The Research Development Office’s (RDO) new Seeding Excellence Initiative (SEI) invites researchers to apply for funding to help support community engagement, attract underrepresented students to research, advance the careers of early scholars, and spur collaborations across the disciplines.

Supported through the public-private partnerships (P3) Year 1 funding cycle, the two-year initiative seeks to spark innovative approaches to addressing strategically important areas for the University of Iowa and its research enterprise. RDO is part of the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR).

“We not only want to help our researchers and scholars succeed,” UI Vice President for Research Marty Scholtz said. “We want to ensure that Iowans benefit from the university’s expertise, and that a way is paved for historically underrepresented students to bring their formidable talents to our collective pursuit of new knowledge and discovery.”

The funding opportunities, which roll out over the course of the FY21-22 academic year, include:

• OVPR DEI Supplements (application deadline for individuals is Dec. 1, 2021). This program offers Principal Investigators (PIs) one-year OVPR diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) supplements of up to $25,000 to existing externally funded awards. Successful proposals will advance the PI’s research while recruiting, retaining, and advancing UI students who support diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in research, with a preference for students from traditionally marginalized groups. At least 10 OVPR DEI supplements are expected to be funded.
• OVPR Early Career Scholars (application deadline for colleges is Dec. 10, 2021). These one-year awards of up to $30,000 are intended to help tenure-track assistant professors develop competitive proposals and secure an externally funded award. Thirteen awards are expected to be funded.
• OVPR Community Engaged Scholars (deadline for submitting a letter of intent is Feb. 4, 2022). Awards of up to $50,000 are available to successful proposals that work to created and solidify community research and scholarship partnerships within Iowa. Five awards are expected to be funded.
• OVPR Interdisciplinary Research Grants (deadlines to be determined). Details will be announced later this semester.

The timelines, eligibility requirements, and other details vary by program. For more information, visit https://research.uiowa.edu/seeding-excellence-initiative or contact RDO Director Aaron Kline at aaron-kline@uiowa.edu.

The Research Development Office is part of the University of Iowa Office of the Vice President for Research, which provides resources and support to researchers and scholars at the University of Iowa and to businesses across Iowa with the goal of forging new frontiers of discovery and innovation and promoting a culture of creativity that benefits the campus, the state, and the world. More at http://research.uiowa.edu, and on Twitter: @DaretoDiscover.