Funding Opportunities from the OVPR

A number of funding opportunities, open to all campuses of the University, are administered by OVPR. Funds are provided from a variety of sources, including revenue from the commercialization of University-based technology, the management of which is determined by the Vice President for Research.

Grant-in-Aid of Research, Artistry & Scholarship Program

This program represents an important means by which OVPR is able to promote the scholarly and artistic activities of the faculty and their graduate students, and to foster academic excellence within the University. Guidelines have been established to ensure that the available funds are distributed fairly, are effective in sustaining the vitality and quality of research at the University. In most cases grants are not meant to provide sole support for research activities, but instead to act as seed money for developing projects to the point of attracting more complete, external funding.

Minnesota Futures Research Grant Program

Modeled after the highly successful National Academies “Keck Futures Initiative,” this program aims to help propel research and scholarship beyond the ordinary by nurturing interdisciplinary ideas or methodologies.  This grant supports interdisciplinary research and scholarship proposals that originate from new interdisciplinary groups with the goal of promoting research and scholarship beyond existing initiatives and developing new ideas to a point where they are competitive for external funding and scholarly sources. Proposals may be for up to two years for a maximum of $250,000 each. It is anticipated that two grants will be awarded.

Research Infrastructure Investment Program

This one-time funding opportunity supports research infrastructure by facilitating interdisciplinary endeavors, especially between the Academic Health Center and other disciplines. The program will award $3 million to fund research services or equipment and specialized support staff that constitute direct components of research and scholarly efforts that further the University’s mission and support interdisciplinary needs. Researchers from all campuses are eligible and encouraged to participate in this program. Awards will range from $50,000-$1 million, and colleges must provide matching funds.

Interdisciplinary Proposal Preparation Support Program

Offered by the provost's interdisciplinary team, this ongoing program provides funding for the administrative tasks of preparing interdisciplinary proposals that involve more than one principal investigator. Investigators should represent a variety of colleges or different disciplines within a college. The funding is intended to supplement administrative resources during proposal preparation. This may take the form of, for example, temporary staff or student employees back-filling routine clerical services in order to free up time for regular staff to prepare the proposal.