Strategic Framework Internal Seed Grants
The Strategic Framework Grant (SFG) Program, sponsored by the Office of the Provost, provides funds to support new endeavors aligned with the major priorities of the University Strategic Framework. The SFG Program serves as a broad invitation to campus to creatively imagine ways to align their research and teaching efforts with the Strategic Framework and to support them in doing so. Faculty from all colleges, schools, centers, institutes, and other academic units are invited to submit proposals.
The program consists of two types of grants:
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Strategic Framework Research Grant - The research grant will stimulate new and novel outstanding research and/or creative endeavors that advance Notre Dame’s scholarship in alignment with the priorities of the Framework. The expectation is that awardees will create new research that will lead directly to new scholarship or creative endeavors, including cultivating additional external funding to carry the work forward. These grants are intended to complement and extend core Framework priorities.
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Strategic Framework Teaching Grant - The teaching grant will be used to develop new courses or to substantially change existing courses to address important topics and themes aligned with the priorities of the Framework. Faculty awarded the grant will create new or adapt existing courses, working directly with ND Learning on aspects of pedagogy, design of digital teaching assets, and/or course evaluation.
In most cases, it is anticipated that the SFG Program will be the primary means of support to launch the proposed research or teaching effort. In some cases, the proposal may be well-aligned with specific activities in the Strategic Framework initiatives or other college/school-specific programs and thus may become integrated with and supported by those efforts.
Steps and Process
Eligibility
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Any member of the regular full-time faculty can lead a project as principal investigator. Staff and other faculty categories may be collaborators on the proposed project.
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Faculty may include external partners and collaborators, but the grant may only be spent on expenses for Notre Dame.
Priorities
Proposals are welcome on any themes identified in University Strategic Framework, though particular themes of interest for 2024 are Democracy, Ethics, and Poverty. Future iterations of this grant program may focus on other themes in the Strategic Framework.
Research Grant Priorities
The following are key priorities for the Strategic Framework Research Grant:
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Demonstrated alignment with Strategic Framework priorities, including advancing research excellence in these areas, thinking and working together as a university (e.g., crossing disciplinary boundaries), and/or forging stronger partnerships with our local community.
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Potential for high-impact scholarship, creative endeavor, and/or external funding.
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Potential for bringing additional visibility to the University of Notre Dame in the proposed area of study.
Teaching Grant Priorities
The following are key priorities for the Strategic Framework Teaching Grant:
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Proposed course’s alignment with Strategic Framework priorities and how it will provide a learning experience that adds to the currently available curriculum.
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Evidence of course design in the form of clear and important learning goals, proposed course format, and the resources and texts to support the course.
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Inclusion of evidence-based teaching practices through the proposed use of pedagogical strategies shown to enhance learning for all students.
Budget Requests
Both the research and teaching grants will be for two years, with the following budgets:
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Research: variable depending on year, themes, and the nature of the research project, but nominally up to $50K per year for single principal investigator (PI) grants (up to $100K over two years) and $100K per year for multi-disciplinary collaborative grants (up to $200K over two years) where the co-PIs must be from different units (departments, colleges, schools, centers, institutes, etc.).
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Teaching: up to $10K total for single instructor grants (up to $20K over two years) and $15K for collaborative grants (up to $30K over two years).
Allowable budget expenses include:
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Salary for faculty (with approval of department chair or unit head)
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Partial summer salary up to one-ninth of academic year salary maximum for faculty on nine month appointments
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A buyout for up to one-twelfth of calendar year salary (nominally for summer activities) for faculty on twelve month appointments
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Graduate research assistant, pre-doctoral research assistant (recent undergrads not yet enrolled in graduate school), and post-doctoral scholar stipends and benefits
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Undergraduate student support
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Equipment and supplies necessary for the research
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Payment to human subjects
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Library acquisitions, including large datasets
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Research travel to conduct the proposed effort
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Manuscript editing
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Creation of new digital assets such as digital case studies
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Course evaluation
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Publication costs (with pre-approval during the post-award process and on a case-by-case basis)
The following are unallowable budget requests:
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Faculty academic year course reduction or academic year salary for faculty on nine month appointments
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Travel for the purpose of presenting research results or attendance at conferences
Deadline
Applications for the Strategic Framework Internal Seed Grants closed on April 16, 2024. Please check back for details about future proposal windows.
Grant Period
Both the research and teaching grants will be for two years. Requests for extensions will not be granted under any circumstance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Responses to common inquiries about proposal content, external funding, collaboration potential, budget, eligibility, and more are featured in this document.
Proposal Format
Interested applicants will submit two documents to Google Forms - the proposed project and the proposed budget with the directions below.
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Each project proposal must be uploaded as a single PDF document with the naming convention of “<PIName>_SFGProposal_<2024>.pdf” and include the following items in the order listed:
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Cover Page (one-page maximum)
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Abstract (one-page maximum)
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Description (five pages maximum)
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Discussion (one-page maximum)
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Citations or bibliography, optional (one-page maximum)
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Current curriculum vitae (two pages maximum/per PI)
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Budget justification (two pages maximum)
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Current and pending grant support
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Requests for the teaching grant should also include approval of chair or unit head of the lead PI in the form of a letter of support and demonstrated support by chair or unit heads in the form of an email or similar documentation of all co-PIs as a part of the PDF document.
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Requests for faculty salary support should also include approval of the chair(s) or unit head(s) for all PIs in the form of an email or similar documentation as a part of the PDF document. (This is particularly relevant for those on 12-month contracts.)
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The proposed project submission should use clear, non-technical language for a general audience as the review panel contains a broad representation from across the University. Arial 12 point with double spacing and one-inch margins is preferred.
