Seed Grants provide funding support to faculty members, either individually or as a group, to cover expenses like summer salary, graduate student/postdoc support, and laboratory supplies among others.
The grants are designed to help faculty plan and prepare large, multidisciplinary center proposals. Additionally, they aim to bring visibility and impact to SEAS, promote new collaborations, and pave the way for new research directions.
Proposals should include
- An overview of the proposed research including a budget (up to $50K) outlining how the funds will be used. The overview must be a maximum of one (1) page and be prepared on standard letter-sized paper (8.5″ × 11″) with 1-inch margins on all sides. The overview must use a minimum font size of 11 points.
Proposals will be reviewed by a faculty committee, and funding decisions will be announced in Spring 2027.
Guidelines
- At most, each faculty member may hold one SEAS Seed Grant and one SEAS Innovation Grant simultaneously, as long as the two grants are for different research topics.
- SEAS expects that funds are spent according to the proposed budget.
- Proposals selected for funding will be required to submit a final report at the conclusion of the grant.
- Any unspent funds at the end of a project must be returned to SEAS.
FAQ
The proposal narrative must be a maximum of three (3) pages for the Innovation Grant and one (1) page for the Seed Grant and be prepared on standard letter-sized paper (8.5″ × 11″) with 1-inch margins on all sides. The proposal must use a minimum font size of 11 points. Any required attachments, references, or supporting materials do not count toward the above-mentioned page limit unless otherwise specified.
No. The bibliographic citations can be in addition to the 1-page detailed overview for the Seed Grant or 3-page overview for the Innovation Grant.
No. Innovation funds can only be used to support Princeton costs.
Each faculty member can submit one Innovation Grant proposal and one Seed
Grant proposal, as long as the two grants are for different research topics.
No. Faculty may not be listed on multiple proposals regardless of their status on the proposal they submitted.
An associate research scholar, with an appointment through SEAS, would be eligible to serve as PI/co-PI, as long as a minimum of one SEAS faculty member is included in the proposal. If graduate students are involved in the project, a faculty member or other individual authorized to supervise graduate students must fulfill the appropriate advising responsibilities. The submitting department needs to ensure compliance with this policy.
The SEAS faculty member would have to be the lead PI as funding for SEAS Innovation Grants can only be issued to faculty members holding full or joint SEAS appointments. Additionally, in rare cases, and only at the request of the lead PI (SEAS appointed) and after approval by the Vice Dean, a portion of the approved funding could be transferred/carved out for a non-SEAS PI serving as co-PI.
Yes. A faculty member who holds a joint appointment with a SEAS entity is considered a SEAS faculty member and is eligible to submit a proposal.
No. Associated faculty cannot be a PI. SEAS faculty would serve as the lead PI, as funding for the Innovation and Seed Grants can only be issued to faculty holding full or joint SEAS appointments.
No. Visiting faculty cannot serve as PIs on Innovation or Seed Grant proposals.
No. Postdoctoral research associates cannot be listed as co-PIs on Innovation or Seed Grant proposals. They can be listed on the proposal as senior personnel, but they cannot be listed as co-PIs.
No. According to program guidelines, any active grant disqualifies an application for a new grant in the current cycle.
No. Submitting the same proposal for two different funding sources is not permitted.
Yes. Full-time lecturers, professors of the practice, and instructors with a SEAS appointment, can apply and serve as PI/co-PI on Innovation and Seed Grant proposals, consistent with the University’s eligibility requirements for qualifying as PI/co-PI on sponsored research projects.
A faculty member with an outstanding final report for a prior award may submit a proposal, but a review of their proposal and any funding decisions will be contingent on the prior award report being received by December 31 of the year the current Innovation and Seed Grants are announced.
Submission
The proposal submission deadline is Monday, November 30, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET.