How to Apply

Spring 2026 OR&I (formerly OVPR) Seed Grant Program

The Spring 2026 deadline is May 14, 2026, at 11:59pm EST. Link to the online submission portal can be found below; all applications must be submitted via InfoReady. Please note that myResearch is not required for OR&I Seed Grant Program applications.

This cycle of the OR&I Seed Grant Program applies the ABCs (Accelerate, Build, and Catalyze) of SBU and prioritizes proposals that accelerate early career research programs, build new areas of inquiry, and catalyze a larger ecosystem around areas of research. To meet those goals, the program includes three priority areas: (1) Early Career, (2) Pivoting Research, and (3) Center-Scale Proposals.

Early Career: “Early career faculty” are defined as pre-tenure (i.e. Assistant Professors).
Pivoting Research: "Pivoting research” is defined as (1) projects in a new discipline where the PI has no publications or awards OR (2) exploring new research areas or partnerships that expand the PI's area of inquiry.
Center-Scale Proposals: Center-Scale proposals are defined as multi-institutional projects that (1) incorporate interdisciplinary research; (2) include complex partnerships and large, structured teams; (3) address a grand challenge with societal implications; and (4) require Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and subcontracts with external partners. These proposals will seek external funding with a $5,000,000+ award or external funding that is described as a collaborative grant involving multiple institutions.

The OR&I Seed Grant Program is also open to all eligible applicants, and their research focuses within and beyond these three priority areas.

Eligibility

Please note that there are changes in eligibility.

We are following the Principal Investigator (PI) Eligibility Policy. Please review it carefully to determine whether you need a letter from your Department Chair.

Individuals with titles that require approval are required to submit a letter from their Department Chair. If needed, the letter should be submitted as part of the proposal package PDF and include:

Define how the research will be used to advance the seed grant mission.
Emphasize how the proposal will contribute to advancing research at Stony Brook University.

Additionally, projects must demonstrate the following:

Individuals may only be PI on one application.
Individuals may only be a Co-PI on two applications.
There is a limit of four Co-PIs on any application.
Individuals may not apply as PI if they currently have an active OR&I Seed Grant.
Individuals may not apply if they already have funding for the proposed project.
Individuals applying for the Early Career priority area must be an Assistant Professor.
Individuals applying for the Center Scale Proposals priority area must have at least 2 co-PIs on the application and apply for an external award of at least $5,000,000.

Full Proposal

All applications must be submitted via InfoReady. You can sign in using your Net-ID and your @stonybrook.edu email address. Please allow sufficient time to familiarize yourself with the portal prior to submitting your proposal.

If you are submitting this application by proxy (on the behalf of another user) please have the other userdesignate you as a proxy with these instructions. Then,follow these instructions to submit the application.

Proposals must be uploaded to the application portal as a single PDF file by 11:59 PM on May 14, 2026, via theSpring 2026 OR&I Seed Grant Program Portal in InfoReady. All documents should be combined in the following order and uploaded as ONE PDF file. Each section must start on a new page (the page limits for each are listed below). Font size must be 11 points or larger with 1-inch margins. Smaller text in figures, graphs, diagrams and charts is acceptable, as long as it is legible when the page is viewed at 100%.

Overview/Abstract (1-page limit)
Project Description (4-page limit) that explains the project goals and how they align with the seed grant objectives. Also include the following:
1. Impact Statement that describes how the project will advance the PI/Co-PI's career and/or research program and includes a timeline for submitting a proposal to an external sponsor. It is advisable to indicate the specific sponsor/program.
  1. Applicants applying for the Center-Scale Proposals priority area should note the potential award size for the external program. As you develop the timeline for external submissions, please keep in mind that award periods will vary between 12 and 18 months, and PI teams are expected to apply for external grants within the award period.
  2. Pivoting Research Priority Area Only: Describe the proposed pivot in the PI’s research. What was the motivation for the pivot, and why is it necessary? How will this award help the PI to flourish in this new research area? What opportunities will this pivot open up to the PI?
  3. Center-Scale Proposals Priority Area Only: Please address how you will (1) incorporate interdisciplinary research; (2) include complex partnerships and large, structured teams; (3) address a grand challenge with societal implications; and (4) integrate Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and subcontracts with external partners.
References (No page limit) consisting of full citations including authors, year of publication, title, journal, and inclusive pages. Do not include any abstracts, summaries, or other annotations.
Budget Justification (no page limit) that includes:
1. An itemized budget using the provided budget template that does not exceed $50,000 for early career proposals, pivoting research proposals, and proposals outside of the three priority areas. Center Scale proposals can request up to $100,000. If you are submitting a priority area proposal, please note the priority area in your budget justification.
2. Salary for PI/Co-PIs is generally not allowed if requesting PI/Co-PI salary, applicants must present strong justification. Requests for salary for research staff (students, postdocs, research technicians, etc.) is allowable. All personnel-related expenses must include fringe. Travel funds may be requested but must be necessary to perform the proposed research. Given that these are internal funds, F&A costs should not be included in the budget. The Graduate School is offering a Tuition on Research Grants (ToRG) waiver and tuition scholarship for supported Stony Brook PhD students. Please indicate TORG waiver request in your budget justification, but do not budget for tuition*.
3. A timeline for spending the funds within 12 to 18 months. This timeline will determine the length of the award period for funded projects, so it is very important to map out a clear and realistic plan for spending. PIs of funded projects will be expected to be mindful of the award period and account balance throughout the life of the award. OR&I will be closely monitoring spending of the awarded projects and any PI teams that overspend will be expected to cover the difference with other funds. Likewise, PI teams that request more than the budget needed for the project in the proposed time frame should expect any remaining funds to be recaptured at the end of the award period.
Current and pending funding for all PIs and Co-PIs (no page limit)
Biosketch/CV for all PIs and Co-PIs (3-page limit per investigator)

