TCRF Research/Creative Activity Seed Grant Program

The Research/Creative Activity Seed Grant Program provides intramural support of up to $5,000 for single-PI projects and up to $15,000 for interdisciplinary projects involving more than one PI or Co-PI. Proposed projects should demonstrate innovation through either:

• preliminary research on an important social or scientific issue with strong potential to support future extramural grant applications; or
• the development of an innovative, creative work or performance.

Applicants should clearly describe how the proposed activity could position them for larger external funding opportunities.

There will be only one Seed Grant competition in AY 26-27. Projects must be initiated no later than September 1, 2026, and activities and expenditures must be completed by August 31, 2027. The total amount of program funding is subject to availability.

TAMU-CC TCRF Research/Creative Activity Seed Grant Program applications are due by June 1, 2026, Central.

Eligible applicants are tenure-line faculty, including faculty in institutes and libraries, as well as PI-eligible TAMU-CC employees. Intramural collaborations will be considered. Applicants can only be awarded University-level Research Enhancement (RE) or Texas Comprehensive Research Fund (TCRF) grant funds every other year.

Seed Grant funds cannot be used for memberships and research instrumentation exceeding 30% of the total budget requested.

Note: All funded PIs/PDs must agree to meet bimonthly with the Office of Research Development staff for brief activity and financial progress reports. Additionally, a final report will be due to the Office of Research Development and the awardees’ colleges within 60 days of the project end date. Investigators with outstanding final reports are not eligible for additional funding from the Division of Research and Innovation.

Below are the sections of the application to the Research/Creative Activity Seed Grant Program.

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1. Internal Funding Cover Page (Available via TAMU-CC InfoReady submission platform)
2. Proposal Narrative
   1. Project Summary (One page)

      1. Overview

      2. Significance

      3. Impact

   2. Project Description (Three pages)
      1. Overview

      2. Goals and Objectives

      3. Innovation

      4. Expected Career Impact for PI

      5. Project Timeline

      6. Deliverables

      7. Compliance Requirement (if applicable)

   3. References
   4. Results from the previous 5 years of internal funding received (1-page limit), if applicable. Include the following information for the PI and Co-PI(s): Year, amount, and title of previously funded project, outcomes of the project, including publications and number of students (undergraduate/graduate) supported, if any.
   5. Results from the previous 5 years of external funding related to the proposed project (1-page limit), if applicable. Include the following information for the PI and CoPI(s): Year, amount, and title of previously funded project, outcomes of the project, including publications and number of students (undergraduate/graduate) supported, if any.
   6. Budget/Budget Justification (Template available via submission platform)

3. SciENcv-generated Biographical Sketch

4. SciENcv-generated Current and Pending Support

5. Conflict of Interest Disclosure – Applicants must identify individuals who should be excluded from reviewing their proposal due to potential conflicts of interest.

Please use regular 8 ½ x11-inch pages using 1-inch margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Text must be single-spaced, using fonts no smaller than 11-point in size.

Please ensure that your application contains all the required sections and addresses all the requirements. As reviewers will be outside your discipline, proposals must be written clearly and be understandable by reviewers to score well.

To submit your application, point your browser to https://tamucc.infoready4.com. Once on TAMU-CC’s InfoReady platform, click on the All Opportunities link on the top left and select Research/Creative Activity Seed Grant Program.

You will be prompted to provide some general information, including:

1. Internal Funding Cover Page
2. Project Narrative
3. Biographical Sketches (SciENcv generated)
4. Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Prior to submission, please be sure that you have completed the Internal Funding Cover Page and obtained the necessary signatures. Please combine all the sections of the Project Narrative (Project Summary, Project Description, References, and Budget/Budget Justification) in one PDF file. If applicable, multiple biographical sketches must be combined into one PDF file.

All applications will be evaluated by a Peer Review Committee. Reviewers are expected to disclose any conflicts of interest prior to reviewing applications and maintain strict confidentiality of all application materials.

Proposals must exhibit strong potential for leveraging extramural funding. PIs/PDs must commit to either submitting at least one external proposal based on the pilot project or a creative project/performance with a firm date of delivery. Applicants will be required to document their outcomes in their final reports. Additionally, all applicants agree to serve as peer reviewers for applications in future intramural competitions, if asked by the Office of Research Development.

All applicants must demonstrate that the proposed project represents an innovative research/creative direction. Research that is already supported by other sources is not eligible for Seed Grant funding. Proposals pending for a decision by an extramural agency will not be considered. However, creative activities may use Seed Grant funds to leverage existing/pending external support. We also encourage applicants to submit proposals to this program based on proposals previously reviewed and declined by external agencies if they have revised such proposals based on reviewers’ feedback.

Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by the Review Committee upon submission based on the following criteria:

• How well the need/significance for the project is demonstrated
• Feasibility of the project to be completed in one year
• How well the proposal conveys the novelty or innovativeness of the project
• The impact of the proposed project upon completion on the PI's career, as explained in the proposal
• Quality of the proposed deliverables (Are deliverables specific, tangible, and/or intangible outputs, products?)
• Alignment with the innovative mission of TAMU-CC to "provide intellectual capital through research, creative activity, and innovation for South Texas, the Gulf of America, and beyond."