review and selection process

Applications for Seed Funding will be reviewed by an external review service and evaluated on the criteria below. The external review service contracts with subject-matter experts to provide comments on the relative merit of each proposal. The Associate Vice President for Research and the Vice President for Research and Innovation review the comments and ranking recommendations from the external review service before making the final determination based on available funds.

Review criteria

Applications for Seed Funding will be reviewed using the following criteria:

  • Intellectual merit
  • Clarity and presentation
  • Feasibility
  • Benefits to the researcher
  • Potential for future external funding
  • Potential for further interdisciplinary research

Grant administration information

Notification of the grant award

Notifications of funding will be made by email from the Associate Vice President for Research. Notification of funding will be made to the faculty applicant, their chair, and to the relevant department administrator. Award notifications will be made to the applicants within two weeks after receipt of the Review Committee’s Recommendation.

Award conditions

Funding is for a 12-month performance period during the Fiscal Year indicated in the Notification of award. Awarded funds are retained by R&I and not transferred to another cost center.

A worktag will be assigned after notification of funding. All submitted expenses must comply with University and NSHE policies and be related to the work described in the approved application.

Reporting requirements

Awardees are required to respond to an annual survey requesting details on the outcome of their award.

Deliverables

If Research & Innovation holds a showcase poster session, the awardee must present their relevant work.

Submission of a grant proposal for external funding to an external review service and then to an external sponsor.