Please note: Name of PI and Co-PIs and their respective department(s), Project Title, and Budget Total will be entered directly into the application portal.

*PIs should indicate the TORG waiver request in their budget submission and also check "waiver" on the students' payroll appointment forms. This is only relevant to programs administered by the Graduate School. PhD students' graduate tuition scholarships should continue to be processed via their graduate program's GTS rosters through the Grad Finance office.

Optional Document: Revise and Resubmit

If you have received a favorable review from an external funding agency for your project, and you are applying to the seed grant program to address the external reviewer feedback, you may include a copy of external reviewer feedback from previously submitted proposals with your application. This pdf must be uploaded separately from the Full Proposal (see portal for instructions). Your 4-page Project Description (described above) should include a detailed explanation of how the seed funding will allow you to strengthen your proposal for resubmission.

Review

All applications that comply with these guidelines will be peer-reviewed based on the criteria below. Please note that all reviewers will be internal to SBU and may not be experts in the specific field of the research topic. As part of the review process, we make every effort to match the topic of the proposal to the subject expertise of the reviewer. We strongly recommend, however, that PIs develop the narrative in such a way that colleagues in related fields can clearly understand.

Innovation: To what extent is the research concept and/or approach novel and likely to result in advances in the field?
Research Team: How well qualified is the individual or team to conduct the proposed research?
External Funding: To what extent would the proposed research create opportunities for attracting external funding? If you are applying to the seed grant program to prepare for a resubmission of a proposal that received favorable external reviews, your resubmission plans will be evaluated as part of the External Funding review criteria.
1. Center Scale Proposals: Does the planned external funding opportunity meet the definition of center scale proposals (i.e. address grand challenges that require bringing together many investigators of different areas of expertise, and seek $5,000,000 external award or multi-institutional collaborative award)?
Research Advancement: To what extent does the proposed project have the potential to advance the PI/Co-PI's career, benefit the research program, and/or reinforce the University’s research mission?
1. Pivoting Research: Does the project demonstrate a clear pivot in research that (1) projects in a new discipline where the PI has no publications or awards OR (2) exploring new research areas or partnerships that expand the PI's area of inquiry? Does the PI make a compelling case for why the pivot is necessary and how it will increase the PI’s research footprint?
Overall Impact and Excellence: How likely is the proposed project to create a meaningful contribution to the research field or improve clinical interventions?
Budget: To what extent is the budget clear, efficient, and well-justified?
1. Does the budget fit the requirements of the selected priority area? ($50,000 for early career proposals, pivoting research proposals, and other proposals outside of the three priority areas. $100,000 for Center Scale proposals)

Note: Proposed budgets are evaluated and approved for overall reasonableness, permissibility, and clarity, and are not part of the final numerical score.

Progress Reports

Awarded projects will be required to submit progress reports throughout the life of the award. Progress reports will be requested via an email notification from InfoReady.

PIs who fail to complete official progress reports by the deadline may not be eligible to apply for future seed funding as PI or co-PI. Additionally, PIs who fail to submit proposals to external sponsors within the award period will not be eligible to apply for future seed funding as PI or co-PI. Any expected delays in internal progress report submissions or external proposal submissions must be clearly communicated to the Office of Proposal Development ASAP in order to avoid ineligibility in future funding cycles. Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Please direct all questions to: OPD_OVPR@stonybrook.edu

Post Award Service

Seed awardees will be required to serve as a reviewer for a minimum of three (3) competitions, which might include seed grant competitions, limited competitions, and other competitions from the Office for Research and Innovation.

OVPR Seed Grant Program