Interdisciplinary Training in Research Grant

• Grants are open to tenured and tenure-track faculty.
• Work must integrate at least two distinct disciplines, broadly defined.
• Grantee must be on approved research leave or able to commit to completing research over the summer.
• Host must represent a new collaboration.

• Projects should be scientifically sound and result in significant contributions to scientific knowledge or have the potential for groundbreaking scientific results. The term science is interpreted broadly, yet rigorously, as methods that increase knowledge through evidence-based inquiry, including experimental, mathematical, and/or simulation evidence.
• Work that clearly supports the Picker ISI mission and goals.
• The external faculty member's expertise and the value of integrating their perspectives into Colgate faculty member's research should be clearly articulated.
• Likelihood of sustained impact (ongoing collaboration, external proposals, curriculum, student engagement).
• Projects should have the potential for sustained impact beyond the institute funding (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, external grant funding, or an ongoing contribution to the curriculum).
• The proposal should include a training plan that will advance the applicant's scholarship via new methods, data, or perspectives.
• Student involvement that enhances interdisciplinary learning and raises student awareness of the University’s interdisciplinary science programs.
• The proposed project should be one in which satisfactory progress would not be possible through other Colgate funding sources, including departmental or Research Council funds.
• The Executive Advisory Committee may prioritize projects that support the institute's mission and goals the most, and those of faculty members who have not received a Major, Minor, Scholarly Leave, or Interdisciplinary Training in Research Grant in recent years.

• Research-related expenses: up to $10,000 (software, data access, small essential equipment, supplies/operating costs tied to the residency, and fees for access to equipment or data).
• Remaining funds may support travel, lodging, and living expenses during the residency.

Please contact the director if you have questions about additional funding categories that are not listed here.

Write for a broad interdisciplinary audience. Be clear, concise, and concrete. Incomplete applications will not be considered. To ensure fairness, the use of generative AI tools is not permitted in the preparation of this proposal.

Proposals should include:

1. Cover page: Project title, principal investigators (PIs), and affiliations.
2. Project summary, 150–200 words: Goals, host site, and anticipated outcomes.
3. Project narrative, less than 1,000 words.
4. Brief statement, less than 250 words: How the proposed research relates to your longer-term research and/or teaching plans, and how the project advances Picker ISI's mission and goals.
5. Timeline, less than one page: Milestones, residency dates, dissemination, and completion date.
6. Detailed budget: Itemize by category using actual costs; tie each line to the plan. View the Colgate grant budget guidelines, and use actual costs.
7. CV of applicant and host, less than three pages: SciENcv or similar format that includes personal and professional information such as education, employment, scientific appointments, honors, grants, publications, research products, and synergistic activities.
8. Supporting letters or other documents, less than five pages: A host commitment letter is required; include participation, facilities, supervision, and alignment. Additional letters are optional.
9. Previous Picker ISI support and other funding: List prior Picker ISI awards, including outcomes, and any current or pending internal or external funding relevant to this project.
    

Formatting tips: Use Times New Roman, 12-pt font with standard margins. (References are separate.) Single-spaced text is acceptable, provided it has clear headings. Combine all materials into a single PDF, if possible.

• The application will be reviewed by the Picker ISI Executive Advisory Committee; recommendations subject to approval by the dean of faculty/provost and the president.
• Post-award budget changes exceeding 10% of the ISI-awarded total require prior approval from the Picker ISI director.

• Must submit a final one- to two-page page report within four months of completion.
• The awardee is expected to provide at least one public presentation, like a divisional colloquium, and to share informally with colleagues.
• Grant recipients should acknowledge Picker ISI support in related presentations and publications. Sample language: “This work was supported by the Picker Interdisciplinary Science Institute Interdisciplinary Training in Research Grant Program at Colgate University.”