Propel Grants

The Stanford Research Development Office (RDO), a unit within VPDoR, supports Principal Investigators (PIs) throughout the proposal development process. To improve the competitiveness of large and complex external funding proposals, RDO invites applications for Propel Grants, which fund the final stages of proposal preparation.

This page provides a brief overview. For complete instructions, examples, and clarifications, see the current request for applications (RFA) and our frequently asked questions.

Download the Large Propel Grant RFA

• Purpose: Strengthen near-ready, complex proposals targeting large-scale external funding opportunities.
• Eligibility: Open to Stanford faculty with PI status. School of Medicine applicants must include a co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) from another Stanford school.
• What Propel Funds: Value-added activities that strengthen the competitiveness of an external proposal, not routine preparation.

Considering a Propel Grant?

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.

Email us

Propel Grants support near‑ready, collaborative proposals aimed at large‑scale, complex external funding opportunities. Funding is for targeted, value‑added activities that strengthen an upcoming external submission. Projects must already have:

• A defined research agenda
• A specific external opportunity
• A committed, collaborative team

Eligible applications target mechanisms that are unusually large, complex, or resource‑intensive for their field. Examples include NSF Centers, DOE EFRCs, NIH P50/U54, NEH Collaborative Research Grants, and Mellon collaborative programs.

Propel supports strategic enhancements that help a well‑developed proposal stand out.

• Stanford faculty with PI status.
• School of Medicine PIs must include a co‑PI from another Stanford school.
• Projects must target an external opportunity that is “beyond the usual” for the discipline.
• Projects must be collaborative; single‑investigator or narrowly focused proposals are not eligible.
• Teams must plan to submit the external proposal within 12 months.

What “Beyond the Usual” Means

Eligible opportunities typically involve:

• Extensive coordination across multiple investigators, units, or institutions
• Multidisciplinary or multi‑institutional collaboration
• Significant sponsor expectations related to structure, management, integration, or proposal development
• A scope or budget that exceeds standard single‑investigator or small‑team grants

Applicants must demonstrate that their proposed effort exceeds routine preparation and aligns with the scale and complexity of the targeted external opportunity.

We encourage teams to contact RDO early to confirm alignment.

Propel Grants support activities that meaningfully elevate the proposal in ways that routine preparation cannot. The goal is to help teams move from a strong proposal to an exceptional one. Propel can support activities that:

• Go beyond basic sponsor requirements
• Show clear progress between proposal stages
• Address elements that help proposals stand out in competitive reviews
• Strengthen coordination, integration, and readiness
• Provide evidence, clarity, or rigor that improves persuasiveness

Propel does not fund:

• Routine proposal preparation (e.g., drafting standard sections, assembling required documents)
• Work needed just to reach a baseline competitive submission
• Exploratory or foundational research
• Early‑stage concept development or initial team formation

Small Propel Grants are reviewed on a rolling basis. Funding decisions are announced within three weeks of submission.

Large Propel Grants are announced twice a year.

Deadline exceptions may be approved only in limited cases (e.g., sponsor deadlines announced with little notice or timelines outside the PI’s control). All exception requests require advance consultation with the VPDoR Director of Research Development.

If you anticipate a timing issue, contact rdo-funding-programs@stanford.edu as soon as possible.

• Small Propel Grant applicants may request up to $5,000 for up to 6 months.
• Large Propel Grant applicants may request up to $50,000 for up to 12 months.

Scale expectation: The external funding opportunity should typically be at least 20× larger than the total amount requested from Propel. (Example: A $500,000 external proposal would generally align with a ~$25,000 Propel request.)

Teams may submit more than one Propel application for the same project over time. Each request must support a different stage of proposal development (e.g., preliminary proposal → full proposal → site visit).

Across all Propel awards (Small + Large), a project may receive up to $50,000 total.

Each new application must show meaningful progress since the last award and explain how the next set of activities will move the team closer to external submission.

Earlier Propel‑funded work should be completed before requesting support for the next stage.

All applications undergo staff review and, for Large Propel Grants, may undergo peer review. Evaluation focuses on the following criteria.

• Strategic Proposed Activities
• Beyond the Usual Alignment
• Readiness to Submit
• Significance
• Appropriate Budget
• Feasibility
• Potential for External Funding

Applicants should focus primarily on demonstrating alignment with the Propel Grant’s purpose and clearly explaining how the proposed activities will strengthen the competitiveness of their external funding proposal. These considerations carry the greatest weight in determining funding decisions.

Detailed instructions are available through the VPDoR Application Portal.

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, summarize completed work, and explain how this project goes “beyond the usual.”
2. Propel Grant activities. Specify the proposed activities and provide a timeline with key milestones.
3. Team composition. List members and highlight complementary expertise to show the team is well‑coordinated and capable of completing the project.
4. External funding plan. Identify and provide key information for each target external funding opportunity. Include a contingency plan.
5. Budget and justification (Large Propel Only). List of expenses and rationale for the requested funds.
6. Appendices (optional)

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 one year after the award period describing the impact and outcomes of the Propel Grant activities.
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.

See our frequently asked questions for additional information.