Round 3 – 2027

Award, Timeline, and Key Dates

• Maximum award: Up to $5,000 per project (one-year period).
• Anticipated awards: We anticipate supporting 2 projects in 2027 (subject to available funds).
• Application deadline: October 16, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
• Notice of award: December 1, 2026
• Project period: December 1, 2026 – November 30, 2027
• Final report due: Within 30 days of the project end date.

Requirements

Eligibility and Industry Partnership Requirements

1. The Principal Investigator must be a full-time FDU faculty member of any rank on the tenure or clinical track.
2. The proposed project must include at least one external industry partner. Eligible partners include companies, startups, manufacturers, technology firms, healthcare organizations, or other organizations operating within a commercial or industry sector relevant to the proposed project. Colleges and universities, K–12 schools and school districts, and government agencies do not satisfy the industry partnership requirement.
3. The industry partner must have a substantive role in the proposed project, such as contributing industry expertise, identifying an industry need or challenge, participating in project activities, providing access to relevant resources or settings, or supporting the development, testing, or application of project outcomes.
4. The application must demonstrate mutual benefit and present a clear pathway for sustaining or expanding the partnership beyond the SEED Grant period.
5. A one-page letter of commitment from the external industry partner, prepared on the partner organization’s letterhead and signed by an authorized representative, is required. The letter must confirm the partner’s role, anticipated contributions, readiness to participate, and interest in continuing the collaboration.

Eligibility

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

Allowable & Unallowable Costs

• Allowable: FDU 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 any funds.

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 the following 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:
   • Highest degree: Indicate your highest degree, degree date, institution, major and minor programs, advisor(s), and dissertation title.
   • Faculty appointments during the previous five years: rank/title, institution, department, and time period.
   • 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): Please address this letter to the NSF EPIIC Seed Grant Review Committee.
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 the review, but the panel 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 research and the impact on the field of knowledge.
• 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) 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), including 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 the 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

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

https://fdu.jotform.com/262235671338964

Questions