Seed Grants

The Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences (IBACS) Seed Grants provide funding to eligible faculty for interdisciplinary projects and research initiatives. Successful applications typically involve collaborations that require expertise across laboratories and traditional disciplinary boundaries. We prioritize projects that will lead to publications and external awards.

Program Overview

The IBACS Seed Grant funding program supports interdisciplinary projects focusing on traditional and novel research related to the brain and cognitive sciences. Seed Grants also support:

  • Equipment and infrastructure.
  • Visits and/or visitors that contribute to collaborative activities.
  • Other activities compatible with the mission of the Institute.

Priority is given to activities intended to support novel research programs. The Institute encourages workshops and visits that are directly focused on developing multi-PI or multi-institution grant proposals (e.g. research or center grants), and those intended to result in future external grant applications.

Funding Guidelines

Requests must be relevant to the brain and cognitive sciences. For example:

  • Projects focusing on behavior, computation, neuroimaging, genomics, and neuroscience.
  • Projects that cross disciplinary boundaries and that connect perspectives from philosophy, linguistics, education, and other disciplines to the brain and/or cognition.

Successful applications typically involve collaborations across disciplines. The Institute will not fund research that falls within the scope of a single lab or discipline.

IBACS prioritizes projects that will provide pilot data in support of applications for external funding. Priority is given to novel, innovative programs over a continuation of an existing line of research.

Funding requests can support purchases of equipment to provide a shared resource for collaborative research projects. Priority will be given to infrastructure intended to support novel research programs that are directly focused on developing multi-PI or multi-Institution grant proposals.

IBACS typically awards 5-8 larger grants ($10-25k) and 4-6 smaller grants (less than $10k) per year.

Eligibility and Conditions

Eligibility Requirements

Successful Seed Grant applications meet the following criteria:

  • The proposed research must reflect the mission of the Institute.
  • Multi-PI applications are strongly encouraged. Our Seed Grant program is highly competitive, and we prioritize multidisciplinary teams whose collaboration contributes to the novelty of the proposed work.
    • Each PI should have a faculty appointment at UConn (including regional campuses).
    • Postdoctoral researchers can also apply, but they will require a faculty mentor as co-PI.
    • Graduate students cannot apply directly for Seed Grants but should discuss with their faculty advisor(s) whether an application could be submitted with the student as co-applicant (see Use of Funds below).
    • Please note an important change for the 24/25 academic year: Proposals with a UCH investigator must also have at least one Storrs investigator. We hope this will change as we negotiate future support from UCHC.  
  • PIs and Co-PIs must be IBACS affiliates (application).
  • Applicants may not submit more than one application within the same cycle (fall or spring). Funding will prioritize applicants who have not received funding within the last 24 months. Primary PIs can only have one active seed grant project at a time.

Conditions for Award Recipients

Recipients are expected to meet the following conditions during the award period:

  • Recipients must complete the Institute’s annual data collection form to report on the grant activities, outputs, and plans for follow-up and/or external grant funding.
  • Recipients will be asked to serve for one year on the IBACS Review Panel. This panel will review our Seed Grant, Graduate Fellowship, and Undergraduate Research Grant applications. You may defer due to sabbatical or other appropriate reasons.
  • For awards intended to seed subsequent applications for external funding: If the funded activity leads to a successful outcome (e.g., is publishable, demonstrates feasibility of an approach, etc.), the PI(s) is expected to submit an external grant proposal based on these activities. Failure to do so will impact funding of subsequent Seed Grant applications. The Institute can assist with the preparation of applications (e.g., with budgeting, multi-institution agreements, etc.) and applicants are strongly advised to utilize the External Application Review Panel.
  • For equipment awards: PIs are responsible for ensuring that equipment is prioritized for projects intended to seed external funding applications. IBACS will work with the PIs to monitor usage with an annual report detailing use and outputs.
  • Any products (publications, grant applications, conference presentations, or any other information disseminated electronically or in print) that received the support of Institute funds must acknowledge the Institute’s support and should list the Institute among the author’s affiliations. Outputs based on use of Institute-funded equipment must also acknowledge Institute support.

Award Amounts and Use of Funds

Awards range from a few hundred dollars up to $25,000. Applicants are strongly advised to apply only for needed expenses, rather than padding requests to hit the maximum allowable. Note that IBACS is not able to provide faculty summer salary support.

Permitted expenses include:

  • Participant compensation.
  • Equipment.
  • MRI fees. The award of funds to support imaging is conditional on BIRC approval. In the event of a successful award, IBACS will liaise with the PI and with BIRC over the appropriate information that is required (e.g., requisite expertise in design, implementation, safety assessment, data acquisition, data analysis, etc.).
  • Undergraduate or graduate research support for the project.
  • Postdoctoral researcher and technician salary ‘buy out’ for a new project, capped at $10,000.
  • Travel and accommodation expenses for collaborative research visits/visitors, or for workshop/training expenses directly relevant to procedures needed for the project.
  • Animal purchase and per diems.

Seed Grant funds may not be used for the following purposes (exceptions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis).

  • Faculty salary.
  • Student tuition and/or fees (student support will be exempt from tuition fees).
  • Travel and associated expenses for conferences and meetings. (Note that a separate IBACS Travel Award is available for students and postdoctoral researchers.)
  • Conference/meeting fees and registrations.
  • Publication costs. (A separate IBACS Publication Award is available for faculty researchers).

Please note: Categorical budget shifts >$500 are not permitted post-award without IBACS approval. Expenses may not be diverted to disallowed expenses post-award.

Become an Affiliate

Seed Grants are open to faculty and postdoctoral researchers affiliated with the Institute. If you are not currently an IBACS affiliate, please complete the affiliate membership form before applying.

Membership Form

How to Apply

Required Materials

To apply for a Seed Grant:

  1. Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent Form at least two weeks before the application deadline. The Institute directors will evaluate the letter of intent for eligibility and fit with the Institute’s mission.
  2. If the Letter of Intent Form is approved, applicants are invited to submit a formal Seed Grant Application by the application deadline. Applicants must upload the Seed Grant Application Template.

Proposal Review Criteria

Reviewers of Seed Grant applications will consider the following criteria:

  • Does the proposed project fall within the remit of the Institute’s mission and/or priorities?
  • Is the project intended to lead to an application for external funding?
  • What is the intellectual merit of the proposal?
  • Is a successful outcome likely? Are risks outweighed by potential benefits of success?
  • For equipment-only applications, is there sufficient justification for use and outcomes?
  • Are the requested resources appropriate for the anticipated activities?

Key Dates

Large Awards (> $10,000)

IBACS Seed Grants have two application deadlines per year. Applications open six weeks before the deadline.

  • Fall deadline: Oct. 1, 2024
  • Spring deadline: April 1, 2025

Small Awards (< $10,000)

Applications for small awards are accepted on a rolling basis.

Contact Us

If you have trouble with any part of the application process, or you are unsure about eligibility or have questions about budgeting, please email ibacs@uconn.edu or contact the IBACS Program Coordinator.