Frequently Asked Questions about VPDoR-Managed Funding

The Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Research (VPDoR) manages a series of research seed grants and internal awards, which aim to support Stanford researchers prepare for competitive extramural funding.

Answers to the most common questions are listed below. We encourage you to check the specific program page for more detailed information (see "Finding Funding). Please contact us at rdo_seedgrants@stanford.edu if you have additional questions.

Who is eligible to apply?

In general, All Stanford Faculty with principal investigator (PI) eligibility may apply (i.e., members of the University's Academic Council or UML faculty).

Please review each program announcement and following the instructions as detailed in the call for applications.

How do you define a team?

A  team constitutes at least one Stanford PI and one or more principal investigator collaborators.

How do I submit my application?

Applications are available in the Funding Opportunities Portal, powered by InfoReady.

Can members of my lab apply on my behalf?

Yes. If you would like someone other than yourself to submit your proposal, please create a "proxy".

Instructions at: Have Someone Submit an Application on My Behalf (Proxy).

May I submit multiple applications to the same grant program?

No. Principal Investigators may submit only one application as the lead PI per cycle, per VPDoR-managed internal grant program.

May I apply to more than one VPDoR managed program?

Yes.

Awardees may apply for future funding; however, applications will only be considered for those teams who have proven to be good stewards of previous VPDoR-funded awards.

Recipients with active awards must want until the cycle after their final report submission before they can apply to any other VPDoR-managed internal grant program.

Do applications need to be submitted to OSR/RMG for review?

No. Proposed budgets do not need institutional representative review for these internally funded programs; however, we highly encourage applicants to work with their department administrator/financial analyst on budget development.

Is there a budget template available?

The Office of Research Administration has resources to help you build successful budgets and budget justifications at https://ora.stanford.edu/resources/proposal-preparation-resources/budgets-and-budget-justifications.

How do I know which costs are allowable for internal funds?

Please review the Stanford Purchasing Policies and Guidelines and contact your department finance, grants manager, or research administrator if you have questions regarding allowable expenses.

Projects are encouraged to utilize existing institutional resources, including but not limited to Stanford Shared Facilities or the Stanford Research Computing Center.

Expenses must be prospective; VPDoR internal award funds cannot be used to cover activities or costs that have already been incurred prior to the grant award period.

Do I need IRB approval prior to submitting the grant application?

If your project involves use of human subjects and you do not have an active protocol, you will need to create a new protocol before the seed grant can be awarded. (Do I need an IRB Submission?).

The Research Compliance Office provides additional information regarding Human Subject Research determinations.

My project was awarded but will not be completed within the approved time period. What can I do?

Seed Grant recipients may submit a no-cost extension request if there are delays due to unusual circumstances. VPDoR reserves the right to deny a request that is not well-justified or reasonable.

Requests beyond 12 months from the original end date will not be approved.

Please use this No-Cost Extension Request form at least 30 days prior to the award closeout date.

Whom do I contact if I have additional questions?

We welcome the opportunity to answer questions. Please email us at rdo_seedgrants@stanford.edu.

Tips for a Strong Application

• Write for a General Academic Audience: Reviewers may be from different fields. Use clear language and avoid jargon.
• Be Specific: Provide concrete details about your research idea, activities, and funding plan.
• Align with Review Criteria: Make sure every part of your application addresses the key review criteria as described by the program.

Need More Help?

• See the "Writing your Proposal" tab above for general grant preparation tips & resources, including guidance on What Makes a Successful Proposal.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include Stanford faculty with PI status (Academic Council members or UML faculty).

School of Medicine applicants must have co-PIs from other Stanford schools.

How do you define a team?

A  team constitutes at least one Stanford PI and one or more faculty collaborators. It is expected that some of the collaborators will be from outside of the lead PI’s department. It is up to the applicants to explain how their team size or composition is “beyond the usual” for their discipline.

Additional collaborators from other institutions are allowed. Projects with Stanford listed as a participant or subawardee may be considered, with a strong preference given to Stanford-led teams.

What kinds of projects are appropriate for Propel Grants?

