SEED Grant Funding Opportunity

Program Background & Purpose

This seed grant program supports small, partnership-driven projects that broaden participation in regional innovation and research ecosystems. Awards are intended to catalyze new or early-stage external collaborations and position teams for sustained work (e.g., competitive external proposals, ongoing joint projects, workforce-aligned training, or adoption-ready outcomes).

This opportunity is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) – Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) grant, Award #2433183. The goal of EPIIC is to “broaden participation in innovation ecosystems that advance key technologies by supporting capacity-building efforts at institutions of higher education (IHEs) interested in growing external partnerships.”

Award, Timeline, and Key Dates

  • Maximum award: up to $5,000 per project (one-year period).
  • Anticipated awards: We anticipate supporting 2 projects in 2025 (subject to funds).
  • Application deadline: December 5, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EST
  • Notice of award: February 2026
  • Project period: March 1, 2026 – February 28, 2027
  • Final report due: within 30 days of project end.

Requirements

Projects must:

  1. Identify a full-time faculty member (any rank, tenure track or clinical track) at FDU as Principal Investigator (PI).

  2. Include at least one external partner (e.g., higher-ed institutions, industry, government, healthcare, or nonprofit).

  3. Demonstrate a path to sustain collaboration beyond the seed year.

  4. Include a 1-page partner letter confirming role and partnership, and readiness to participate in the proposed project.

Eligibility

Full-time faculty members at Fairleigh Dickinson University are eligible to apply.

Allowable & Unallowable Costs

  • Allowable: Student wages and fringe; materials/supplies; software; local research travel or partner meetings; community engagement activities; and participant incentives (with IRB approval if applicable).
  • Unallowable: Conference travel; academic-year course buyout; summer salary; salary supplements unrelated to the scope; equipment purchases of any kind; and any funds provided to external organizations in the form of subawards, subcontracts, or direct transfers. External collaborators may participate in activities but cannot receive funds directly.

Application Components

  1. Cover Page: Title; PI name/college/department and contact; external partner(s) name/organization and contact.

  2. Project Narrative (no more than 3 pages single-spaced) (please use these section headers in this document):

    • Problem/Opportunity & Aim(s)

    • Partnership Plan & Roles (institutional team + external partner[s])

    • Activities & Methods

    • External Funding Plan: Identify specific agencies/programs to which you will submit and explain how the project aligns with their focus areas and priorities.

    • Outcomes & Sustainability (what will be in place after the year, external funding targets, training pathways, or adoption plans)

  3. Budget & Justification: Tabular budget and budget justification.

  4. Abbreviated CV for Faculty Member (1 page)

    Your abbreviated vitae should include the following information:

    a. Highest degree: Indicate your highest degree, degree date, institution, major and minor programs, advisor(s), and dissertation title.

    b. Faculty appointments during the previous five years: rank/title, institution, department, and time period.

    c. Publications within the past five years that are related to the project. (Artistic applicants should list exhibitions, commissions, performances, etc.) This information is needed to help document recent productivity and areas of expertise. If your expertise in the proposed area is not clear from your publications, please add a brief statement documenting relevant experience.

  5. External Partner Letter (1 page).

  6. Overlapping funds: If overlapping funds exist, please distinguish how these funds will be used differently.

Review Process & Selection

Applications will be reviewed by the EPIIC steering team and the FDU Research Council. Scores guide, but panels may consider portfolio balance.

Scoring Rubric (100%)

  • Strength of External Partnership (10%): Fit, clarity of roles, and partner commitment.
  • Potential for Sustained Collaboration (40%): Persuasive explanation of how seed grant funding will lead to credible research and external funding.
  • Impact & Relevance (20%): Potential benefits to communities, learners, or sectors (research, workforce, adoption).
  • Project Design & Feasibility (20%): Clear aims, methods, milestones, and right-sized scope for $5,000/12 months.
  • Proposal Quality, Innovation & Compliance (10%): Completeness, originality, readability, budget accuracy, and required attachments included.

Reporting & Closeout

Final Report (≤2 pages) is due within 30 days of the end date. Include:

  • Partnership impacts and roles.

  • How funds advanced stated objectives.

  • Products/outputs (datasets, pilots, workshops, prototypes).

  • Status of external funding submission(s) agency, program, date submitted or plans if pending.

  • Next-step plans (submissions, agreements, training, or adoption activities).

Compliance & Additional Information

  • Human subjects, data use, export control, IP, or conflict-of-interest requirements must be met prior to relevant activities.
  • Equipment purchases are not allowed.
  • Funds must be fully expended within the project period; no-cost extensions will not be granted.
  • Administrative review of budget and other requirements will occur prior to committee review of application. Applications with budgets or other requirements that are non-compliant will not progress to committee review.
  • If you are not sure of your budget request, please contact us prior to submission.

Application Submission

Application must be submitted via our online application portal. The portal link is:

https://fdu.jotform.com/252686871128063

Questions

Please send questions to j.moralesblasucci@fdu.edu (Jeiselyn Morales-Blasucci, EPIIC Project Coordinator).