Micro Grants

• Grants are open to tenured and tenure-track faculty.
• Work must integrate at least two distinct disciplines, broadly defined.

• 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.
• Projects must involve a scientific question/problem that requires an interdisciplinary approach.
• Collaboration between individuals with different areas of expertise is required and will provide opportunities to tackle existing problems in creative new ways. Collaborations may be intra- or inter-institutional. Collaborators may come from the same department or program.
• Individual’s expertise and the value of integrating their perspectives must be clearly defined.
• Projects should have the potential for sustained impact beyond institute funding (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, external grant funding, or an ongoing contribution to the curriculum).
• 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 Micro Grant in recent years.

• Project-related travel.
• Event costs for workshops, seminars, reading groups, or speaker/collaborator visits (e.g., room fees, basic catering, publicity, materials).
• Speaker or consultant honoraria and modest fees.
• Supplies essential to the activity, small software/data access fees, and reagents.
• Non-student wages for project support tied to the activity.
   

Please contact the director if you have questions about 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.

1. Cover page: Project title, principal investigators (PIs), and affiliations.
2. Project brief, 500 words: Describe the rationale, goals, participants involved, anticipated audience, proposed use of funds (e.g., research supplies, field work), and expected outcomes. Explain how the work is interdisciplinary and aligns with the Institute's mission and goals.
3. Detailed budget, maximum one page: Itemize by category using actual costs; tie each line to the plan. View the Colgate grant budget guidelines, and use actual costs.
4. CV of PI(s) and other personnel, 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.

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 is reviewed on a rolling basis by the Picker ISI director and a few members of the Executive Advisory Committee as needed.
• Changes that materially alter the scope or reallocate award funds should be approved in advance by the director.

• Submit a brief, one-page outcome summary within two months of project completion. This brief should include activities, participants, outcomes, and next steps.
• When appropriate, share outcomes with the campus community. This may include a short recap, web blurb, or informal discussion.
• Grant recipients should acknowledge Picker ISI support in related presentations and publications. Sample language: “This work was supported by the Picker Interdisciplinary Science Institute Micro Grant Program at Colgate University.”