Seed Grants

The USU Office of Research is a university-level office that the Vice President for Research (VPR) directs. The Office of Research seed grant program’s goal is to increase external funding success at USU. Seed grants support new, innovative lines of research with the potential for external funding.

Office of Research Seed Grants are submitted first to each College’s Associate Dean for Research. You should contact the Associate Dean for Research as soon as you know you’d like to apply for a Seed Grant.

Complete applications are due to the Associate Dean Julia Gossard via email by:
Cycle 1: January 8
Cycle 2: June 8

Research Catalyst program
The Research Catalyst (RC) Program provides funding to help applicants develop projects that will lead to future external funding. It is expected that funded RC projects will result in the development and submission of at least one proposal to an external funding agency.
Learn More about the RD Program

Grant-Writing Experience through Mentorship program
The Grant-Writing Experience through Mentorship (GEM) program provides funding to enhance the professional development of investigators through one-on-one research/creative scholarship and grant-writing interaction with successful mentors.
Learn More about the GEM Program

Integrated Team Research
Integrated Team Research (ITR) provides funding to generate novel solutions as an integrated research team that address a research challenge and/or present-day problem that will lead to future external funding. The expectation is the team will be a minimum of three PIs, two of which must be at USU. ITR grants provide up to two years of seed funding for up to $100,000 for the development of a multi-PI external proposal submission of $1 million or more. Note: The Office of Research has retired the SPARC program, replacing it with the ITR.
Learn more about the ITR Program

CHaSS Faculty Funded through Seed Grants since 2023:

Nicole Allen

Associate Professor, Communication Studies

Nicole Allen

Sidi Meyara

Assistant Professor, Communication Studies

Sidi Meyara

Sydney O’Shay

Assistant Professor, Communication Studies

Sydney O'Shay