A core goal of the Rice Advanced Materials Institute (RAMI) is to support the growth and expansion of materials research activities at Rice. Such research programs come in different forms including, small-scale grants (i.e., those that support one to three PIs typically through core research programs at agencies and at rates generally <$500,000/year), medium-scale grants (i.e., those that support approximately four to eight PIs generally through specialized small-team grants and at rates generally between $500,000 to $2,000,000/year), and large-scale grants (i.e., those that support large centers or institute efforts in excess of $2,000,000/year). RAMI is already working with the Campus and other Institutes to support the pursuit of large-scale programs, but this initiative is meant to support our members to pursue medium-scale collaborative research opportunities.
With this goal in mind, RAMI announces the Medium-Scale Research Focus Group program which will provide RAMI members with financial support and baseline resources needed to organize, initiate, and submit competitive proposals for collaborative, medium-scale research programs that align with RAMI’s mission of advancing materials research activities at Rice and adhere to at least one of its core research themes of the Institute (details here). Potential target programs include, but are not limited, to programs such as:
- Department of Defense Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI),
- National Science Foundation Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF),
- One-off calls from various federal agencies, such as the recent National Science Foundation Future of Semiconductors (FuSe2) and others, or
- Any other small-team calls from federal agencies, companies, or foundations.
Faculty can apply for grants of up to $10,000 to support efforts to prepare proposals for these competitions. For example, the funds can be used to support:
- Organizational and teaming activities such as supporting potential team members to come to campus to brainstorm or actively work on the (pre-)proposal,
- Travel to meet with program managers or to attend workshops (proposer’s days) hosted by agencies/program managers ahead of new calls for proposals,
- Support for proposal development such as engaging external grant writing services, supporting red-team reviews, or other proposal-development costs,
- To host events focused on proposal development and submission such as small research workshops, hosting program managers, etc.,
- Administrative support such as “buying-out” administrative time from the RAMI staff as needed during various stages of the proposal planning, development, and submission process.
RAMI expects to fund up to five (5) Medium-Scale Research Focus Groups every year, contingent upon availability of funds.
For proposals that require cost share (or sometimes called cost matching or non-Federal share) funds to support the program, requests can be made directly to the RAMI leadership who will consider such support separately.
Program Objective
This initiative aims to facilitate the formation of medium-scale, focused groups led by and populated with RAMI members to develop strategies for securing new funding and aligning proposals with the goals and priorities of funding agencies. RAMI intends to provide resources to help these teams leverage their collective networks to gather support, endorsements, and partnerships to strengthen the proposal. The goal is to support the pursuit of programs larger than single-investigator projects, where faculty members of various ranks and diverse backgrounds can collaborate, thereby increasing the prospects of success without solely focusing on large research center-level grants.
Eligibility and Funding
The call is open to full-time, tenure-track faculty with a primary appointment at Rice University. Since successful medium-scale programs often require inclusion of PIs from multiple universities, there is an expectation that some funds will be spent outside of Rice. This said, programs that show potential for Rice’s leadership (as in being the lead institution on the submission or wherein the largest fraction of funding will come to Rice either through inclusion of multiple Rice PIs or through Rice PIs serving as the core investigators) will be given priority.
The intention of the award is that it be used for organizing and planning activities, and approved expenses include those that are used to cover travel expenses for collaborators to attend planning/writing sessions at Rice, to allow for travel for faculty to meet program officers, to engage external consulting and review services related to proposal development, and other operating expenses. The funds can also be used to “buy-out” administrative support from the RAMI (or other campus-research-support) staff as needed during various stages of proposal planning and development. Funds cannot be used to support student stipends, research efforts, and salaries outside of RAMI administrative support. Again, faculty can request up to $10,000 for the medium-scale grants proposal efforts.
Application Period
The applications for the Medium-Scale Research Focus Groups will be accepted on a rolling basis and the submission must provide adequate timing to make a difference in the preparation for the targeted funding opportunity. For regularly announced programs, the timeline from previous solicitations can serve as a guide to start the proposal efforts before the funding opportunity is officially announced.
Application Guidelines
Individuals or groups interested in forming a Medium-Scale Research Focus Group should apply to RAMI by submitting the following to ricematerials@rice.edu in a single document:
- Names of the lead PI and other group members – This should include the Rice PI(s) as well as potential outside collaborators to be engaged (if any). For each person, provide a short description of the expertise/qualifications and role in the effort.
- Targeted funding opportunity(ies) – Clearly state (and provide a link to) the targeted funding opportunity(ies), the proposed funding level of those opportunities, and the (likely) application deadline. For programs that come about regularly, planning well in advance of the release of the active call is welcomed. You may use the timing of the previous proposal calls as your guide.
- Proposed research direction(s) – Articulate the overarching research concept in the proposal, highlighting its alignment with the priorities of the targeted funding opportunity and RAMI mission. This section should be between 250-500 words.
- Prior successful efforts and/or need for collaboration – If applicable, please note prior successful efforts (e.g., publications, collaborations, funding, etc.) with the collaborators and/or the proposed funding agency. And provide a brief justification for the planned collaborations.
- Proposed research focus group efforts – Please provide up to 250-500 words about the proposed plan for the funds and the group – be specific on what the funds will be used for.
- Budget breakdown and timeline – Provide a simple, itemized budget table detailing the anticipated use of funds and the timing of that use. While quotes are not required, please provide reasonable estimates of costs.
Medium-Scale Research Focus Group expectations
- Coordinate and oversee all aspects of proposal development, which includes organizing meetings, inviting external collaborators to Rice University if needed, travel management, communicating and meeting with relevant program officers, and ensuring participation from all group members.
- Develop a timeline for preparing, reviewing and submitting proposals according to the program guidelines.
- Identify the proposal team and assign specific roles and responsibilities to each member.
- Monitor and track deadlines for submitting letters of intent, white papers/pre-proposals, and full proposals as specified in the funding opportunity announcement.
- Ensure the proposal meets all the requirements specified in the funding opportunity announcement.
- Complete the internal review process and obtain university approval to submit the proposal in time.
- Ensure that all components of the proposal package, including the budget, are thoroughly reviewed and conform to the format specified in the announcement
- Submit the proposal before the application deadline and notify RAMI that the proposal has been successfully submitted. This is a key requirement of the program.
- Provide a brief (<1 page) recap of the efforts enabled by the grant to RAMI, including a final (actual) costs summary and receipts. Please attach the abstract of the submitted (pre-) proposal, including submission date and funding agency name.
- Assure all allocated funds are spent according to the proposed budget and in accordance with the proposed timeline. Funds not spent during the proposed timeline will be recovered by the Institute and reallocated for other efforts.
Award requirements and details
Acceptance and funding of a proposal indicates that RAMI expects the proposed effort to be seen through to proposed. Should extenuating circumstances arise and the proposed effort cannot be undertaken, the lead PI can work with the RAMI leadership to find alternative opportunities or they can return the fund to be repurposed for other efforts. Furthermore, RAMI requests the proposal to be submitted in compliance with the funding opportunity announcement and any campus deadlines and requirements and that a notification be sent to ricematerials@rice.edu commensurate with the submission acknowledging the same.