The goal of the Internal Seed Grant Fund is to support faculty in: (a) developing multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborative efforts leading to sustainable research and scholarship; (b) generating preliminary results, innovative ideas, and high-quality scholarship or creative works that grow UMass Lowell’s research portfolio and capacity. These inquiries can include knowledge making in any area, including creative endeavors, pedagogy, and inclusive excellence.

Anticipated Funding Amount

Up to $15,000 per project (awards may be offered for partial funding to maximize the number of projects supported) for up to two years.

Proposal Deadline

The Office of Research Development is not currently accepting proposal submissions. Proposals must be submitted through InfoReady. The deadline will be announced in the call for proposals, typically in the spring semester.

Eligibility

  • UMass Lowell tenured and tenure-track faculty are eligible to apply
  • An individual may serve as the lead PI on one proposal. There is no limit to the number of proposals an individual may serve as co-PI.
  • Applicants may only submit as lead PI on one application for any award sponsored by the Office of Research Development per academic semester. If multiple applications are received from the same lead PI applicant in the same academic semester, only the first submission will be considered for funding.

Guidelines

  • Funds are awarded for a two-year period. Funds will be disbursed by July 1, 2025.
  • Funds must not be used for summer salary or other additional compensation for faculty
  • Funds must not be used to fund Research Assistants/tuition waivers (funds may support student hourly wages)

General Timeline

  • February – Announcement of call for proposals
  • March – Proposal deadline
  • April/May - Proposal review
  • June – Notification of decision to applicants
  • July 1, 2025 – Disbursement of funds