TCU IS Application Process

Submit Letter of Intent which provides your contact information and a short description of the project you intend to submit to SponsoredPrograms@tcu.eduby January 21, 2025.
Complete application form and proposal as described below.
Prepare budget, following budget guidance below.
Update CVs for all PIs and include with proposal.
Submit all full proposal components as a single PDF file via email to SponsoredPrograms@tcu.eduby February 17, 2025 at 5pm.

Budget Guidance

Budgets may include

Postdocs for 9 or 12 month appointments, within one fiscal year.
Student researchers.
Consultants.
Travel justified to perform the proposed research.

TCU-IS budget is NOT intended for

Faculty or staff pay, including summer.
Long-term funding for any particular research project.
Travel for participation in conferences or professional meetings to present research results.

If IT related purchases or equipment are required, submit a quote from Instructional Services or Technology Resources.

PIs with existing start-up funds must include information about how those funds will be put to use for this project and/or why they are not sufficient for what is proposed.

Application Components

Application Form – must be completed in full and signatures obtained prior to submission (signatures may be electronic)

Body of Proposal (6 page maximum)

The project description must include, in this order:

General background;
Merit and significance of the research or creative activity
Societal impact of this research or creative activity
Specific goals, objectives and anticipated results;
Description of methods including anticipated barriers or technical difficulties, and
Specify the resources needed for this project (equipment, materials, etc.) and indicate their availability.

The project description must be concise, limited to six (6) typed, single-spaced pages with an Arial font, size of 12 points, including graphics. One-inch margins must be maintained. Appendices may be included; however, reviewers are not obligated to read this supplemental material. If two or more appendices are included in a proposal, they should be designated Appendix A, Appendix B, etc. A violation of this format will disqualify the proposal from review.

Budget & Budget Justification

Include budget details and justification for each category of the request. Details for all proposed expenditures must be described in the budget justification. The budget justification must convey an integrated understanding of the types of resources (labor, materials, other) necessary to complete the proposed research project.

PIs are encouraged to submit the budget using the template available on the Sponsored Programs website. Other formats are acceptable.

CV for each PI

Record of External Funding

Include submissions and awards for each PI.

Plan for Extramural Support – (1 page maximum)

Provide a specific plan for pursuit of extramural funding for this project. Submission of at least one extramural proposal will be required as part of the project award and must be completed within one year of the completion of the seed grant. (Note: For activities in disciplines in which external support is not available the PI must use this section to list the steps taken to ensure that no mechanisms are available to fund this activity/project. The capacity of this project to significantly enhance the national reputation of TCU will need to be provided in the body of the proposal)

Provide the following details in your plan for extramural support:

Sponsor/Program: Indicate from which extramural funding program(s) you will be seeking support. List specific program(s) and why you anticipate that the research supported by this seed grant will leverage external support. Which grant submission deadline will be targeted?
Objectives: What will the extramural proposal seek to accomplish and how is it specifically supported by this seed funding?
Pre-review: Who will read and comment on your external proposal before it is submitted? Having a colleague review your grant application prior to submission significantly increases the likelihood of being

If this project has previously been submitted for extramural support and declined based on the basis of insufficient preliminary data, a copy of the executive summary or official letter from the agency specifically stating the deficiency or absence of preliminary data, along with the original application should be included as appendices in your application.

Award Requirements

TCU IS funding should be acknowledged in any reports or productions resulting from the funded work. This statement is suggested: “This work was supported in part by a grant from the TCU Invests in Scholarship Fund.”
Approvals from research compliance committees (IRB, IACUC, etc.) must be obtained before awarded funding will be released.
PIs whose projects receive a TCU IS award must carry out the project as proposed according to the awarded budget. If changes in protocol, objectives, scope, or budget are required, prior approval must be obtained from the Director of Sponsored Programs.
If external funding for the project begins during the TCU IS project award period, the unspent TCU IS funding covering the same project expenses will be returned to the fund.
Awards will be made for a 12 month period. Funds must be utilized by the date given in the award letter. PI(s) must commit to giving a status report at the mid-point (6 month) and end (12 month) of the funding period.
Failure to submit the mid-point report or lack of appropriate progress may result in cancellation of project activities and funding.
A final report on the project is due to the Director of Sponsored Programs within 60 days of the project completion or expiration of the funding award, whichever comes first.
Project lead must present their work at a seminar or workshop organized by the university (venue to be determined). Funding is made at the sole discretion of the Office of Research.