STEM-NET Faculty Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research Seed Grant Program

Program Description:

Driven by an unwavering commitment to student success, STEM-NET will transform the CSU into a preeminent champion of inclusive access to research and learning experiences that equip diverse STEM students for thriving careers in STEM-related fields. STEM-NET empowers CSU STEM leaders to harness their expertise in pedagogy, research, and grant-writing to ensure the success of our students and faculty.

STEM-NET strategically invests in research areas that increase the potential to garner externally sponsored grants and awards to support student retention and graduation and strengthen the STEM workforce in California. The transition towards interdisciplinary collaboration is manifold. It emanates from within the scientific community as research progresses and new scientific problems emerge that are not a single disciplinary perspective. In the last decade, numerous funding programs (e.g., NSF) have been launched across the United States, designed to stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration in cognitive neuroscience, behavioral economics, and mathematical anthropology. Several of these programs seek to catalyze and support the integration of the social sciences, humanities, or arts as key participants in interdisciplinary research. One way to accomplish this goal is to provide SEED funding to faculty cohorts to increase the number of externally funded projects across the CSU.

The 2004 National Academies report states, "Interdisciplinary research is a mode of research by teams or individuals that integrates information, data, techniques, tools, perspectives, concepts, and/or theories from two or more disciplines or bodies of specialized knowledge to advance fundamental understanding or to solve problems whose solutions are beyond the scope of a single discipline or area of research practice."
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The STEM-NET Faculty Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research SEED Grant Program aims to support and encourage the development of interdisciplinary research and scholarship collaborations by faculty members in STEM and the social sciences, humanities, and arts. STEM-NET SEED grants will fund activities that support the submission of large external grants, aligned with STEM-NET’s mission and vision. The STEM-NET Steering Committee is seeking nominations from Campus Provosts for these grants. In subsequent years, the nature and amounts of available funding will depend on the direction taken by the Executive Director in conjunction with the Steering Committee.

Eligibility:

  • The program is open to tenured/tenure-track (T/TT) CSU faculty eligible for NSF or similar Federal grants.
  • At least one faculty member in the social sciences, humanities, or arts(not in an evaluation role) must be included in the faculty team.
  • Project plans and budgets must be tied to data collection needed for subsequent submission or re-submission of external-to-the-CSU research grant applications.
  • Funding is to launch new projects and is not to be used to supplement ongoing funded programs.
  • Research projects must involve CSU students in a significant way.

Budget Restrictions:

  • Faculty salary budgets up to three (3) semester units (AWTU) ($2,265/unit)​ per individual are allowed.
  • Faculty overload is not allowed.
  • Student salaries should comply with amounts determined by campus HR departments.
  • Travel is not allowed with STEM-NET SEED grant funds.

Funding:

  • Maximum Award Amount: $25,000

Project Duration:

  • Up to 12 months

2023-24 Faculty Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research SEED Awardees​​

2022-23 Faculty Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research SEED Awardees​​