The Office of the Vice President for Research and Creative Activity (RCA) Research Seed projects are intended to support ideas that pursue innovative, ambitious solutions to impactful research questions that fit within NDSU’s strategic priorities or align with prior and/or existing research investments at NDSU.

The purpose is to support teams to advance ideas for the development of competitive proposals in pursuit of significant external funding.

The seed projects can request up to $100,000 for a project period of approximately one year, with the goal of a submission of a large-scale proposal to an external funder within six months of the seed project end date.

University Research Collaboration Program (URCP) - ROUND 2

Deadline: June 5, 2024

North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota have issued a joint call for the University Research Collaboration Program which is funded by the Economic Diversification Research Funds (EDRF) appropriated in the 2023 Legislative session. The University Research Collaboration Program has selected a first round of awards of up to $50,000. The EDRF funds are targeted at stimulating economic activity across the state through innovation of new technology, concepts, and products and promoting job creation and career and wage growth while providing experiential learning opportunities for students. The URCP requires projects to include faculty from UND and NDSU along with faculty or students from a third North Dakota institution. A call next fiscal year is also anticipated for the year two funds.

EDRF Technology Acceleration Program

Deadline: June 1, 2024

The Technology Acceleration Program will accelerate the development of prototypes (e.g. software, IoT, algorithms, sensors, biologics, materials, medical devices) that have potential to leverage public-private partnerships and fit within NDSU’s strategic priorities or align with prior and/or existing research investments at NDSU. Proposals should demonstrate commercial applicability and articulate how the funding would result in significant progress for the prototype along the bench to the market pipeline. Proposals should include a concise statement of how the activity being funded can serve an unmet industry or market need. The Technology Acceleration Program is not intended to support projects at a conceptual stage.

SBIR/STTR Phase 0 Program

Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis beginning April 23, 2024. Review of submitted proposals will begin May 15, 2024. The request for applications will be open until funds are fully obligated

Research and Creative Activity has designed a program to provide financial support for those pursuing federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Funding for this program will come from Economic Diversification Research Funds (EDRF). Established by the ND Legislature for NDUS institutions, the program’s purpose is to:

• Stimulate economic activity across the state through innovation of new technology, concepts, and products;
• Promote job creation and career and wage growth;
• Enhance health care outcomes;
• Address loss of revenue and jobs in communities with economies that depend primarily on the fossil fuel industry; and/or
• Provide experiential learning opportunities for students.

Interdisciplinary Research Planning Grants

Proposals will be accepted on an ongoing basis until all funds are obligated. Pending continued availability of funds, the competition will continue into FY2025 with a final proposal deadline of October 1, 2024

This planning grant program seeks to initiate early-stage project development to help catalyze collaborative, interdisciplinary teams among diverse disciplines in order to pursue innovative, ambitious solutions to impactful research questions that fit within NDSU’s strategic priorities, or align with prior and/or existing research investments at NDSU. Priority will go to teams without a prior track record of collaboration, or to teams that are expanding to include new disciplinary expertise.

Team composition should be reflective of the nature of the proposed research and the team’s approach should rely on the perspective and expertise of multiple disciplines. This program is intended to help teams develop collaborations and prepare to pursue external sponsored research support for the proposed project. North Dakota has made it a priority to invest in the diversification of the state economy through research, and NDSU faculty are uniquely poised to bring their expertise together in teams to address challenges that cannot be solved by a single discipline.

Bison Arts and Humanities Fund

Cycle: Academic Year 23-24

Faculty are encouraged to submit a proposal for up to $5,000 that can be used for early-to late-stage humanities or arts projects. Emphasis for funding will be on projects that directly support career progression and projects with strong potential to bring positive national attention to NDSU faculty and/or which can be leveraged for future funding are especially of interest.

• Available funding: Proposals can be up to $5,000 in direct costs only, no indirect costs will be allowed.
• Eligibility: Tenure-track or tenured faculty whose home department focuses on the visual or performing arts, design, humanities, or relevant social sciences disciplines which represent “those aspects of social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods” (as defined by the National Endowment for the Humanities authorizing language). 

RCA Research Development Travel and Conference Support Awards

NOTE: This program is currently closed as all funds have been disbursed for FY24.

Research Development Travel and Conference Support Awards are intended to help cover expenses for the following:

• Travel to a national-level conference to present research or creative work;
• Registration fees for a virtual conference to present research or creative work.

Applications will be processed in the order received, and awards will be made until all funds are allocated. Travel must be completed by June 15, 2024.

RCA Equipment Repair Match Fund

NOTE: This program is currently closed as all funds have been disbursed for FY24.

The Research and Creative Activity Office has a small pool of funds available to provide match to researchers for equipment repair. 

• For departmental / unit requests, priority will be given to equipment that is used by multiple researchers and that has a match of at least 33%.
• For Service / Recharge Centers and Core Facilities, priority will be given to requests that have at least a 50% match.
• Funds must be spent no later than June 15, 2024.

Researchers are eligible to receive one award (one piece of equipment) per fiscal year. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and will be processed in the order received. Awards will be made until all funds are allocated.

This program is for research-related equipment repair only.