University Research Collaboration Program (URCP) - ROUND 2

Deadline: June 5, 2024

North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota have issued a joint call for the University Research Collaboration Program which is funded by the Economic Diversification Research Funds (EDRF) appropriated in the 2023 Legislative session. The University Research Collaboration Program has selected a first round of awards of up to $50,000. The EDRF funds are targeted at stimulating economic activity across the state through innovation of new technology, concepts, and products and promoting job creation and career and wage growth while providing experiential learning opportunities for students. The URCP requires projects to include faculty from UND and NDSU along with faculty or students from a third North Dakota institution. A call next fiscal year is also anticipated for the year two funds.

EDRF Technology Acceleration Program

Deadline: June 1, 2024

The Technology Acceleration Program will accelerate the development of prototypes (e.g. software, IoT, algorithms, sensors, biologics, materials, medical devices) that have potential to leverage public-private partnerships and fit within NDSU’s strategic priorities or align with prior and/or existing research investments at NDSU. Proposals should demonstrate commercial applicability and articulate how the funding would result in significant progress for the prototype along the bench to the market pipeline. Proposals should include a concise statement of how the activity being funded can serve an unmet industry or market need. The Technology Acceleration Program is not intended to support projects at a conceptual stage.

SBIR/STTR Phase 0 Program

Deadline: Rolling

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis beginning April 23, 2024. Review of submitted proposals will begin May 15, 2024. The request for applications will be open until funds are fully obligated

Research and Creative Activity has designed a program to provide financial support for those pursuing federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Funding for this program will come from Economic Diversification Research Funds (EDRF). Established by the ND Legislature for NDUS institutions, the program’s purpose is to:

• Stimulate economic activity across the state through innovation of new technology, concepts, and products;
• Promote job creation and career and wage growth;
• Enhance health care outcomes;
• Address loss of revenue and jobs in communities with economies that depend primarily on the fossil fuel industry; and/or
• Provide experiential learning opportunities for students.

RCA Transformative Research Leadership Program - Pilot Planning Grants

Nomination Packet Deadline: Tuesday, October 15, 2024

These pilot planning grants will provide up to $75,000 to build capacity for demonstrating readiness to submit competitive large, federal center-level proposals led by NDSU PIs. A planning grant consists of a series of activities that are designed to ramp up to the submission of a large, center-level project, including but not limited to networking, building and working as a team, proofs of concept, preliminary research, enhancing broader impacts, and developing and/or deepening relationships with industry partners. PIs must be at the Associate Professor rank or above and have a prior funding track record as a PI from the agency where submission is intended. These projects require a reduction in PI workload the equivalent of a 3-credit course (or administrative or other release equivalent to a 3-credit course) during the planning phase.

RCA Big Ideas Research Seed Projects – STEM Fields

Application Deadline: Monday, November 4, 2024

These seed projects will provide up to $100,000 to support ideas that pursue innovative, ambitious solutions to impactful research questions that fit within NDSU’s strategic priorities and/or the ND Science and Technology Plan. The purpose of the program is to support activities such as pilot studies or gathering preliminary data that will allow teams to advance ideas for the development of competitive proposals in pursuit of significant external funding, including NSF EPSCoR and EPSCoR-like programs (e.g. NIH COBRE). For this call, proposals must be for projects within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fieldsas defined by the National Science Foundation and/or the National Institutes of Health. This includes the social, behavioral, economic and science of STEM education fields. PIs must be at the Associate Professor rank or above and have a prior funding track record as a PI from the agency where submission is intended.

Sparking Big Ideas: Interdisciplinary Research Planning Grants

Application Deadline: Monday, November 4, 2024

This planning grant program awards up to $10,000 to initiate early-stage project development to help catalyze collaborative, interdisciplinary teams among diverse disciplines in order to pursue innovative, ambitious solutions to impactful research questions that fit within NDSU’s strategic priorities, or align with prior and/or existing research investments at NDSU. Team composition should be reflective of the nature of the proposed research and the team’s approach should rely on the perspective and expertise of multiple disciplines. This program is intended to help teams develop collaborations and prepare to pursue external sponsored research support for the proposed project. Full time tenured and tenure-track faculty are eligible to apply. Professors of Practice who have research as part of their appointment are also eligible to apply.

EDRF Infrastructure Program

Application Deadline: Monday, November 4, 2024

The Infrastructure Program will provide up to $50,000 for improvement of infrastructure in support of research and economic development goals that fit within NDSU’s strategic priorities or align with prior and/or existing research investments at NDSU. This program can be used for acquisition of research instrumentation, equipment, and related installation services. Full-time faculty and research staff at NDSU are eligible to apply. RFP.

Bison Arts and Humanities Fund

Application Deadline: Monday, November 4, 2024

RCA has renewed a program to stimulate new research and creative endeavors in the humanities and the arts, the Bison Arts and Humanities Fund. The arts and humanities are vital to the human condition, with importance for civic engagement, cross-cultural understanding, and the development of critical and creative thinking skills, for example. Faculty are encouraged to submit a proposal for up to $5,000 that can be used for early-to late-stage humanities or arts projects. Emphasis for funding will be on projects that directly support career progression. Projects with strong potential to bring positive national attention to NDSU faculty and/or which can be leveraged for future funding are especially of interest.

NASA EPSCoR Pilot Projects

Application Deadline: Monday, November 4, 2024

NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) establishes partnerships with government, higher education, and industry that are designed to effect lasting improvements in a state or region’s research infrastructure, research and development capacity, and its national research and development competitiveness. This grant program awards up to $58,000 to develop pilot projects that are in line with NASA’s overall mission. Each proposed NASA EPSCoR pilot project shall perform scientific and/or technical research in areas that support NASA’s strategic research and technology development priorities with the goal of ensuring a competitive submission to a NASA funding opportunity. All proposals should emphasize and clearly articulate how the pilot project develops capabilities to compete for funds from NASA.

RCA Travel Award Program

Application Deadline: Rolling 

Research Development Travel and Conference Support Awards are intended to help cover expenses for travel to a national-level conference to present research or creative work and/or registration fees for a virtual conference to present research or creative work. Virtual conference – up to $500 in registration costs will be considered. On-site conference – up to $1,000 in eligible expenses will be considered. Travel must be completed by Friday, May 30, 2025.