Frequently Asked Questions about VPDoR-Managed Funding

The Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Research (VPDoR) offers several internal awards to help Stanford researchers prepare for competitive extramural funding.

Find answers to the most common questions below. We encourage you to check the specific program page for more detailed information (for quick access, use the "Finding Funding" tab above in our website menu). Please contact us if you have additional questions.

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Jump to a program section:

• General Information on all VPDoR internal awards
• Propel Grant
• Grant Booster
• International Research Exploration Seed Grant

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?

Stanford faculty who meet the university's PI eligibility requirements (i.e., members of the Academic Council and University Medical Line faculty).

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

How do you define a team?

For our internal funding program purposes, a  team constitutes at least one Stanford PI and one or more principal investigator collaborators.

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

How do I submit my application?

Each internal funding program has its own application process. Visit the individual program page to review eligibility, deadlines, and application instructions. If the program is currently accepting applications, you’ll find a link to the application form on the following pages.

• Grant Booster
• Propel Grants
• IRE Seed Grant

Can members of my lab apply on my behalf?

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?

Yes, but with some limitations:

• Principal Investigators may submit only one application as lead PI per review period, per  VPDoR-managed internal grant program.
• Recipients of previous VPDoR awards must submit their impact survey or end-of-grant report before they can receive additional awards.

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 wait until after their final report submission before they can receive an award 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.

Can VPDoR internal awards cover costs from before the project start date?

Expenses covered by VPDoR internal awards must be for work that takes place during the award period. Costs for activities or purchases that happened before the award start date are not allowed.

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 internal grant can be awarded. (Do I need an IRB Submission?).

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

What should I do if my project won’t finish by the approved end date?

Internal Award recipients may request a no-cost extension 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.

Can expenses be posted after the project's end date?

University Research Awards allow a short trailing period for expenses that occurred during the project period to post, up to 85 days after the end date. However, all invoice payment requests must be submitted before the project end date.

Whom do I contact if I have additional questions?

We welcome the opportunity to answer questions. Please email us at rdo-funding-programs@stanford.edu.

Who is eligible to apply?

The lead applicant must be a Stanford faculty member with PI status (Academic Council or UML faculty).

School of Medicine PIs must have at least one co-PI with a home department from another Stanford school.

The project must be targeting an external funding opportunity within 12 months.

The external funding opportunity must be significantly larger in scope, budget, or team size than typical single-investigator grants in the discipline.

What types of projects are appropriate for Propel Grants?

The Propel Grants are intended to improve competitiveness of external funding applications for projects that exceed typical scope, budget, or team size expectations. These projects should be complex and have the potential for significant, transformative societal or research impacts. The term "large-scale" is intentionally flexible to accommodate different disciplines, but the focus is on projects similar to those typically funded as major research centers or initiatives. These projects usually involve a combination of two or more of the following characteristics:

• Large budgets
• Collaboration across multiple departments or schools
• A multidisciplinary focus
• Participation from external collaborators or institutions
• A strong outreach and education component

In essence, the Propel Grants support initiatives that have the scope, complexity, and broad impact of large-scale, collaborative research efforts. Examples include:

• STEM: NSF Science and Technology Centers, DOE Energy Frontier Research Centers, NIH P50/U54, DARPA large-team grants.
• Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences: NEH Collaborative Research Grants, Mellon Foundation large-scale initiatives, NEA Grants for Arts Projects.
• Other Large-Scale Opportunities: Cross-sector or multi-institutional projects with substantial budgets and broad disciplinary integration.

If unsure, applicants are encouraged to consult with RDO staff before applying.

Does a project with strong social impact qualify?

Social impact alone does not meet the Propel Grant “beyond the usual” requirement. The program prioritizes projects that are complex in scale, scope, or team structure, rather than those that are primarily conceptually or socially significant. For example, large interdisciplinary center-type grants are preferred.

What kinds of projects are not appropriate for this funding?

