Iowa State University – College of Human Sciences
CHS Seed Grant Program
Intramural Collaborative Seed Grant
Last updated 8/2015
The College of Human Sciences (CHS) is offering this grant opportunity to facilitate faculty
research and stimulate external funding. The purpose of this award program is to provide initial
support for collaborative projects led by CHS faculty.
Intramural Collaborative Seed Grants, typically ranging in size from $5,000 - $25,000, can
support activities across a two-year period and are intended to yield results likely to engender
significant external funding. The CHS may award multiple Intramural Collaborative Seed Grants
each year.
Intramural Collaborative Seed Grants are designed to help foster collaborative research
among faculty in CHS and across ISU. The CHS encourages faculty and staff members to
engage in high-quality research efforts that have positive impacts on ISU, Iowa, the U.S., and
the world. Typically, this type of research is conducted by multidisciplinary teams, and CHS
supports development of teams that can conduct creative, innovative, and scientifically
important work. It is anticipated that research projects will help research teams advance the
CHS mission by contributing to one or more of the following cross-cutting CHS themes:
Health and well-being
Education and human development
Science and technology in the human environment
Community enhancement and entrepreneurship
Timeline
Proposals are due at Noon on November 1. Funds will be available on January 15. Funds
must be spent and accounted for by the last day of the grant period.
Eligibility
The PI(s) must be full-time faculty or staff in CHS and eligible to serve on external funding
proposals. Projects must involve multidisciplinary teams. Collaborative groups must include at least
two faculty members from CHS who represent multiple CHS departments. It is anticipated that team
members will be recruited to enhance the quality of the work and external funding opportunities.
Collaborations that involve departments outside CHS are encouraged. However, direct funding
from this program can only go to eligible faculty, staff members, and students from CHS.
Proposals that include faculty from other colleges are strongly encouraged to include
matching funding from the participating colleges or departments. In some instances, this
support may come in the form of matching funds.
Faculty or staff members on visiting or temporary appointments are not eligible to receive
funding but may serve as co-principal investigators on projects, particularly if their participation
enhances the likelihood of securing future external funding. The roles of each investigator and
project participant must be stated clearly.
The Intramural Collaborative Seed Grant is intended to position a research team to compete for
external funding by completing a small research project that will inform later work. For example,
this award may enable collection of preliminary data, development of a new measure/instrument,
or refinement of a data collection protocol. It is anticipated that planned activities and results will
be related directly to one or more subsequent proposals for external funding.
CHS Seed Grant Program – Intramural Collaborative
Last updated 8/2015
Format
1) Cover page – Complete the cover page template found at the end of this RFP.
a) A CHS faculty member must be the PI.
b) Signatures must be obtained prior to submission of the proposal.
2) Abstract – 100 words or less describing the project in terms suitable for non-specialists.
3) Narrative – No more than six pages, single-spaced, no smaller than 12-point font,
organized by the topics below:
a) Problem/Issue and Research Questions – The problem to be investigated and its
importance, including specific research questions and/or hypotheses.
b) Methodology – The methodology to be employed including, as appropriate, data to be
collected, variables to be investigated, populations to be studied, instruments or
assessments to be utilized, procedures to be followed. As is true for all CHS research,
the proposed research must meet relevant ethical standards and secure IRB approvals
appropriate to the nature of the research.
c) Plan of Work/Timeline – In this detailed timeline of activities, indicate who has
responsibility for carrying out the proposed work.
d) Data Analyses – Your plan for analyzing the data.
e) Anticipated Findings – What you expect to find.
f)
Dissemination Plans – The planned distribution of the results (e.g., conference
presentations, publications).
g) External Funding – The potential for securing external funding, including specific
agencies and funding programs that may fund related future research. Proposals should
describe the investigators’ planned research trajectory, identify specific funding agencies
and programs, demonstrate consistency between the proposed project and the criteria of
those funding programs, and include a timeline for submission. An explicit description of
how the results from the proposed research will support future external funding should
be included.
h) Team Members and Qualifications – A brief statement per PI describing the specific
qualifications that position him/her to conduct the research and secure external funding.
i)
If applicable, a short mention of previous CHS seed grant funding awarded, including
extramural funding that resulted from award(s).
4) Budget and budget justification – No more that four pages, single-spaced, no smaller than 12point font, organized in chart form by the topics below. Use Sarah Carlson (scarlson@iastate.edu)
to help you create your budget and justification and to verify figures and format.
The budget must be planned as per fiscal year with timing of expenditures aligned with
proposed activities.
CHS Seed Grant Program – Intramural Collaborative
Last updated 8/2015
Expenses normally associated with research in the area of the proposal may be requested.
Each expenditure is to be justified, noting why it is necessary to allow you to accomplish the
tasks. All budget planning must follow ISU fiscal year planning. Requests for funding must
relate to future expenditures; reimbursement of previous expenditures will not be considered.
If and where your department/school provides additional supporting funding, make that clear.
a) Salary – Salary of ISU employees must be reflected as a percentage of effort and can
include faculty, staff, or student research assistants. If support for summer salary is
requested, the reason why a summer appointment is appropriate must be stated clearly.