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Using the Excel Budget Template as a guide, and the budget template directions, the budget template must be uploaded as a single document with the naming convention of “<PI Name>_SFGBudget_<2024>”.
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The Google Form submission should include two uploads: a single PDF document and a single budget file with the proper naming conventions. Submitting materials in addition to the format outlined here is discouraged. Proposals that do not comply with format and content guidelines may be rejected without review.
Research Grant
Applications will include the following elements:
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Cover page (one-page maximum)
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Name of principal investigator, department, center, institute affiliation, phone, email, and proposal title
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Any co-principal investigators and their department, center, or institute affiliations
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Abstract (one-page maximum)
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Description of the research or creative endeavor, which will include the following (five-page maximum):
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Objective of the project
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Background, previous work, and motivation as appropriate
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The project approach and methods
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The anticipated outcomes
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The anticipated time schedule
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Discussion addressing the following (one-page maximum):
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How the research or creative endeavor aligns with and addresses the Strategic Framework priorities
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How support from the SFG will initiate an important new program for the PI or their unit
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Anticipated outcomes and value of the project (scientific, creative, scholarly, and/or practical significance)
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Plans for publication of research results and continuing the project beyond the funding period
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If the idea or concept has been previously submitted to or is currently under consideration with an internal grant opportunity via Notre Dame Research, a center or institute, or similar, how this proposal is substantively and substantially different
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Citations or bibliography, optional (one-page maximum)
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Current curriculum vitae (two pages maximum/per PI)
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Required for each faculty member listed on the cover sheet as an investigator
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If named, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and/or undergraduates are included in the project as collaborators, please describe their qualifications (one page maximum per person)
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Budget justification (two pages maximum)
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Fully describe all spending categories, their rationale, and budgeted amount
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Fully itemize and justify equipment purchases necessary for the project
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Fully justify any proposed travel to support the research effort
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If faculty salary support is requested, documentation of approval of the chair(s) or unit head(s) for all PIs in the form of an email or similar is required
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Current and pending grant support
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List all current and pending proposals by all faculty participants individually, including sponsor, amount, project title, and start/end dates
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Indicate discretionary, startup, or capitalization funds available to the principal investigator(s)
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Budget Template: Using the Excel Budget Template as a guide and the budget template directions, the budget must be uploaded as a single document with the naming convention of “<PI Name>_SFGBudget_<2024>”
Teaching Grants
Applications will include the following elements:
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Cover page (one-page maximum)
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Name of principal investigator, department, center, institute affiliation, phone, email, and proposal title
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Any co-principal investigators and their department, center, or institute affiliations
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Abstract (one-page maximum)
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Description of the course development endeavor, which will include the following (five-page maximum):
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Description of the proposed course or course modification
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Learning goals for the the proposed course or course modification
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Course format including: How will class time be spent? What will students be asked to do outside of class time? How will students and student performance be evaluated?
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Plan to incorporate or test evidence-based teaching practices
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Anticipated texts or resources for the course
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Discussion addressing the following (one-page maximum):
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Justification for how the proposed course or course modifications will enhance student learning about the Strategic Framework priorities
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Justification for how the proposed course or course modifications will support student learning using evidence-based teaching practices.
- Proposed engagement with ND Learning via:
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a) participation in the Course Design Academy
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b) development of digital resources
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c) other engagements decided in consultation with the PI, PI’s chair or unit head, and ND Learning
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- Citations or bibliography, optional (one page maximum)
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Current curriculum vitae (two pages maximum/per PI)
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Required for each faculty member listed on the cover sheet as an investigator
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If named, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and/or undergraduates are included in the project as collaborators, please describe their qualifications (one page maximum per person)
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Approval of chair or unit head of the lead PI, including for the proposed course and any requested salary, in the form of a letter of support and demonstrated support by chair or unit heads of all Co-PIs
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Budget justification
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Fully describe all spending categories, their rationale, and budgeted amount
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Fully justify any proposed travel to support the teaching effort
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If faculty salary support is requested, documentation of approval of the chair(s) or unit head(s) for all PIs in the form of an email or similar is required
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Budget template: Use the Excel Budget Template as a guide and the budget template directions, the budget must be uploaded as a single document with the naming convention of “<PI Name>_SFGBudget_<2024>”.
Submission
The Google Form submission should include two uploads: a single PDF document and a single budget file with proper naming conventions. Submitting materials in addition to the format outlined here is discouraged. Proposals that do not comply with format and content guidelines may be rejected without review.
Submissions are due 17:00, EDT (UTC-4), Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
Please find the submission link here.
Review Process
Research and teaching proposals will be reviewed by separate review panels including but not limited to representatives from the Provost’s Office (including ND Learning and Notre Dame Research), colleges and schools, and strategic initiatives, along with subject-matter experts. Conflicts of interest will be identified prior to participation in review panels. The review process will include both a scoring phase with a minimum of three reviewers and a deliberation phase, and all aspects of the membership and proceedings will remain confidential. Recommendations of the review panels will be given to the Vice President & Associate Provost for Academic Strategy, Vice President & Associate Provost for Teaching and Learning, and Vice President for Research, who will make final decisions on awards and funds. Results of the review – notice of award or notice of declination – will be communicated individually to each applicant by Notre Dame Research.
Final Report
All grant awardees are required to complete a short final report, which shall be sent to intprogs@nd.edu. To download the report template, please click here: Final Report Template.
Need More Information?
Questions about this funding opportunity should be emailed to intprogs@nd.edu with the message line "Strategic Framework Grant Opportunity Spring 2024." We also encourage applicants to review a list of Frequently Asked Questions.