Grants and Funding Research Guide

Updated 1/13/2021

2021 Innovation Seed Grant Competition is Open

POC: Sharmeen Ahmed, Sharmeen.ahmed@tamucc.edu

Available funding: up to $10,000

Award amount: $500 to $10,000

Eligibility: PI eligible

Full Proposal Due: January 22, 2021 at 5:00 pm central time

Award Announced: by February 1, 2021

Award Period: Money must be spent by August 31, 2021

Program Objective: 

This program supports and encourages projects with the potential to benefit economic development through commercialization. The seed grant can be used to develop a new prototype or proof-of-concept or it can be used to develop an existing prototype into a commercially viable product. 

NOTE: If student(s) are included in the project, the work cannot be part of a student’s capstone project. Students involvement in the project must be work for hire. If work to be performed as part of a PhD student’s research, it must be clearly stated in the proposal. A full description of the student’s role and effort must be stated.

Budget Information:

Proposals should include the estimated costs for specific project expenditures, including a quote from the core facility or vendor that will provide services or for any individual item that exceeds $200. The proposal should include a budget list of costs (include a simple table and/or invoice, if available). Include a budget justification (maximum of 300 words).

Budget items allowed

• salary support of non-PI research staff and students
• materials that are essential to construct or design the project
• services such as statistician, programmer, product designer/industrial engineer, or manufacturer

Budget items not allowed

• Payment of any consultants as additional pay
• Travel to meetings or conferences
• Computers
• Capital equipment, instrumentation, and/or maintenance agreements construction/renovation costs
• Salary support of lead PI/Co-PI

How to Apply

Proposal must be submitted via Laserfiche online. You will be required to complete a short form and attach the remainder of your proposal as a single pdf. Apply here: 

https://laserficheforms.tamucc.edu/Forms/InnovationSeedGrant

Review Criteria 

• Overall clarity of the proposal
• Scientific Merit
• Preparedness and qualifications for carrying out the proposed work
• Appropriateness of the budget
• Potential of proposed activities to advance TAMU-CC’s reputation and/or the university’s institutional priorities
• Potential of proposed activities to significantly enhance the commercial development of the new discovery and for the creation of new intellectual property
• For applicants who have previously been awarded internal funding, consideration of the applicant's record of previous project completion (including filing final reports), adherence to timelines, and budget management
• Likelihood that the project’s expected outcomes will enhance commercialization activities for the discovery being developed

Application sections:

1. A one-page cover letter with the following information:

• Title of project
• Principal investigator(s) name, email and campus extension
• Names of all other faculty/staff collaborators, their email addresses, and telephone campus extension
• Home unit for the PI (Institute, departments and/or college)
• Fiscal officer or grant officer in the PI’s unit
• Performance site: Building and room number(s) where project will be completed
• Total budget requested
• Invention Disclosure title and number (if any)
• Summary of the project (250 words maximum)

 2. Research plan of no more than three pages, single-spaced with one-inch margins, including:

• An explanation of the discovery being developed
• Research strategy: A concise description of the approaches and methods that will be used to complete the specific aims, and if necessary, any unpublished preliminary data to support rationale for the proposed research strategy.
• Novel aspects: Specify whether any background intellectual property exists (i.e., publications, conferences, poster sessions, published patent applications, issued patents)
• Describe the anticipated output/product/prototype
• Discuss how the project will enhance commercial activities

3. Budget and justification as outlined above
4. CV (maximum of two-pages)
5. Current and Pending Support (internal and external funding, awarded and to which you have applied)
6. Supplementary documentation is permitted, but is limited to a copy of a vendor’s quote for services/materials 

Required Project Deliverables

• Progress Report: Brief technical progress and financial accountability. Funding must be used by August 31, 2021. Proposals should only request sufficient funds for this time–extensions are not allowed with these funds. Progress reports are due October 31, 2021.
• Final Report: Detailed project report. The technology must be ready for intellectual property disclosure. Due by April 30, 2022

 Notes to Applicants 

Intellectual property developed from this grant funding is subject to A&M System Policy 17.01-01-07. (http://policies.tamus.edu/17-01.pdf)

The complete application must be received by the deadline or it will be returned without review.  