Consider the readiness of your project before applying. Propel Grants are not seed grants. Your project should already be well-developed, with key team members in place and a clear plan for how Propel Grant funds will strategically enhance your proposal's competitiveness.

Propel Grants do not fund early-stage activities such as initial team formation, team building, concept development, or preliminary data collection. We expect teams to have already completed the essential preliminary work required for submission. Propel Grant funds should be used to take the competitiveness for external funding to the next level, strengthening the proposal with strategic efforts that go the extra mile to make it stand out in a competitive funding environment.

Grant mechanisms that support single-investigator projects or narrowly defined projects focused solely on the specific interests and competencies of the investigator(s) are unlikely to meet the intended scale and complexity.

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.

Propel Grants support projects that exceed standard disciplinary expectations in one or more of the following ways:

• Research Scope: The project requires a broad, interdisciplinary approach, integrates novel methodologies, or addresses a complex societal or scientific challenge.
• Award Budget: The external funding request significantly surpasses routine work to advance an individual's scientific career or small-team research grants, such as complex, large-scale, or center-type grants which are often better addressed by interdisciplinary teams and may involve multiple scientific/administrative components.
  • A good guideline is that the external proposal should request at least 20x the Propel Grant amount (e.g., a $50,000 Propel Grant should support an external proposal of at least $1M).
• Team Composition: The proposal involves a multi-PI, multi-institutional, or cross-sector collaboration beyond routine collaborations, requiring coordination of diverse expertise.

Applicants must justify how their project meets one or more of these criteria in their application.

What makes a project large-scale or complex enough for a Propel Grant?

Competitive applications typically involve:

• Large, interdisciplinary teams across departments, schools, or institutions.
• Multiple integrated components or research thrusts.
• Significant budgets.
• Complex project coordination needs, such as shared research infrastructure, cross-site efforts, or multi-level management plans.

These expectations stem from the external funding mechanism itself, not from the complexity of the science or project alone. They go well beyond a PI’s typical “bread and butter” grants, which are part of their regular research portfolio and follow familiar, field-standard expectations. Propel Grants focus on opportunities where the scale, structure, and coordination needs rise to the level of center-style initiatives.

Can I use a Propel Grant to support a resubmission of a previously submitted external proposal?

Yes.

Propel Grants can support strategic activities for proposals being resubmitted to external funding agencies. Resubmissions often benefit from targeted efforts to strengthen competitiveness based on prior reviewer feedback.

Because resubmissions have unique needs, we ask that you contact the Research Development Office (RDO) before preparing your application. Email us at rdo-funding-programs@stanford.edu. RDO will provide tailored guidance and instructions that best fit your resubmission needs.

What can the Propel Grant funds be used for?

The Propel Grant is intended to fund strategic, value-added activities that help an already submission-ready proposal stand above the competition, not to cover routine tasks required simply to reach submission. Propel supports projects that are nearly ready to apply for external funding and provides targeted resources to make a strong proposal exceptional in highly competitive funding environments.

Propel funds should be used to elevate and refine an already well-developed proposal. Supported activities must go beyond standard proposal preparation and should directly strengthen the competitiveness of the external submission.

Examples include:

• Secure targeted access to archives, databases, or specialized collections to strengthen the proposal’s evidentiary foundation.
• Conduct additional confirmatory experiments or analyses that enhance competitiveness (beyond core preliminary data required for submission).
• Engage key stakeholders through structured consultations or advisory input to strengthen proposal relevance and implementation readiness.
• Bring in specialized consultants (e.g., ethics, evaluation, data analysis, project management) to elevate proposal rigor and responsiveness.
• Hire short-term personnel such as student workers or support staff, for work directly related to Propel Grant-funded activities.
• Implement methodological enhancements (e.g., triangulation or validation protocols) that strengthen rigor and credibility.
• Apply advanced statistical or computational approaches to deepen analysis of existing data and strengthen technical justification.
• Organize workshops or structured planning meetings to strengthen collaboration, integration, and project governance.
• Perform targeted secondary analyses of existing datasets to reinforce key claims and strengthen the proposal narrative.
• Deploy surveys, questionnaires, or structured data collection efforts that directly support proposal competitiveness and sponsor expectations (not broad exploratory research).

