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Provost's Challenge Research Seed Grant Fund

Overview 

The Provost's Challenge Research Seed Grant Award, administered by the Faculty Research Awards Committee (FRAC), supports the growth of externally sponsored research at Arkansas State University. This competitive internal funding opportunity invests in faculty research with the goal of generating preliminary results that strengthen future proposals for external funding. 

Faculty from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. Collaborative projects involving investigators from multiple disciplines are especially encouraged. 

For answers to questions, contact Research and Technology Transfer (RTT) at research@astate.edu or 870-972-2694. 

Program Purpose 

The Provost's Challenge Research Seed Grant provides two years of research support to help tenure-track faculty initiate new research projects that will lead to competitive external grant proposals. 

Funding may be used to: 

  • Collect preliminary data

  • Conduct pilot studies

  • Perform literature or archival research

  • Develop creative or scholarly works

  • Generate proof-of-concept results needed to strengthen external funding proposals 

Many external sponsors expect applicants to demonstrate feasibility, innovation, and preliminary evidence before funding larger projects. This program is designed to help faculty generate foundational results. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with their college's FRAC representative prior to submitting a proposal to ensure the project is clearly understood during the review process. 

Priority will be given to proposals that: 

  • Identify a specific external funding opportunity

  • Target state or federal grant programs

  • Have the potential to lead to external proposals requesting $500,000 or more

  • Include interdisciplinary collaborations 

Award Information 

Category 

Details 

Eligibility 

Tenure-track faculty 

Award Period 

Two years 

Funding Amount 

Up to $60,000 total 

Number of Awards 

Two awards annually 

Project Start Date 

July 1 (following the award cycle) 

Project Duration 

Two years 

Allowable Expenses 

Funding may be used for: 

  • Faculty summer salary

  • Research personnel

  • Research supplies

  • Equipment

  • Professional travel

  • Other project-related research expenses 

Application Timeline 

  • Applications Open: September 1 annually

  • Application Deadline: Third Friday of October (5:00 p.m. CDT)

  • Award Notification: Mid-December

  • Project Start Date: July 1 

Eligibility and Application Restrictions 

  • If applicants apply for the Provost's Challenge Research Seed Grant, they cannot apply for any other FRAC funding program during the same application cycle, though the applicant may also apply for Off-Campus Duty Assignment (sabbatical).

  • Because this is a two-year award, recipients are not eligible to apply for additional FRAC funding during the second year of the award period. 

Application Requirements 

Applications must include the following components. 

1. Cover Sheet 

  • Complete the FRAC Cover Sheet using the required template (Template can be found on the InfoReady application page).

  • Select the Provost's Challenge Research Seed Grant Award as the funding program.

  • Include an abstract of 300 words or fewer  suitable for publication on the RTT website. 

2. Project Narrative (Maximum 6 Pages) 

The narrative may not exceed six pages (including tables and figures). References / Literature Cited do not count toward the page limit. 

The narrative should be written for a broad academic audience and should minimize highly technical language. 

Address the following:

  • Project scope, significance, and objectives
  • Background and related work
  • Research methodology or creative approach
  • Expected outcomes and potential challenges
  • Project timeline
  • Dissemination plan
  • Future external funding strategy, including the anticipated sponsor(s) and funding opportunity(ies) 

3. References 

Include all references cited in the proposal as a separate attachment.  Note there is no page limit on references. 

4. Budget and Budget Justification 

Submit: 

The budget should clearly explain and justify all requested expenses. 

5. Curriculum Vitae 

Provide an abbreviated curriculum vitae for the Principal Investigator using the required template (Template can be found on the InfoReady application page). 

Maximum length: 4 pages. 

6. Research Compliance 

If applicable, projects involving human participants, animals, or transgenic organisms or biohazards must receive approval from the: 

  • Institutional Review Board (IRB)

  • Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

  • Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) 

Proposal Evaluation 

Eligible proposals are evaluated by the FRAC rubrics  

Final Report Requirements 

Award recipients must submit a Final Report to RTT at frac@astate.edu by July 31 immediately following the close of the award period. 

The report must include: 

  • An abstract suitable for publication on the RTT website

  • A brief summary (approximately 2 pages) describing:

    • The research, scholarly, or creative activities completed

    • Project outcomes and accomplishments

    • Plans for future research, scholarship, creative activities, or external funding 

Failure to submit the Final Report by the deadline may result in the Principal Investigator being ineligible for future FRAC funding opportunities.

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