International Research Exploration Seed Grant

Purpose

The International Research Exploration Seed Grant supports faculty in expanding their international research networks through exploratory projects. Investigators may propose new partnerships to gather initial data and refine research concepts, aiming to produce joint publications and enhance competitiveness for future external funding. Alternatively, faculty can build on existing international collaborations to explore transformative, new topics that require further development to pursue future funding opportunities.

Since 2013, the International Research Exploration Fund has enabled faculty to address numerous international research challenges they encounter. Examples of the work that the fund has helped with include:

• Bringing international research colleagues to Stanford.
• Traveling to the field to meet with international research colleagues to accelerate partnerships.
• Conducting feasibility, pilot, and/or proof-of-concept studies.
• Establishing research infrastructure at Stanford or abroad.

Priorities

Competitive applications will provide strong evidence that the proposed research:

• leads to international collaborations with new or expanded partnerships,
• is innovative and exploratory, and
• promotes research that addresses a critical need, as defined by the applicant’s field or discipline.

In addition, preference will be given to projects that:

• build partnerships in the developing world,
• establish relationships with new international partner(s) that have long-term potential,
• engage undergraduate, graduate, or postdoctoral researchers,
• develop international experiences for early-and mid-career faculty, and/or
• articulate how the funds will help with future external funding.

Applicants with existing resources that could be used to fund the proposed project are discouraged.

VPDoR will award a portfolio of projects that are balanced in terms of topic areas and distribution across the university.

Eligibility

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

Each application must identify at least one international collaborator with a leadership or co-investigator role to ensure equal and impactful collaboration.

Award Amount and Term

Applicants may request up to $25,000 for a maximum of 12 months. Projects may be partially funded depending on the number of meritorious applications received.

Requests will be evaluated for the reasonableness and necessity of the proposed budget. Applicants are strongly encouraged to request only the funds essential to achieve their project goals. Smaller budget requests are welcome and appreciated.

Grant Supported Activities

Funds may be used for:

• Travel and living expenses (lodging, food, incidentals) for Stanford faculty, postdoc, and graduate student researchers.
• Bringing international collaborator(s) to Stanford.
• Hosting a workshop or meeting.
• Consumable supplies and costs for proof-of-concept studies.

The funding may NOT be used for faculty salary, course buyouts, administrative staff, tuition, capital equipment, or health/welfare benefits. Seed funds cannot be used for subawards or expenses on behalf of other organizations.

Please refer to the Stanford Purchasing Policies and Guidelines if you have questions regarding allowable expenses.

2025/26 Timeline

• The deadline to apply is 11:59 pm on Monday, May 5, 2025.
• May 7 - 28, 2025 - Review period
• June 9, 2025 - Award period starts
• June 8, 2026 - Award period ends
• July 9, 2026 - Project report deadline
• July 2027 - Impact survey deadline

Application Format

Each application should be uploaded as a single PDF via the application form.

Font size must be 11 pt or larger with 1-inch margins on all sides.

Please include the following sections:

1. Project Narrative (3 pages maximum, excluding references)
   1. Research Idea & Objectives: Provide a brief overview of the research problem and its significance. Describe your hypothesis or concept and how it addresses a critical need in your field.
   2. Approach & Implementation: Summarize your planned activities and research approach. Explain how the seed funding will support your project and lead to future external funding opportunities. Provide a simple timeline for project completion within one year.
   3. Collaboration & Future Impact: Describe your international collaborator(s) and their role in the project. Explain how the partnership will be mutually beneficial and how it may evolve beyond this seed funding. If applicable, describe how your project engages students and early-career faculty or builds partnerships in the developing world.
2. Budget and Justification (1-2 pages)
   1. Provide a budget table with estimated costs.
   2. Justify how each expense supports the project goals.
   3. Indirect costs and institutional representative review are not required for this internally funded program. However, applicants are encouraged to consult with their department administrator or financial analyst for budget preparation.
3. Short CV or Résumé for Each Investigator with a leadership role (4 pages maximum each)
4. Current and Pending Research Support for the Stanford PI.
   1. Specify the sponsor’s name, project title, term, and amount of funding.
   2. Indicate any existing support or potential overlaps for this project.

Review Process and Criteria  

Applications will undergo an initial compliance and programmatic fit screening by VPDoR staff. At least two faculty reviewers will evaluate applications based on the following criteria.

• Significance: Does the project address a meaningful research challenge or opportunity? Is the proposed work likely to generate valuable preliminary data or insights?
• Impact: Are the anticipated outcomes clear and well-justified?
• Exploratory Nature: Is the project novel and exploratory? Does it introduce or test new ideas, methodologies, or technologies?
• Collaboration Value: Does the project establish new international partnerships or significantly expand existing ones? Are the international collaborators meaningfully involved, with clear roles and responsibilities?
• Feasibility: Are the proposed activities and timeline realistic and well-structured for completion within one year? Is the budget appropriate and well-justified?
• Alignment: Does the application align with the program priorities?

Colleagues from different academic disciplines than your own will review your application. It is highly recommended that you write your application in a way that is easily understood by a broad academic audience. Provide sufficient detail for peer reviewers to assess feasibility.

Award Conditions

By accepting this award, the PI agrees to:

• Submit a two-page final report at the end of the award period describing what you have accomplished and/or lessons learned.
• Complete a brief survey one year after the award period describing the impact and outcomes of the project in the longer term.
• Serve on future IRE review panels.

Contact

For questions, please get in touch with Program Manager, Jessica Boydston, at rdo-funding-programs@stanford.edu.

Additional information may be posted on the RDO frequently asked questions webpage.