This program is intended to support projects that are “beyond the usual” in scale and in the final stages of proposal development with most of the preliminary work complete.

Suitable projects span various disciplines and aim to apply for substantial, externally funded initiatives that involve complex, multi-faceted research activities.

In STEM, large team grants such as NSF Science and Technology Centers, DOE Energy Frontier Research Centers, NIH P50, NIH U54, and similar.

In the arts, humanities, or social sciences, examples include collaborative grants such as NEH Collaborative Research Grants, NEA Grants for Arts Projects, and some Mellon grants. This list is not exhaustive.

What kinds of projects are not appropriate for this funding?

Consider the readiness of your project. Propel Grants are not seed grants.

Propel Grants do not fund initial team formation, team building, concept development, or early-stage data collection. Instead, they are designed to strategically position established teams for success. We expect teams to have completed the minimum preliminary work necessary to apply for upcoming external funding opportunities. The Propel Grant activities should demonstrate efforts that go the extra mile, establishing a strong narrative that sets the proposal apart.

Grant mechanisms that support a single-investigator project or a narrow specific area of study are not eligible.

What do you mean by collaborative project "beyond the usual" in scale?

The definition of “beyond the usual” will vary considerably across disciplines and research areas. It is up to the applicant to explain how the scope of the project, budget, or team size goes “beyond the usual” in scale for their discipline.

Essentially, “beyond the usual” means that the proposed effort is bigger and more collaborative than the typical “bread and butter” funding for PIs or research groups in that field. The funds support efforts that go beyond routine work to advance an individual's scientific career, such as complex, large-scale, or center-type grants which are often better addressed by interdisciplinary teams and may involve multiple scientific/administrative components.

What can the Propel Grant funds be used for?

• Accessing archives and databases.
• Conducting additional, desirable research experiments (not initial, core preliminary data).
• Engaging with stakeholders.
• Hiring consultants in specialized areas such as ethics, data analysis, or project management.
• Hiring personnel for critical proposal development related work (e.g., research assistants, study coordinators).
• Implementing a triangulation protocol.
• Implementing advanced statistical or computational techniques to analyze existing data.
• Organizing workshops or meetings to strengthen collaborations and project buy-in.
• Performing additional data analysis.
• Conducting questionnaires and surveys.
• Travel for site visits.

The Propel Grant may be used to cover administrative costs directly related to Propel Grant-funded activities, such as hiring a student worker or support staff to organize events or prepare for the external grant submission.

Up to $5,000 of the Propel Grant can be budgeted for proposal document development/beautification:

• Conducting an expert review of the proposal draft.
• Coordinating a proposal writing day to address feedback from mock review panels.
• Engaging professional grant writers or science communicators to ensure the proposal is persuasive, clear, and accessible to interdisciplinary or non-expert reviewers.
• Hiring a graphic designer or scientific illustrator for key proposal graphics or branding.

All applicable university fees apply. Propel funds may be used to cover these fees (e.g., fees for Visiting Student Researchers, shared facility hourly rates, dedicated computing resources on Sherlock, Oak monthly storage, etc.).

Expenses must be prospective; Propel Grant funds cannot be used to cover activities or costs that have already been incurred prior to the grant award period.

What are the two funding tiers?

• Small Propel Grant
  • Focus: Short-term, targeted activities to strengthen the proposal.
  • Amount: up to $5,000
  • Application length: Maximum of 3 pages (excluding references).
  • Budget: Estimate of expenses requested.
• Large Propel Grant
  • Focus: Comprehensive research activities to strengthen the proposal, including collaborations and significant auxiliary work.
  • Amount: up to $50,000.
  • Application length: Maximum of 7 pages (including figures, excluding references).
  • Budget: Detailed table of expenses and justification required.

Can I request more than $50,000?

Requests up to $100,000 and/or up to 24 months may be considered if the proposal is of high strategic value to the university.

If your proposed budget exceeds $50,000, you will need to provide a narrative that justifies the additional funds and explains how the larger budget aligns with the scale and complexity of the proposed research project for external funding.