Acknowledgement must be included when allowed in all publications (books, bulletins, professional journals, news releases, etc.) resulting from this project stating:  

"This project was supported by a research grant from the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Division of Research and Innovation."  

Updated 12/3/2020

Three Open Internal Funding Opportunities and Two Limited Submission Announced

Internal Funding

1. Research Enhancement

Award amount: up to $15,000 for multi-college and multi-disciplinary teams and up to $5,000 for single discipline projects
Number of Awards: up to 8
Full proposal due: March 1, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. central time
Award announced: December 1, 2020

Award period: September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022

This call for Research Enhancement (RE) proposals aims to promote research and scholarly production and, when possible, promote external grant proposal submission by faculty members at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC). Research Enhancement funds will continue to be available (up to $5,000) for projects led by a single tenured/tenure track faculty member, and to multi-investigator teams (up to $10,000) for collaborative and/or interdisciplinary[1] projects from the same college, as in prior years. R&I is increasing the funding (up to $15,000) for interdisciplinary projects conducted by multi-college teams. Research Enhancement awards fund research, scholarly, or creative projects from tenured/tenure-track faculty in all five Colleges.

The university rule that governs this program:

http://academicaffairs.tamucc.edu/rules_procedures/assets/15.01.01.c0.01_admin_of_research_enhancement_program.pdf

The Division of Research and Innovation (R&I) administers these funds. Following Texas statute, only tenured or tenure-track faculty members are eligible for RE grants. Proposals must state the research to be completed during the award period. Explain in your proposal how the research fits into your research career plans and future research directions. Provide a clear list of the outcomes expected (grant proposals, publications, outreach, pedagogy, etc.).

Contact Dr. Larisa Ford  [larisa.ford@tamucc.edu] for assistance preparing submissions as needed. Contact Tuan Phung [tuan.phung@tamucc.edu] with questions regarding the budget. Key points relevant to this call, evaluation mechanism, and evaluation criteria are found below.

2. 2021 Research Equipment and Infrastructure Grant 

The purpose of this program is to support the acquisition or development of capital equipment and infrastructure that will support and increase research activity on our campus. 

POC: Larisa Ford, Ph.D., larisa.ford@tamucc.edu 
Budget Questions Contact: Tuan Phung, tuan.phung@tamucc.edu 

Available funding: $50,000 
Award amount: $5,000 to $50,000 
Number of awards: at least 1 
Eligibility: Research staff and faculty members 

Full proposal due: January 20, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. central time 
Award announced: February 5, 2021
Award period: Money must be spent by May 15, 2021 

How to Apply  

Proposal with a cover page with Proponent’s signature and the Department Chair’s (or equivalent’s) signature must be submitted by email to researchdevelopment@tamucc.edu  as a single pdf.

Review Criteria 

Proposals will be reviewed using the criteria below. 

• Potential of the equipment to advance knowledge 
• Impact of the equipment and associated research and creative activity on campus and the community 
• Potential growth and support of research programs on campus 
• Potential use or demand of the equipment at TAMU-CC and with potential partners 
• Ability of the investigators to manage and maintain the equipment 
•  Appropriateness of the budget 
• Inclusion and appropriateness of price quotes, construction plans, or other associated documents.

Notes to Applicants 

The complete application must be received by the deadline or it will be returned without review.  

Acknowledgement must be included when allowed in all publications (books, bulletins, professional journals, news releases, etc.) resulting from this project stating:  

"This project was supported by a research grant from the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Division of Research and Innovation."  

Please forward a copy of all published material resulting from this research effort to the Division of Research and Innovation. 

Last updated 1/6/2021