Research@UIC > Funding Opportunities > STEM Education Research Grant Program

STEM Education Research Grant Program

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research is pleased to announce the STEM Education Grant program. This is a demonstration program funded in part by a gift from the Caterpillar Foundation. This program will support pilot research projects in the area of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education with the goal of stimulating extramurally funded research. Research projects may be in any area related STEM education research, broadly defined. Priority will be given to projects which address one or more of the following objectives:

• Show promise for impacting pipeline development activities.
• Are focused upon improving rates of participation or retention for those who are historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines, including women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities.
• Support undergraduate research mentoring experiences (this could mean research on mentoring, developing and formalizing a mentoring strand into research, or directly involving an undergraduate student in a mentored experience on this STEM research project.)
• Compliment or build upon existing UIC STEM related research and activities.
• Can develop pilot data which can be leveraged into extramurally funded research.

This program fits within the Vice Chancellor’s objective of supporting research along broad scholarly themes, in this case, Community Disparities.  For further information about the OVCR’s Goals and Mission, go to http://www.research.uic.edu/mission_goals.shtml.

Award Amount

Deadlines

Letter of Intent

UIC personnel who intend to submit applications should complete and email the letter of intent form to Research Development Services at seedgrant@uic.edu. The letter of intent is an administrative tool and will be used to identify appropriate reviewers. It is not used to eliminate proposals. 

Eligibility Criteria

• PIs must have an exemplary record of mentorship of undergraduate students.
• Any full time UIC personnel with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research are eligible 

Review Criteria

1. Intrinsic Merit: The overall quality, relevance and innovation of the work to be done; the likelihood that the work will (a) lead to fundamental advances, to new discoveries, or to new technological developments, and/or (b) impact STEM pipeline development or mentoring research. Projects which include an undergraduate research experience are encouraged.
2. Appropriateness: The need for and suitability of the initiative approach; whether this approach will add significantly to what could be accomplished through other modes of support.
3. PI Qualifications: The qualifications and credentials of the PIs will be considered. PI must have a very strong record of mentorship of undergraduate students.
4. Institutional Commitment: The nature and level of resources available from the colleges/departments and from other sponsoring units will be considered. Support which allows for research experiences for undergraduates is especially welcome.
5. Feasibility: Appropriateness of management plans and arrangements: the adequacy of the organizational and administrative plans; the appropriateness of the budget; and the mechanism to evaluate the initiative’s progress will be considered.
6. Fundability: Likelihood proposal will lead to extramural funding.

Application Instructions and Guidelines

1. Cover page – (use fillable PDF form)
2. If this is a resubmission, applicant should include a one page cover letter to respond to any prior panel review comments.
3. Research Project Description – no more than four pages, (exclusive of figures, charts, etc) which includes:
   1. Abstract of proposed project
   2. Overview of PIs record of accomplishment in undergraduate mentoring and how this informs the research
   3. Summary of proposed research project, including, but not limited to:
      1. hypothesis or research questions, specific aims, methods and procedures, expected outcomes
      2. Significance of research and broader impacts
      3. Plan for extramural submission - If available, applicant should identify the sponsor, specific program name, FOA/RFA number, mechanism (if any), and anticipated deadline(s).
      4. Plan for undergraduate research training experience, if any. Examples might include the provision of significant laboratory experience, grant writing, literature research experience, etc
4. Budget (use fillable PDF) and budget justification (use fillable PDF form): Each application will require an appropriate budget with full justification of personnel, materials, supplies, equipment and other expenses necessary for the proposed project period. Please note:
   • Limited travel for purpose of professional meetings or essential collaboration may be approved.
   • Faculty salary support is not allowed.
   • Undergraduate student salary and fringe benefits or supplements of existing awards are eligible expenses
   • Tuition remission is not allowed.
   • Equipment requests exceeding $2,000 must be matched on a 1:1 basis.
   • Indirect costs are not allowed except in the case of subcontracts to other institutions.
5. Current and pending support (use fillable PDF form) for each PI for past five years, noting areas of potential funding overlap with this proposal. The summary should include both internal and external sources of funding.
6. CVs for PIs, Co-PIs, and Key Personnel (up to four pages for each person). NSF or NIH formatted are acceptable. CV should highlight PI’s record of undergraduate mentoring.
7. Appendices should be limited to:
   • Measurement instruments
   • Surveys
   • Letters outlining administrative plans and agreements relevant to carrying out the research
   • Department or College letters of support - note, these should only be provided if a department/college/unit is providing some type of resource (dedicated space, protected faculty time, cost share funds) necessary to conduct the project. The letter should outline the details of the commitment

Submission

Completed applications should be emailed to Research Development Services at seedgrant@uic.edu. This should be a single file and not multiple attachments.

Review Process

Proposals will be reviewed by a review panel composed of members of the Campus Research Board (CRB) and possibly supplemented by ad hoc reviewers, including a representative from the Caterpillar Foundation. This panel will make preliminary recommendations to the Vice Chancellor for Research who will make the final decision. The review process will rely on the above stated eligibility and selection criteria.

Grant Conditions

• Grant recipients must provide Research Development Services the appropriate documentation that all permissions have been secured and protocols have been approved for the funded research, if applicable.
• All research projects must be in compliance with the Office for the Protection of Research Subjects (OPRS) guidelines (if applicable to your research) in order to receive funding.  This includes completion of required training for the Responsible Conduct of Research (applicable to any student who may be supported by this grant).  Please visit their website at
  http://www.uic.edu/depts/ovcr/oprs for more information.
• An interim and final report from the applicant is due to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, Office of Research Development Services.
• PI (and, if applicable, mentored student) will be expected present updates of their research to the Campus Research Board.   
• Any publications resulting from this work must note that the research was supported in part from a gift from the Caterpillar Foundation and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
• It is the intent of the OVCR to maintain and build future resources for UIC STEM research.  By acceptance of this award, Department/College agree to refund to OVCR the amount of any STEM pilot grant leading to extramural awards which recover UIC’s full ICR.

Questions concerning the program may be addressed to Mr. Tony Halford at seedgrant@uic.edu or 312-996-7036.

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