Seed Grant Program

1. Proposals should include a signed coversheet (see separate attachment); brief narrative (three-page max not including references); detailed budget/budget narrative (1-page max); brief bio sketch (three-page max for all PI/co-PIs and key personnel); and copy of the face page or other identifiable information about the specific targeted RFP that the seed grant proposal is directed toward as a next step. No additional documents will be reviewed as part of the proposal.
2. All applicants must identify a specific funding opportunity being sought using the CHHS seed funds to strengthen the external grant proposal. The expectation is that a grant proposal to an external agency/organization WILL BE SUBMITTED based on the seed funds obtained from CHHS. To be eligible for applying for future funds through the CHHS seed grant program, awardees of CHHS seed grant funds are required to submit an associated external grant proposal and inform the Associate Dean for Research that an external grant proposal as described in your CHHS Seed Grant proposal has been submitted.
3. The narrative (single-spaced, 12-point type, 1-inch margins) should include:
   • Title of project.
   • Brief description of investigator/proposal fit to proposed mechanism.
   • Specific funding opportunity being sought, including name of the organization (government agency and/or institute, industry, foundation, etc.); specific program funding opportunity; project officer or contact at agency; how your proposal idea fits the agencies’ mission and guidelines of the competition; and how this topic fits within the priorities of your unit, college, and/or CSU.
   • A coherent plan describing strategies you will use to develop the targeted external grant proposal and integration of the pilot data/information collected using these CHHS grant funds. This could include a mentoring plan or other review mechanisms to obtain feedback while you are developing the targeted external grant mechanism
   • Description of the idea being proposed to the external funding source and how seed grant funds will be used to collect pilot data, etc. to improve the likelihood of successfully competing for this funding source. When completing the narrative, it is important to recognize that members of the CHHS Research Review Committee may not have expertise in the subject matter. It is the responsibility of the applicant to prepare a logical, understandable proposal, and to provide sufficient details for the review process.
   • Brief timeline of tasks.
   • References (not counted in three-page limit).
4. The budget should include a brief justification of expenses. No tuition or indirect charges are allowed in the budget.

Proposals should be delivered electronically in one PDF file to: Stephanie Ouren via email at stephanie.ouren@colostate.edu. Paper applications will not be accepted. For questions, please email or call Stephanie at (970) 491-6070.

Members of the CHHS Research Committee (comprised of representatives from each department) will score the proposals on:

• Scientific Merit (degree to which the idea proposed will successfully compete for the desired funding source),
• Approach
• Environment
• Alignment of the proposal with the relevant funding guidelines/RFP.

The four scored domains will inform an overall impact score for the proposal, and it is the overall impact that will determine funding recommendations. The rating forms that the reviewers will be using to rate the submitted proposals are attached to this RFP so you can prepare your CHHS seed grant proposal accordingly. The CHHS Research Committee will then submit recommendations for funding to the College Executive Council.

The College Executive Council will make the final determination of awardees, and notification will be made to applicants by April 30, 2025. Funds will be available July 1, 2025, and will need to be spent by June 30, 2026.

The annual report should be submitted to the CHHS Associate Dean for Research by June 30, 2026. If an extension is needed, it should be requested prior to March 1, 2026. This report should indicate whether the external grant has been submitted and if not, the report should indicate anticipated submission date of the external grant. It is the responsibility of the CHHS seed grant awardees to send notification Stephanie Ouren Stephanie.Ouren@colostate.edu when the external grant proposal has been submitted. Until this notification is received by the Dean’s office, the awardee will be not eligible to apply for additional funds through the CHHS seed grant program.

For Seed Grant Program Proposal Cover Sheet and selection criteria information, please download the document attached below.

2025-26 CHHS Seed Grant Proposal Cover Sheet and Proposal Review Criteria