RDO aims to support up to 10 teams each year while maximizing the efficient use of available resources. Your careful consideration of budgetary needs contributes to the overall success and competitiveness of your proposal.

May I apply to both the small and large Propel Grants?

A second award will only be considered for those teams who have proven to be good stewards of previous VPDoR-funded awards and with strong justification. Principal Investigators may be the lead on consecutive grants.

Teams may receive up to one small award and up to one large award for a given project, with a strong preference of only one award per team.

May I submit multiple applications within the same Large Propel Grant cycle?

No. Principal Investigators may submit only one application for a Large Propel Grant as the lead PI per cycle.

Principal Investigators may submit a subsequent application in the next cycle. Grant recipients must have finished their project and completed their end-of-grant report or impact survey before submitting new applications.

I want to apply for a Propel Grant, but the anticipated deadline for the next external funding opportunity is still far away - what should I do? 

Consider one of our other deadlines! We offer the Large Propel Grant twice per year, and the Small Propel Grants are reviewed on a rolling basis every two weeks; deadlines are listed in the “Timeline” section for each.

If the work you need to do requires a longer timeframe than the Propel Grant stipulates, you can still consider applying with a strong justification of why you need more time between the Propel funds and the submission of your external funding application. Funding decisions are based on review outcomes and availability of funds.

I want to apply for a Propel Grant, but the sponsor’s deadline for the external funding opportunity is before the next internal deadline - what should I do?

Exceptions to the deadlines may be requested if the proposal is of high strategic value to the university and when circumstances outside the PI’s control negatively impact the team’s ability to participate in the next cycle.

Such exceptions require a consultation with the Director of Research Development, Kim Baeten, in VPDoR and are evaluated on the review criteria by an ad-hoc committee. Please email us at at rdo_seedgrants@stanford.edu.

Should I include the university infrastructure charge in the budget?

No. Because of the source of these internal funds, the university infrastructure charge will not be assessed. No indirect charges need to be included in your budget.

How are Propel Grant applications evaluated?

All applications receive a programmatic review by RDO staff for compliance and programmatic fit.

In addition, Large Propel Grant applications may undergo peer review to assess the application, focusing on the significance, feasibility, and overall potential for funding success of the proposed research.

All applications will be screened based on the following criteria:

Significance

• The research idea is likely to be compelling to external sponsors.
• The proposed project goes "beyond the usual" for the discipline in terms of scope, budget, or team size.

Readiness

• The proposed project for external funding has an established foundation with existing preliminary work.
• The team demonstrates a collaborative partnership.  (Large Propel Grants only)

Proposed Activities

• The proposed Propel Grant activities will enable a competitive proposal to an external funding agency and increase the likelihood of success in securing external funding. Learn more about what makes a successful grant application on the RDO website.

Appropriate Budget

• The budget is reasonable (realistic and conservative) and reflects essential activities that directly address the stated needs.
• The requested amount justifies the Propel Grant investment and aligns proportionally with the scale of the external funding opportunity.

Feasibility

• The application conveys an achievable research design/approach for the Propel Grant activities.
• The Propel Grant activities can be implemented within the proposed timeline and budget.
• The team is cohesive and possesses sufficient expertise to conduct the research successfully.

Potential for External Funding

• The team will be ready to submit a well-aligned proposal to an external funding agency by the end of the Propel Grant period and has a backup plan if necessary.

How do you suggest the application address the review criteria?

