The President’s Interdisciplinary Research Accelerator Challenge is a competitive prize that will yield funding for research teams to develop a funding proposal with professional support. This is a new program initiated by President Whitfield and the Division of Research to support interdisciplinary research development and team collaboration. The goal is to accelerate successful interdisciplinary grant applications and build team grant writing skills at UNLV by enlisting the guidance of professional proposal development experts. This award is not a research grant for data collection or other primary research or scholarly activities. It is an award that supports the development of a research proposal to an external funding agency. In recognition of the different needs on campus, the prize may support awards in the following categories:

• Planning or coordination grant - supports targeted planning or coordination activities designed to foster increased resource sharing, develop research/practice communities, coordinate planning for research activities or programs, and support communication and outreach. This grant type ensures adequate support, networks, and resources for flourishing research activities. 
• Training grant - supports developing training programs for undergraduate students, graduate students, and/or faculty in a specific area. This grant type should include research activities to build expertise and capacity for research. 
• Research grant - supports the production of research/scholarship/creative activity.
• Center or Infrastructure grant - supports the development of research centers/institutes or major infrastructure designed to support the research enterprise. 

Eligibility: Teams may comprise faculty, staff, students, and/or external collaborators. However, the project must be led by a UNLV administrative or academic faculty member who is PI-eligible at the time of submission. The team is responsible for communicating how their project is interdisciplinary. 

Awards: Up to $60,000 in total to be split across awardees. We expect to make awards to up to three teams. The funds will not be distributed directly to the teams; instead, the Division of Research will administer the prize through a contract with the supporting external proposal development organization. 

Apply: Submit a (5 pg. max) concept paper through the InfoReady@UNLV platform managed by OSP by Oct. 1, 2024, 11:59pm. If selected for a Finalist Pitch, your team will be notified by Oct. 15, 2024.

Present Finalist Pitch: Up to six concept papers will be selected to give brief in-person pitches to a selection committee, including President Whitfield, Oct. 28, 2024, at the Interdisciplinary Research Symposium.

Awardees: Awardees will be notified of decisions by Nov. 15, 2024. 

Concept Paper and Challenge Details: Challenge PDF or Challenge Website