Seed Grant Guidelines

• Font: Arial, 12 pt. 

• Margins: at least 1 inch on all sides

Your proposal should contain the following sections, clearly indicated. Please respect the indicated page limits. If it’s a resubmission, please indicate so in the beginning of the proposal and describe the revisions. 

Provide a clear and specific title that captures the core purpose of your research project.

Summarize the rationale/innovation, objectives, approach, and potential impact of the proposed research. 

A. Project title and principal investigator’s name (s): Place at the top of the first page

B. Project Aims: concisely state the objectives of the project and the goals to be reached during the project. 

C. Background, rationale, and innovation: Provide a description of the relevant literature and the unmet need the project aims to address. 

D. Study Team: Include the name of the principal investigator(s) and co-investigator(s) and briefly outline their respective unique contributions. If relevant, state the previous collaborative experience between the study team, including evidence of productivity (shared grants and publications). 

E. Approach: Describe the methodology to achieve the project aims. Include a data analysis and statistical plan with sample size justification for animal or human studies as appropriate. Include expected outcomes, potential pitfalls, and alternatives. Preliminary data are not required but may be included if available. 

F. Impact: Discuss the importance of successful outcomes and the plan for extramural funding.

Please include a list of relevant references that support the scientific foundation and rationale of your proposed project.

Include NIH style biosketches for PI(s) 

Please provide a breakdown of the budget including:

• Personnel

• Supplies and Materials

• Other Expenses

Itemize the specific items for which funds are being sought. 

• Allowable costs.

These include recharges for the use of Department resources, research supplies or staff salary support (e.g. effort for CRCs, postdocs, technicians, etc).

• Unallowable costs.

These include faculty salary support, equipment, computer and textbook purchases, office supplies, administrative support, parking, and travel.

If the principal investigator is not faculty, include a letter of support from a faculty mentor acting as a co-investigator, who will undersign the science and assume fiscal responsibility for the grant. 

Please upload as a single PDF document containing:

1. Research plan (4 pages max) 

2. References (2 pages max) 

3. Biosketches (NIH format)

4. Budget justification (1 page max) 

5. Letters of support

Funds will not be released until acceptable human participant or animal use approval documentation is provided. Please provide IRB/IACUC approval number.