Application Section	Review Criteria	Key Elements to Address
Research Idea for the External Proposal	Significance	Describe the problem or need and the proposed solution. Explain how the project aligns with the Propel Grants' purpose and goes "beyond the usual" for the discipline.
	Potential for External Funding	Clarify how the project will be compelling to external sponsors and aligned with their funding priorities.
	Readiness	Demonstrate that the research idea is based on an established foundation with existing preliminary work.
Propel Grant Activities	Feasibility	Detail activities supported by the Propel Grant funds, including timelines, milestones, and intended outcomes. Show how these activities can be realistically completed within the grant period.
	Proposed Activities	Explain how the proposed activities will increase the competitiveness of the external funding proposal.
	Budget Appropriateness	Outline the budget to demonstrate that it is reasonable, reflects essential activities, and aligns with the project's scale and needs
Team Composition	Feasibility	Demonstrate that the team has the necessary expertise to carry out the Propel Grant activities successfully.
	Readiness (Large Grants only)	Show the team's collaborative partnership, including readiness and past work. Highlight diversity and complementary expertise among team members.
External Funding Plan	Potential for External Funding	Provide a clear plan to apply for external funding, including details on targeted grants, timelines, and backup plans. Justify how the Propel Grant activities will enhance funding success.
Budget and Justification	Budget Appropriateness	Applicants are encouraged to limit their requests to only what is necessary for these activities. Large Propel Grants: Provide a detailed breakdown of estimated expenses and justify the requested funds, including any overlaps with existing support. Justify costs for budgets over $50,000.
Appendices	Readiness, Feasibility, Potential for External Funding	Include any references or documents (e.g., PDF of targeted external funding opportunities) that support the application and demonstrate preparedness.

I am ready to submit my project for external sponsored research funding. Is there someone to help me with my proposal?

The Stanford Research Development Office (RDO) aims to strengthen collaborative or strategic research, scholarship, and creative activities. Please visit researchdevelopment.stanford.edu for more information about how RDO can help you.

Must the project team consist of all Stanford faculty?

Research teams can include external collaborators but must meet the requirement of multiple Stanford PIs from two or more schools at Stanford.

Requests from teams in different departments within the same school will also be considered; however, the team must demonstrate significant interdisciplinarity between departments.

When will VPDoR consider applications from teams with multi-investigator partnerships from one Stanford school?

Interdisciplinary teams must include partnerships across different departments with substantially distinctive scholarly perspectives and methodologies. Teams will be asked to explain for a lay audience how the collaboration demonstrates significant interdisciplinarity across academic fields.

Can Stanford participate as a subawardee on the proposal and still qualify?

Projects with Stanford listed as the lead applicant or as a substantially funded subawardee are both suitable, as long as the proposal budget to Stanford meets the budget threshold. (i.e., total budget request if Stanford is lead, or Stanford subaward budget request if Stanford is not lead).

What types of projects are appropriate?

Grant Booster aims to support qualifying research projects and expects the pool to include large-scale, center-grant-type funding opportunities from federal agencies, such as NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers, NSF Science and Technology Centers, DOE Energy Frontier Research Centers, DoD Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, and NEH Collaborative Research and Digital Humanities Advancement Grants. This list is not exhaustive.

What if the external agency requires my project to be classified as Other Sponsored Activities?

Exceptions may be requested if the external sponsor requires a different classification for research activities, so long as the full, federally negotiated F&A rate is charged. Teams will be asked for clarification and/or justification.

What projects qualify under the humanities, arts, and interpretive social sciences track?

Projects must be rooted in artistic practice and/or humanistic/interpretive inquiry. Quantitative methods are permitted in this track (e.g. digital humanities), but only insofar as they support the creation and/or interpretation of artistic and/or cultural phenomena.

Are training grants eligible?

Grant Booster aims to support collaborative research projects. Training grants such as NIH T32s are not eligible. Other types of grants with a research training component, such as the NSF NRT program, could be considered for support.

Note that, while NRC-FLAS grants fulfill this requirement, they are likely to be ineligible for the Grant Booster due to their restricted F&A rate.

My project is not eligible. How can I get support?

Other or additional support requests from VPDoR (e.g., for mandatory cost sharing if required by a given funding opportunity) can still be made outside of this initiative and VPDoR will take the contributions through this program into account, if applicable.

How do I know which international costs are allowable?

In addition to reviewing the Stanford Purchasing Policies and Guidelines and consulting with your department finance, grants manager, or research administrator please consider contacting Global Business Services if international payments are intended.

PIs should review the Fingate topics on Inviting and Paying Foreign Visitors and Proper Use of Funds.

Should I include the university infrastructure charge in the budget?

No. VPDoR will cover the university infrastructure charge if it is assessed. No indirect charges need to be included in your budget.