Transdisciplinary RFP
Transdisciplinary Research Centers and Institutes
As part of the University’s strategic plan, Boundless Possibility, we will establish a set of new and reimagined transdisciplinary centers and institutes. As a first step, the University funded 10 one-year planning grants to allow colleagues to develop and refine proposals that could lead to the establishment of these new centers and institutes. The list of the 2024-2025 Planning Fund recipients is available here.
Phase 2: Letter of intent and application
Phase 2 of this initiative calls for developed and refined proposals for 5 years of funding to establish new transdisciplinary centers or institutes. Note that receiving funding in the planning grant phase is NOT a prerequisite for submitting a full Phase 2 letter of intent and application. Phase 2 requires two documents: a letter of intent and an application.
The letter of intent is a crucial first step in the Phase 2 application process. It is not binding, and you can change details accordingly in your full proposal. The document will allow the University to plan reviewers appropriately.
The application requires additional details about the project, such as a summary, impact statement, recruitment and sustainability plans, milestones, and budget information.
Submission process
Letters of intent and applications must be submitted using the Microsoft Word templates below. Please note that after clicking on the link, your download will start automatically.
All letters of intent must be submitted through the form below by Monday, 11:59 pm ET, February 3, 2025.
All applications must be submitted through the form below by Sunday, 11:59 pm ET, March 16, 2025.
Proposals will be evaluated by a selection committee in spring 2025. Upon initial selection, finalists will be required to deliver an oral presentation of their proposed center. Funding for awarded proposals is scheduled to begin July 2025.
Please fill out each document entirely and follow the instructions in each template. Incomplete documents will not be considered. For questions or assistance, please contact the Office of the Vice President for Research.
Proposal evaluation
A selection committee will use the general criteria below to evaluate proposals:
- Originality, significance, quality and future impact of the proposed research
- Impact on scholarly or creative eminence
- Extent to which the proposed research is transdisciplinary
- Qualifications and strengths of the leadership team, as well as strength of team members’ achievements and degree to which there is a balanced transdisciplinary team that can support the proposed activities
- Capacity to attract future federal, state, philanthropic or private funding, if appropriate
- Reasonableness and appropriateness of budget and capital requests in respect to the research
Frequently asked questions
Effort
The 10-30% effort cap is based on your total time spent on all sponsored projects (following the University’s Effort Reporting Policy), rather than hours per week. Thus, in your application budget, you should account for salaried effort and indicate the percentage of effort towards this specific project for each senior key personnel.
Essentially, we want to ensure that the individuals spearheading the proposal have “teeth in the game” and are committed to the project. It will be considered sufficient if a proposal has at least one or two co-PIs with at least 10% effort (and no more than 30%). All other personnel can be cost-shared.
Additionally, it is possible to have numerous individuals involved in the proposal or project, but who aren’t necessarily as engaged as a co-PI or lead PI and are not expected to commit a specific level of effort. If an individual does not have a specified level of effort, or no salary is being requested, they may be listed under Other Personnel.
Re-budgeting
The budget in the proposal is designed to be fungible. If priorities or resources need to shift during the award period, the proposed budget – aside from personnel – is not rigid, allowing for adjustments as necessary. However, any change to budget should be discussed with the Office of the Vice President for Research prior to implementing.
Renovations
In your letter of intent and proposal, simply describe what you believe the needs of the center are and, if possible, indicate where you think an appropriate space may exist. For example, “The Center requires 1,000 square feet of space for interviewing human participants. Ideally, the setting will be comfortable and near parking. The Orthopaedics Surgical and Rehab Facility on Hylan Drive would be an ideal location.” This will be taken into consideration upon review of the letter of intent and if additional discussion is needed to understand space requirements and possible renovations, the leadership will reach out to the lead and/or co-PIs to discuss renovation and space possibilities.
Note: we do not expect applicants to have formal approval for use of physical space or physical space renovations at the time of submission. The space and/or renovation request will be taken into consideration during the review process.
Page Limits
If there are more than two co-PIs, we will exempt the Other Support from the overall page limit (along with the Biosketches and References Cited).
Recruitment
Yes. However, the expectation is that the budget will primarily subsidize recruitment costs, rather than fully covering the salary and support for new faculty members over multiple years. Cost for recruitment should be taken into consideration as part of your sustainability plan. Applicants should consult with their respective dean to determine the best way to budget for both recruitment and the long-term sustainability of new faculty.
Submission forms
Letter of intent
All letters of intent must be submitted by Monday, 11:59 pm ET, February 3, 2025
Application
All applications must be submitted by Sunday, 11:59 pm ET, March 16, 2025