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 our frequently asked questions and the request for applications (RFA).

RFA last updated on September 3, 2026: added additional clarification to the definition of "beyond the usual." 

Apply to the tier that matches what the work costs. There are no fixed deadlines.

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 unusually large or complex 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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• 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

For the purposes of this program, "beyond the usual" refers to external funding mechanisms that are unusually large-scale or complex for the discipline.

Mechanisms that meet this definition generally share most of the following characteristics:

• 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 substantially exceeds standard single-investigator or small-team grants

Examples of appropriate mechanisms include (but are not limited to):

• STEM: NSF Science and Technology Centers, NSF Physics Frontiers Centers, DOE Energy Frontier Research Centers, NIH P50/U54
• Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences: NEH Collaborative Research Grants, NEA Grants for Arts Projects, Mellon grants, other collaborative grants

Standard investigator-initiated research grants are not within scope when they are routine for the applicant's field, even if the proposed science is ambitious or the team is interdisciplinary.

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

Because scope is field-relative, we encourage you to contact us at rdo-funding-programs@stanford.edu before preparing an application. We are glad to discuss your idea and help determine whether it fits the program's purpose and scale. If your target opportunity falls outside Propel Grants scope, we would still welcome a conversation, as RDO offers other forms of proposal support or we can help you identify the appropriate support team that may be a better match.

Strategic work that moves a strong proposal to an exceptional one.

Funded		Not Funded
Image	Work that goes beyond baseline sponsor requirements Clear progress between stages, such as preliminary proposal to full proposal Elements reviewers use to separate top-tier submissions Stronger team coordination, integration, and readiness Evidence, clarity, or rigor that makes the proposal more persuasive	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

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.

• 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.)

All applications undergo staff review under the version of these guidelines in effect on the date of submission, 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.

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.