Capacity Building Funds

Capacity Building Funds

Building the foundation for strong proposals

Developing collaborative, end user-driven research proposals requires coordination and significant investment in time and resources. Capacity building funding is intended to help ease that resource burden by providing up to $10,000 to enhance a reserve’s capacity to develop competitive collaborative research or catalyst proposals for Science Collaborative RFPs.

The Science Collaborative has set aside enough funding for all 29 reserves to receive capacity building funds once between 2020 and 2023. Applications will be reviewed internally to ensure plans align with program guidelines, but this is not a competitive, peer review process.

Download the Application Guidance: 2022-2023 Capacity Building Funding Guidance

Begin Your Application

Timeline

Applications are no longer being accepted on a rolling basis and will instead be reviewed annually every April. The next deadline to submit an application is April 1, 2022 and the last deadline is April 1, 2023. Applications will be reviewed in April, and funding decisions made in May. 

Capacity building activities should occur over a 12-month period. 

Supporting virtual engagement

In addition to supporting personnel time, training, or needs assessments, these funds may also be used for expanding capacity for virtual engagement with partners. For example, webcam, microphone, web collaboration software licenses, or other related supplies under $5,000 are eligible expenses, as long as they will support activities that lead to the development of a collaborative research or catalyst proposal.

Collaborating with other reserves

Reserves may opt to pool capacity building resources with other reserves such that the total award amount exceeds $10,000. They may also use portions of their allocation for multiple efforts, but the total for each reserve may not exceed $10,000.,

Accessing Funds

Depending on an applicant’s preference, these funds can be dispersed as either a contract or one-time reimbursement after activities are complete. Please note that indirect costs may not be applied to reimbursable funding.

References and Templates for Applications

Additional Resources

Contact

Questions about this funding opportunity can be directed to:
Email: NERRS-info@umich.edu
Phone: Nick Soberal (734-763-0034), Maeghan Brass (734-763-0727)