Propel Grants

Propel Grants fund the final push on a proposal you are already preparing for an unusually large or complex external opportunity. They pay for work that makes a strong proposal exceptional. They do not fund the research itself, and they do not fund routine proposal preparation.

This page is a summary. The RFA has the full instructions, and the FAQs answer most specific questions about costs, budgets, and eligibility.

Propel Grants are managed by the Stanford Research Development Office (RDO), a unit within VPDoR, which supports Principal Investigators (PIs) throughout the proposal development process.

RFA last updated on September 28, 2026. Revision notes:

• Small Propel Grant maximum raised to $7,500, with most awards at $5,000 or less.
• Small Propel applications now require a list of expenses.
• Guidance added on multiple awards within a single stage.
• The definition of "beyond the usual" has been clarified.

What Propel Funds: Activities that make a submittable proposal stronger, not activities that make it submittable.

Applications are accepted year-round. There are no fixed deadlines.

Apply to the tier that matches what the work costs. Total Propel support for a single project is capped at $50,000 across all awards.

Is this the right fit?

Propel is for teams that are already well positioned and need targeted resources to go the extra mile. All four should be true.

• You have a well-defined research agenda and a committed, collaborative team.
• You have identified a specific external opportunity that is "beyond the usual" for your field.
• You plan to submit that external proposal within 12 months.
• You are a Stanford faculty member with PI status. School of Medicine applicants must include a co-PI from another Stanford school.

To help ensure your project aligns with the program’s goals, we invite you to contact us before preparing an application. We’re happy to discuss your idea and help determine whether it fits the Propel Grant’s purpose and scale.

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Propel funds activities that make a submittable proposal stronger, not activities that make it submittable.

Funded		Not Funded
Image	Expert review of the proposal draft, or a mock review panel A specialist or technical consultant A structured planning workshop for governance or integration Targeted analysis that reinforces a key claim	Image	Routine proposal preparation, such as drafting standard sections or assembling required documents Anything needed simply to submit a compliant proposal Exploratory or foundational research Initial team formation or early-stage concept development

See the FAQs for the full list of fundable activities and the expenses that are not allowed.

Propel is not a seed grant. Eligibility depends on the scale and complexity of the opportunity you are targeting, not the significance of your research topic.

For the purposes of this program, “beyond the usual” refers to external funding mechanisms that are unusually large-scale or ambitious for the applicant's discipline. Scale is relative to disciplinary norms, so the same mechanism can be in scope for one field and out of scope for another. A sophisticated, highly innovative project submitted to a standard grant mechanism is not within scope.

The RFA gives the full definition and the characteristics these mechanisms share. The FAQs give examples by discipline.

If you are not sure whether your target qualifies, email us at rdo-funding-programs@stanford.edu before preparing an application.

• Small Propel Grants: Up to $7,500 in direct costs, as a reimbursement, for up to 6 months. Most awards are $5,000 or less.
• Large Propel Grants: $7,501 to $50,000 in direct costs, as a University Research Award, for up to 12 months.

Scale expectation

The targeted external budget should be at least 20 times the total Propel support requested, combined across all awards. For example, a project targeting a $300,000 external grant would typically receive no more than $15,000 in total Propel funding.

Treat this ratio as a guideline, not an eligibility threshold.

An application should include the following sections.

1. Research idea for the external proposal. Introduce the research idea as it will appear in the external proposal and summarize completed work.
2. Show fit and scale. Explain how this project goes “beyond the usual.”
3. Propel Grant activities. Specify the proposed activities and provide a timeline with key milestones.
4. Team composition. List members and highlight complementary expertise to show the team is well‑coordinated and capable of completing the project.
5. External funding plan. Identify and provide key information for each target external funding opportunity. Include a contingency plan.
6. Budget and justification. List of expenses and rationale for the requested funds.
7. Appendices (optional)

All applications undergo staff review under the version of these guidelines in effect on the date of submission and may also receive a more rigorous peer review.

Evaluation focuses on the following criteria.

• Strategic Proposed Activities
• Ambition of the Targeted Opportunity
• Readiness to Submit
• Appropriate Budget
• Feasibility
• Potential for External Funding

The strongest applications spend most of their narrative on the Propel Grant activities, how those activities will make the external proposal more competitive, and establishing alignment, not on the research project itself.

Special Instructions for Resubmission Proposals

If you are considering a Propel Grant for resubmission to an external agency, please contact us at rdo-funding-programs@stanford.edu before preparing your application to discuss your project. There may be separate instructions that best support your resubmission efforts.

1. Survey/report
   1. Small Propel Grant recipients are expected to complete two brief surveys: (a) one month after the award period, and (b) two years after the award period, describing the impact of the Propel Grant activities.
   2. Large Propel Grant recipients are expected to (a) submit an end-of-grant report describing what was accomplished or lessons learned and (b) complete a survey two years after the award period describing sustained outcomes.
2. Notification
   1. Teams should notify RDO if the Propel Grants contributed to a noteworthy outcome, or if any external funds were received, for up to two years after receiving the award.

We welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants. Please get in touch with the Program Manager, Jessica Boydston, at rdo-funding-programs@stanford.edu.