Proposal due date: February 3, 2025
Decisions expected by: March 3, 2025
Program Goals: The ESDRI Seed Grant program is meant to facilitate multidisciplinary research projects that lead to extramural funding and the development of innovative products. Project proposals are welcome from all disciplines that relate to one or more of the Environmental Science and Design Research Institute areas of focus:
- Water resources, hydrology, and biogeochemistry
- Planning, urban design, landscape design, built ecologies, and settlement patterns
- Architecture, product design, fashion, and the environment
- The environment, sustainability, human health, and well-being
- Socioeconomic systems and the environment
- Ecology and the evolution of biological diversity; the management of ecological systems
- Biodesign
Proposal expectations: Proposals must be clearly related to one or more environmental issues to receive ESDRI funding, but all types of disciplines are welcome to apply (scientific, design, engineering, artistic, humanities, etc.). Preference will be given to multidisciplinary projects that engage in both design and scientific modes of inquiry, as well as projects that integrate support for student researchers (graduate and undergraduate). If there are questions about the scope of proposals funded by ESDRI, PIs are encouraged to discuss potential topics with ESDRI co-directors.
Proposers are encouraged to build on existing campus infrastructures for student support (i.e. SURE, graduate programs). The ESDRI will prioritize, and provide additional financial support (above the maximum funds requested) for proposals that include SURE students.
Eligibility: Full-time 91²Ö¿â ESDRI-affiliated faculty members from any campus are eligible as PIs, including both Tenure-Track and NTT. Post-doctoral researchers, staff and visiting scholars may serve as Co-PIs on these proposals. Proposals will be considered from individual faculty members or groups of up to four PIs.
Budget Details: Funds requested should be appropriate to the scope of the project, up to a maximum of $12,000.
Allowable costs include support for graduate and undergraduate research assistants, postdocs, and technicians; materials, supplies, and equipment; travel expenses for field work, research collaboration, conference attendance, symposia, or visits to funding agencies/sponsors; and faculty release time and summer salary (although faculty time must be well-justified for the proposed project to be regarded as competitive). SURE student support should be counted as an additional expense above the overall budget. Budget allocated towards travel and hiring of personnel must comply with .
Duration: Funds must be expended by August 31, 2026.
Reporting: Recipients of ESDRI Seed Grants must provide annual reports (1-2 pages, via a standard report form) until a grant for extramural support is submitted and a decision is received. External proposal submission is expected before May 1, 2026.
Project Products: In addition to proposals for extramural funding (government, foundation, or industry), projects should also result in other tangible outcomes that provide evidence of scholarly success, such as peer-reviewed publications or installations, academic reviews, or new internal or external collaborations (e.g., across colleges or with industry, government, non-profits, or museums). Projects should also include a brief plan for disseminating
findings/products to the public, i.e. news stories, public events, which may be planned in conjunction with ESDRI staff.
Submission Mechanism and Deadline: Submit your proposal via email to esdri@kent.edu by February 3, 2025 at 5 pm. Please follow format guidelines below.
Review Process: Proposals will be reviewed by a multidisciplinary committee. The evaluation sheet is provided below.
Questions? Contact us at esdri@kent.edu, Christie Bahlai at cbahlai@kent.edu, or Diane Davis-Sikora at dmdavis@kent.edu.
Proposal Format:
1. Cover sheet: Proposal title, investigator names and affiliations, and amount requested.
2. Project description and work plan (up to 4 pages): Describe the area of research, and proposed study goals and design.
3. Funding strategy (up to 3 pages): Describe plans to apply for external funding, including potential grant mechanisms and the anticipated monetary request of the extramural grant application. Also include previous funding obtained from relevant agencies or other groundwork laid with relevant agencies.
4. Timeline with expected proposal submission and other project products (no limit but typically
one page)
5. Description of anticipated outcomes (up to half of one page).
6. Dissemination plan (up to half of one page): describe how the results of this research or activity will be disseminated to the public.
7. References cited.
8. Short biography for all PIs and co-PIs. Use the format of NSF, NIH, or another relevant agency.
9. Budget (up to $12,000) and budget justification.
10. If relevant, memo from chair/director approving use of departmental resources, beyond what is already assigned to PIs, or requested release time.
Example evaluation sheet for ESDRI seed grant proposals, to be used by peer review panel
Proposal PIs:
Total score:
Background and motivation. Is the scholarly context (i.e., literature review) described for the project detailed, current, and appropriate? Is it clear how this context helps motivate the project? Will the project advance the field?
Score (1 to 5):
Comments:
Feasibility and budget. Has enough detail been given to provide convincing evidence that the project can be successfully completed? Do the PIs possess the experience and access to resources to complete the project?
Score (1 to 5):
Comments:
Funding potential. Is there a detailed plan for obtaining future funding for the project? Does the project align with identified funding sources?
Score (1 to 5):
Comments:
Aligned with ESDRI mission. Is the project within the areas of research that is addressed by ESDRI? Is it interdisciplinary or involve new collaborations? Is there integration of science and design?
Score (1 to 5):
Comments: