Science & Technology Initiative Fund

Science & Technology Fund FY 2018 (PDF)

Note that the internal deadline for 2 page concept paper is January 19, 2018.

Please let me know as soon as possible if you plan to apply as we will be scheduling presentations for internal review the week of February 8th.  If chosen to move forward, we'd like to give PIs time to incorporate suggestions from the review into their final submissions.

Please submit your Concept Paper by Friday, January 19th to Mary Hensel mhensel@umassd.edu, and to Stefanie Picard, stefanie.picard@umassd.edu, with a copy to your Dean and your Chair. 

If you are participating in a concept paper led by a PI on another campus, be sure to let me know as well.  The President's Office expects review and approval from each campus Research Office on all concept papers, so please send me a copy of your submission. 

The goals of the S&T program are to:

1) catalyze research collaborations among UMass campuses and industry;
2) support well-established faculty with a track record of external funding, who are positioned to help grow the University's R&D enterprise;
3) focus funds on areas of strategic importance to campus research and the State's innovation economy;
4) attract significant new investments to the University.

The funding level is $100 - $150K for a 12 month period

To see previous winners of this fund, including a brief description of their programs, go to the President's Office S &T website.

Follow the format for the concept paper (2 page limit) given in the RFP:

  • outline the thrust of the project and how it achieves the goals of the Fund
  • identify the project leadership and team
  • provide a cost estimate
  • describe external funding opportunities to be pursued

The UMass Dartmouth review process will follow the RFP criteria:

  • Intellectual Merit: Only high-quality science and technology projects will be considered for funding
  • Growth Opportunity: Potential for leveraging substantial outside funding from federal, state, industry and other sources is expected
  • Institutional Partnerships: Collaboration with other Massachusetts academic and research institutions is highly valued – especially partnerships among UMass campuses
  • Economic Impact and Industry Collaboration: Projects should demonstrate their ability to support economic growth in Massachusetts, through partnerships with individual companies or regional/statewide industry associations, or through other mechanisms, and are encouraged to focus on areas of strategic importance to the Commonwealth or to ongoing University research strengths
  • Project Leadership: The presence of strong project leadership by both faculty and administrative staff (as appropriate, including the use of external consultants) is considered crucial for success.