Seed grants available to support global research collaborations

The Global Incubator Seed Grants program aims to stimulate high-impact collaborative research in any discipline linking WashU faculty with international counterparts.  Aligned with the university’s “Here and Next” strategic plan, the thematic focus areas for this year’s cycle are: 1) Public health; 2) Environmental research; 3) Digital transformation; 4) Medical research; 5) Local-to-global connections. Proposals should include at least one highly engaged international institution. This opportunity is made possible with support from the Millard family gift to the McDonnell International Scholars Academy, the Office of the Provost (CFU and the university’s “Here and Next” strategic plan). Through these seed grants, we aim to incubate and catalyze high-impact research in every corner of the globe to address humanity’s most pressing challenges.

By the Numbers 2020-2023

200+

Applications

67

New Projects Launched

$1.3M

Total Seed Funding
Awarded

$12M

Additional External Grants

Funding

Seed grants of up to $25,000 each are available to support faculty research projects responsive to this call. Funding is for one year only.

Eligibility 

  • The principal investigator must have a full-time faculty appointment at WashU.
  • Research projects must include at least one international collaborator (faculty member, NGO or industry researcher).

Project Requirements

  • Collaborative research, involving at least one highly engaged international institution.
  • Proposals should lie within or at the intersection of the following thematic focus areas from the university’s strategic plan: 
    • Public health: driving equitable, evidence-based public health solutions.
    • Environmental research: energy and environmental solutions, biodiversity, environmental justice, climate change.
    • Digital transformation: digital solutions to advance studies in a range of issues, including computational therapeutics, precision agriculture, AI and human interaction, socioeconomic mobility, and digital humanities.
    • Medical research: advancing pioneering research, new diagnostics and therapeutics to improve the health of local, regional, national and global communities.
    • Local-to-global connections: bringing global solutions to local problems and vice versa. 
  • Innovative research, with potential for high-impact outputs (publications and other scholarly contributions) and ability to secure future funding from external sources.
  • Must clearly articulate objectives and must include a credible plan to fulfill set objectives within one year of funding.
  • Must outline next steps to secure external funding (or equivalent paths forward).

Deadline & Submission Requirements

All proposals must be submitted via the InfoReady portal by noon (CST) on September 30th, 2024. 

Proposals must include the following:

  • WashU applicant information: Principal investigator’s name, title/position, school, email and 2-page CV.
  • International collaborator’s information: Name, title/position, institution, email and 2-page CV.
  • Title and abstract: Synopsis for a lay audience, limited to 150 words. If your application is successful, the project summary will be published on the WashU global website.
  • Description: Maximum 1,000 words including the following:
    • Specific objectives and outcomes: State concisely the objectives and anticipated outcomes of the proposed project. Significance & impact: Explain the project’s significance, relevance to the ‘Here and Next’ pillars, novelty and potential impact. Be specific about the expected scholarly contributions.Collaborative approach: Describe the overall approach and methods, and explain the collaborative aspects of the proposed project. Provide evidence and details of the collaborator’s role in the agreed upon collaboration, including any resources that the collaborator and their institution will provide.Plans for next stage: Explain how this grant will help support future grant applications and outcomes. List specific external funding sources you plan to apply for during or at the conclusion of this project. If you are in a non-grant funded discipline, outline how this grant will enable you to achieve successful future outcomes on a larger scale.
    • Protection of human subjects (if applicable): For any research that involves human subjects, describe the plan to obtain appropriate Institutional Review Board approval.  
  • Funding request:
    • Budget: Specify the total dollar amount for which you are applying and provide a breakdown of how the funds will be spent over a one-year period. Please note that a sum of $2,500 should be budgeted for the international collaborator’s travel to and participation in the 2025 McDonnell Academy International Symposium to be held at WashU. 
    • Administrative contact: Please provide the name and email of the staff member in your department who will be administering the budget and can provide a project number if the funding is awarded.
    • Other funding sources: Please disclose any other sources of funding for this project (past, current/pending and proposed).
    • Collaborator’s contribution: Applications with contributions from the international collaborator will be welcomed. If the collaborating institution provides cash or in-kind support, please document via a letter of support.  
  • Supporting documents:
    • Letter of support: Attach a statement of commitment from your international collaborator to participate in the proposed activities and documenting any cash and/or in-kind support the  collaborating institution will provide. 
  • Contact 

FAQs

  • Does my international collaborator need to be from a McDonnell Academy partner institution? 

Projects involving any international collaborator will be considered, with the expectation that all collaborators must demonstrate a high level of commitment.

  • What should my budget include?

Funding will be provided for items essential to conduct the project. Allowable expenses include travel to and from a collaborating institution, lodging and meals for PI/Co-PIs, WashU student support, supplies, survey costs/participant’s incentives, IRB applications and consultation fees. 

  • We discourage faculty from putting their salary or summer stipend on the proposal.
    • The expectation is that the funds should stay at WashU. Payment to other institutions should be through a subaward or agreement.
    • Indirect costs should generally be limited to 10%. 
    • We reserve the right to modify budgets or deny funds for certain expense types if they do not meet university policies.
    • A sum of $2,500 should be budgeted for the international collaborator’s travel to and participation in the 2025 McDonnell Academy International Symposium to be held at WashU. 
  • How will projects be evaluated?

Applications will be assessed based on: (a) the project’s significance and potential impact; (b) collaborative approach and collaborator’s commitment; (c) ability to secure next-stage funding/scholarly outputs; (d) clarity and completeness.

  • What is the timeline for the current application cycle?
    • Deadline to apply: September 30th, 2024
    • Decisions expected: November 2024
    • Project start date: December 2024
  • Do I need to include a letter of support from my international collaborator?

A letter of support from your international collaborator is required to document the agreed upon collaboration. It helps the reviewers understand the level of engagement, joint planning, and reciprocal arrangements to advance the research project. The letter should document any additional funding or in-kind support for the project provided by your collaborator’s institution. 

  • Will a bibliography count towards the word limit? 

A bibliography will not count towards the word limit.

  • Do I need to submit biosketches for all investigators?

Please submit a short CV for each investigator, maximum 2 pages. Additional details about your collaborator’s expertise relevant to the project can be provided in the description. 

  • Does my project need to be completed within 1 year?

This grant’s duration is 1 year, and the grant is non-renewable. All grant recipients are expected to report on progress at the end of the year and be prepared to present research findings at the next McDonnell Academy International Symposium. Your stated aims should be feasible to accomplish within this 1-year timeframe.  No-cost extensions require written approval. To continue the work beyond the seed grant period, you will need to secure funding from other sources.

  • Can I submit multiple applications?

Yes, you can be a co-PI on multiple applications, provided that the projects are sufficiently different. 

  • Am I eligible to apply for this cycle if I have been previously funded by a McDonnell Academy seed grant and/or by a “Here and Next” seed grant?

Yes, if this is a new collaboration for a different project.

  • What types of projects have you funded in the past?

To view past grant recipients and discover seed grant success stories, visit https://global.washu.edu/global-partnerships/seed-grants/.