Proposal Document Development (Up to $5,000)

Up to $5,000 of the Propel Grant may be budgeted for proposal refinement and presentation, such as:

• 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 costs when directly tied to Propel-supported activities (e.g., Visiting Student Researcher fees, shared facility hourly rates, dedicated computing resources on Sherlock, Oak storage).

What types of expenses are not allowed?

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.

Propel Grants do not fund routine proposal preparation tasks, including but not limited to:

• Normal proposal writing or editing, such as drafting standard sections or revising text for clarity.
• Core administrative costs, including standard staff effort required for submission.
• Collection of baseline research data, unless the activity is clearly strategic and directly enhances the proposal’s competitiveness.
• Conference travel that is not directly tied to advancing the external proposal.

It is important to note that activities essential to simply creating a competitive application do not qualify for Propel Grant support. Propel Grants are meant to provide the “cherry on top” by supporting strategic enhancements that go beyond standard preparation.

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.

May I apply to both the small and large funding tiers?

Yes.

Principal Investigators may be the lead on consecutive grants for the same project, as long as the combined total requested across all applications does not exceed $50,000. However, applications will only be considered from teams who have proven to be good stewards of previous VPDoR-funded awards and completed the end-of-grant survey/report.

Outstanding reports will prevent all team members from participating in future funding opportunities.

May I submit multiple applications for Propel Grants?

Yes.

You may submit multiple applications, whether within the same grant cycle or for the same project, as long as the combined total requested across all applications does not exceed $50,000.

This flexibility allows teams to request support for distinct, strategic activities at different stages of the external funding process. For example, you could apply for a Propel Grant to strengthen your proposal during the application phase and, if invited for a site visit, request additional support to enhance your competitiveness during that stage.

Each application should clearly justify how the requested funds will provide a strategic advantage, and activities should not be duplicative. The goal is to ensure Propel Grant support is used effectively to maximize your proposal’s success.

Note: Awardees are not eligible to apply for additional Propel Grants until they have submitted their impact survey or end-of-grant report from any previous Propel Grant.

What if the external funding deadline is more than 12 months away?

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.

What if the sponsor’s deadline is before the next Propel internal deadline?

Exceptions to the internal deadline may be considered when the timing of an external opportunity does not align with the Propel cycle or when circumstances outside the PI’s control create barriers to participation. Examples include sponsor deadlines announced with limited notice, deadlines that fall sooner than anticipated, or unexpected changes in sponsor requirements.

Such exceptions are reserved for proposals of high strategic value to the university and require a consultation with the VPDoR Director of Research Development, Kim Baeten.

Requests are evaluated by an ad hoc committee using the standard review criteria. Please contact us at rdo-funding-programs@stanford.edu as soon as you become aware of the opportunity.

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 undergo a programmatic review by RDO staff for fit and compliance.

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 for other external funding opportunities 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 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.

Final Tips for Applicants

• Use clear, direct language – Reviewers may not be from your specific field, so avoid jargon and assume a broad academic audience.
• Make a strong case for Propel funding – Clearly articulate why these funds will provide a competitive edge, directly linking activities to funding success.
• Show alignment with the Propel Grant mission – Demonstrate how your project is large-scale, strategic, and ready for the next step.

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 external funding applications for research, scholarship, and creative activities, with deeper support for complex and strategic proposals. 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 Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence. 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.

What is the purpose of the IRE Seed Grant?

The International Research Exploration (IRE) Seed Grant was created to help faculty expand their international network of researchers through early-stage research projects, made possible by the Steven and Roberta Denning International Research Fund.

How do I know which 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.

Please note that any travel-related costs, including transportation and lodging, must follow Stanford's travel guidelines and be booked through Stanford's Travel Booking Channels.

Should I include the university infrastructure charge in the IRE budget?

No.

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