Students hired with these funds must be CHS students.
b) Benefits – Use the ISU benefit rates listed on the OSPA website. For summer salary, you
may use a 17% benefit rate for B base faculty.
c) Equipment. Individual items costing $5000 or greater are placed here. Equipment
purchased through this program remains the property of the PI’s department unless
control by another department is otherwise approved.
d) Travel – Travel directly related to the proposed research will be allowed (e.g., travel for
data collection, participant recruitment). Travel to conferences for the purpose of
disseminating findings will not be allowed. Use ISU rates to calculate proposed
expenditures.
e) Materials & Supplies – Materials and supplies purchased may be used by cross-college
collaborators and data can be shared. Materials and supplies purchased through this
program remain the property of the PI’s department unless control by another department
is otherwise approved.
f)
Other – This could include participant honoraria; expenditures for consultants, advisors, or
analytic procedures expertise external to the University, if such expertise is not available at
ISU; and other expenses not in the above categories. As these are internal CHS funds, it
is not necessary to include tuition for graduate students in the proposed budget.
5) Letters of support – Department/unit heads are expected to review the investigator’s
scholarly goals when supporting an application for an Intramural Collaborative Seed Grant. All
proposals must include a letter of support and justification from each department/unit head
associated with the request.
6) Curricula vitae – A brief curriculum vita (not to exceed two pages) for each investigator.
Review of Proposals
A sample of a rating form is included in this RFP.
Submission Requirements
Proposals must be submitted via e-mail in a single document (in PDF format) to the office of the
Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education (ADRGE) at chsgrant@iastate.edu with
Intramural Collaborative Research Seed Grant Proposal in the subject line. You will receive an
e-mail confirming the submission was received. If you do not, please contact Nicci Port at
nport@iastate.edu. Retain the hard copy of the signed proposal for your records.
CHS Seed Grant Program – Intramural Collaborative
Last updated 8/2015
Reporting Requirements
PIs receiving an Intramural Collaborative Research Seed Grant are expected to:
 Participate in a CHS sponsored seminar to describe progress and results of this project,
as well as plans to secure external funding
 Submit a proposal for external funding.
 Report to the ADRGE the submission of external proposals based on this funding.
 Submit to the ADRGE information about any publications or papers emerging from this
research (e.g., abstract/s and/or citation information).
 Submit an electronic report of the findings from the funded project (five pages maximum)
to the office of the ADRGE thirty days following the award period.
Information regarding funded projects and research results obtained through this funding will be
publicized by the College through its web page and other news releases. Papers and
publications emanating from the project should acknowledge the support of the College of
Human Sciences. Indicate the PI and co-PIs, Title of the project, and date of the CHS seed
grant that supported the subsequent work both in the work and in the communication and
submission to the Associate Dean’s office. Send electronic copies to chsgrant@iastate.edu.
SAMPLE RATING FORM
CHS Seed Grant Program – Intramural Collaborative
Evaluation Rating Items
Funding recommended
Yes
No
TOTAL POINTS AWARDED
Comments:
Scientific/scholarly quality of the proposed project
Award up to 45 points
The proposed project:
 has a strong rationale, conceptual foundation, or theoretical basis
 is grounded in existing literature that demonstrates the plausibility of its approach or plan
 will employ sound methodology evidenced by clear description of
o the setting for proposed research
o the research questions/problems
o the measures and data collection procedures
o the data analyses procedures
o the consistency among all methodological components
 has activities that are clear, well-conceived, meaningfully related to its purposes and likely to
accomplish its goal
 has a realistic timeline for accomplishing its objectives
Comments:
Potential to secure extramural funding
Award up to 25 points
The proposed project:
 involves issues, goals, and purposes that are significant and important for the CHS, Iowa, and the U.S.
 involves an issue that has sufficient longevity to support funding viability
 is innovative and creative
 identifies realistic plans for future external funding by
o identifying a funding agency/business
o identifying a relevant competition and/or funding priority
o providing data that will be relevant to supporting a proposal
o establishing a proposal submission timeline to obtain external funding
Comments:
Strength of researcher/research team
Award up to 15 points
The proposed project personnel have:
 the necessary level of expertise to carry out the project
 a record of research excellence
 a history of funding and/or innovation relevant to the proposal
 the necessary level of commitment to carry out the project
Comments:
Adequacy of budget
Award up to 5 points
The proposed project’s budget:
 is adequate and reasonable for proposed scope of work
 has justification that is clear and well articulated
 reflects support for interdisciplinary work
Comments:
Degree of interdisciplinary collaboration
Award up to 10 points
The proposed project:
 builds linkages across disciplinary and departmental boundaries
 fosters new collaborations and/or collaborative work in a new direction and/or builds on existing
collaborations among faculty members
 builds upon existing departmental and faculty member strengths
 was developed collaboratively among the partners
Comments:
Iowa State University – College of Human Sciences
Seed Grant Program
Intramural Collaborative – Cover Page
Last updated 8/2015
This cover page must accompany your application. Before submitting your proposal, complete
the form, check that the information provided here complies with requirements detailed in the
grant RFP, and obtain signatures from each party indicated below. This cover page is formatted
as a fillable form. If you have difficulty filling the fields, please contact Nicci Port for assistance
(nport@iastate.edu).
Project title
Principal Investigator (PI) information
Name
Department <<choose>>
Email
Phone
I certify that this proposal adheres to criteria detailed in the grant RFP.
PI signature
Co-PI(s) information
Name(s) / Department(s) / Email(s)
If different than PI, information for each co-PI’s department chair/unit head
Name(s) / Department(s) / Email(s)
Principal investigator’s department /School director approval
I have read the grant RFP and project proposal. I support the submission of this proposal and,
if funded, will work with the PI to make appropriate arrangements for project completion.
Department chair/School director signature