{"id":316,"date":"2022-11-28T10:00:37","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T15:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/university-research\/?page_id=316"},"modified":"2026-09-09T11:45:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T15:45:46","slug":"ura","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/university-research\/awards\/internal-funding\/ura\/","title":{"rendered":"University Research Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":18262,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/one-column.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"class_list":["post-316","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"lead_in":"","display_title":"University Research Awards","subtitle":"","call_to_action":"","hero_image_placement":"no_image","hero_media":"images","hero_pattern_option":"","hero_video":"","hero_image_landing":"","hero_image_landing_two":"","hero_image_landing_three":"","content_modules_above":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","anchor":"","css_class":"mt-0 pt-0","title":"","content":"The principal aim of the University Research Award (URA) program is to provide seed money to enable the development of new, innovative research projects with a high probability of attracting external support in the short term. Proposals that seek to establish or further develop new collaborations and multidisciplinary research teams will be favorably received. Recipients of a URA are expected to show that they have applied for external funding within 18 months of the end of their URA project period.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe URA program is primarily meant to further stimulate the research of faculty who have moved beyond research support provided by the University as part of their initial start-up period. Faculty who still hold such funds are eligible to apply, but an explanation as to the unique necessity for additional funds (e.g., why their existing funds are insufficient for the new project) should be provided.\r\n\r\nThe URA program is a matching program, which means that the University matches funding provided by an applicant\u2019s home school. Currently, the School of Arts & Sciences, the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, the School of Medicine & Dentistry, the School of Nursing & Health Sciences, and the Warner School of Education & Human Development<\/strong> participate.\r\n\r\nCheck out past winners<\/a> of the University Research Award program.","background_color":"#ffffff","width":"width-medium"},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion_new","anchor_id":"","classes":"","title":"

RFP Details<\/h2>","description":"","background":"plain","background_color":"#ffffff","style":"row_blank","expand":"no","accordions":[{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Timeline","icon":"","row_content":"Proposals for the URA program are invited once a year, during the fall semester with a winter submission deadline (typically end of January). Selected proposals will be announced in mid-May for projects starting the following fiscal year (July 1).\r\n\r\nThe RFP for FY26 closed.","accordion_anchor":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Scope","icon":"","row_content":"Proposals may cover any disciplinary areas represented within the University.","accordion_anchor":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Eligibility","icon":"","row_content":"Proposals should originate from one or more faculty members who are eligible to be Principal Investigators on grants as defined by the Principal Investigator Eligibility Policy<\/a>.\r\n\r\nAn application may be submitted by a University faculty member (as the first-named Lead Investigator) for a collaboration with faculty outside of the University of Rochester, as long as matching funds can be guaranteed from the US institution(s) in which non-University faculty member(s) hold their primary appointment(s). International collaborations also may be entertained with the same criteria, some of which may be in-kind support, if demonstrated before the submission review.","accordion_anchor":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Award Amount","icon":"","row_content":"Proposals may<\/strong> request up to $75,000 in total<\/strong> (with up to $37,500 from URA, matched by an equal contribution from the applicant\u2019s\/applicants' home school\/s).\r\n\r\nThe school(s) responsible for the match is\/are part of the initial review process. Approval at that level implies a commitment to provide the matching funds if the proposal is awarded. Lead investigators are not required to obtain financial approval prior to proposal submission.","accordion_anchor":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Project Period","icon":"","row_content":"Proposals may request funding over one or two years.","accordion_anchor":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Review Criteria","icon":"","row_content":"Proposals are evaluated by a review committee consisting of a representative group of faculty from all schools who cross major subject areas. Evaluation criteria for URA proposals is as follows:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. The project\u2019s intellectual merit (i.e., the potential to advance knowledge).<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Is the project well-designed and feasible, given the resources already available and the budget and time requested?<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Does the project clearly show how outcomes lead to external funding?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nThe Vice President for Research, and other senior research leadership, make final award determinations.","accordion_anchor":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Post-Award Follow-Up","icon":"","row_content":"Recipients of an award are required to complete a final progress report within three months of the end of their project period to help in the evaluation of the effectiveness of the URA program.\r\n\r\nRecipients are also expected to participate in peer review of future University Research Award proposals.","accordion_anchor":""}]}],"sidebar":"show__sidebar","sidebar_feed":"menu_select","menu":"192","page_links":null,"sub_menu":"","content_modules":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","anchor":"","css_class":"","title":"

    Application process<\/strong><\/h2>","content":"A full proposal application must include:\r\n