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Interdisciplinary Seed Grants

The Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM (COE-MWS) is committed to supporting the development of faculty research projects that align with the modernization priorities of the Department of Defense or explore the underrepresentation of Black women in STEM. To that end, applications for the COE-MWS Faculty Seed Grants are sought for projects from interdisciplinary teams that show promise for the development of new ideas and approaches, as well as potential for future sustained funding from outside sources. Grants are intended to fund pilot research that will generate preliminary data to leverage external research grant opportunities and contribute to a sustainable program of research or scholarship.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

To submit your proposal, please email your proposal materials as a single PDF file to coe-mws@spelman.edu. The filename should include the last name of the PI.

SUBMISSION AND AWARD TIMELINE

Application deadline: Aug. 8, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET
Funding notification: Aug. 19, 2022
Funding Begins: Sept. 1, 2022
Funding Ends: June 30, 2023
Report Due: July 31, 2023

CONTACT
For questions about the COE-MWS Interdisciplinary Seed Grant Program, please contact Dr. Tamara Pearson, Director of the COE-MWS at tamarapearson@spelman.edu.

Eligibility

Submissions must include teams of at least two tenure-track faculty members, one of which must be in the Division of Natural Science and Mathematics. Priority will be given to proposals that include cross-departmental teams.
Proposals must describe work that will position teams to be competitive for externally funded multi-investigator awards.
Each faculty member may only submit one application in this funding cycle.
If you have external funding related to this project, the proposal must clearly explain why that funding cannot be used for the proposed work, and how the proposed project represents a distinct, new direction.

Funding Details

We intend to make between 6-8 awards in 2022.
These are one-year awards, possibly best suited to pilot projects and proof of concept explorations.
The funding level is between $10,000 and $20,000 per award.
Funds may be used in any customary way to support research, including for summer salary for key personnel. However, these funds are not intended to support travel or external collaborators. Awarded funds will be available Sept. 1, 2022 and must be expended by June 30, 2023.
Preference may be given to fund proposals from early and mid-career faculty who do not currently have external funding.

Important Details

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS
To ensure submission of a complete and competitive application, please adhere to the following content and page guidelines:
- Cover Page (1 page)
  - Proposal title
  - Principal Investigator: Full Name, Position/Title, Department, Email
  - Co-Principal Investigator(s): Full Name, Position/Title, Department, Email
  - Additional Key Personnel: Include First, Middle & Last Name, Position/Title, Department, Email
  - Project abstract
- Research Design (3 page max)
  - Research Topic: Describe the proposed research topic and its alignment to the modernization priorities of the Department of Defense or underrepresentation of Black women in STEM.
  - Research Strategy: Provide a general description of the proposed pilot study and how it connects to a future planned research study. Include an overview of the methodology (detailed methodology is not required), controls (if applicable), expected results and any statistical considerations.
  - Preliminary Data: Describe the preliminary data to be collected, timeline for obtaining the preliminary data, and how this data will strengthen the proposed subsequent grant application.
- Collaboration Plan (1 page max)
  - Collaborator Contributions: Name and describe the potential contributions of each collaborator.
  - Need for Collaboration: Describe how the development of the collaboration will lead to a stronger future external grant proposal.
- Sustainability Plan (1 page max)
  - Type of Funding: Indicate the funding source and type of funding (e.g. NSF, NIH, private foundation, industry, etc.) to be pursued using the preliminary data obtained with the Seed Grant support, including a timeline for preparation and submission.
  - Significance: Describe the significance of the research goals of the future application.
  - Innovation: Detail innovative aspects of the concepts and/or the approach of the future application.
- Bibliography (no page limits). APA style preferred
REVIEW CRITERIA
Proposals will be reviewed by a team of Spelman College faculty and administrators and Department of Defense scientists and engineers jointly assembled by the COE-MWS. Review criteria will include:
- Research Topic: The proposed research should be aligned with the modernization priorities of the Department of Defense or directly focus on the success and persistence of women of color in STEM.
- Research Design: The proposed research should be grounded in a compelling problem statement that guides the data collection, measurement, and analysis plans.
- Collaboration Plan: Study design includes interdisciplinary partners with plans for shared contributions, responsibilities, and levels of influence for all members.
- Sustainability Plan: Given that these are single-year research initiatives, proposals should demonstrate potential for a sustained research program, including a clear plan for seeking external funding once the COE-MWS funding ceases.

BUDGET

Length: One Page Max

Use the categories below for the budget and justification. Funds may be used in any customary way to support research, including for summer salary for key personnel. However, these funds are not intended to support travel or external collaborators.

Matching Funds: If you are receiving others funds to augment the requested support, please describe the source, amount, and how these funds are used. Matching funds are not required.

CATEGORY	AMOUNT	JUSTIFICATION
Total Budget	Total Funds Requested
Effort and Salaries	Totals for each person separately	Name, position, full-time equivalent, percent effort to the project, and total salary plus, benefits requested for the project period.
Equipment	Total funds requested for equipment	Describe equipment. Equipment means tangible nonexpendable personal property including exempt property charged directly to the grant having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit.
Materials and Supplies	Total funds requested for materials and supplies	List categories and an amount for each category
Consultant Services	Total costs for all consultant services	Identify each consultant, the services he/she will perform, total number of days, travel costs, and the total estimated costs
Computer and/or Biostatistical Services	Total funds requested for costs related to computer and/or biostatistical services	Include the company name for services and established service rates
Contractual Costs	Total funds requested for support services	Provide detailed information for all support services
Equipment or Facility Rental/User Fees	Total funds requested for equipment or facility rental/user fees	Identify each rental user fee and justify
Other		Describe any “other” direct costs not requested above.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Recipients will complete a report at the conclusion of the funding cycle that:
- Summarizes and assesses project activities and research outcomes, including any substantive deviation from the original project aims;
- Details budget expenditures; and
- Describes efforts to sustain or build upon the successes of the seed grant funding, including funding organization, dollar amount requested, potential start and end dates and date of submission.
Seed Grant Principal Investigators (PIs) will receive the report template at the end date of the grant cycle.

Contact Us

Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM
350 Spelman Lane, SW, Box 297
Atlanta, GA 30314
404.270.5708
coe-mws@spelman.edu