![A simple header image that states: Spark Funding: Proposal Development. To the left is the Here & Next Logo.](https://research.wustl.edu/app/uploads/2024/06/Spark-Funding.png)
Proposal Development Grant
Proposal Development grants are designed to support faculty teams submit large-scale, complex proposals for external funding. Awarded proposals are required to submit their proposal by the end of their award period of 9 months. Thus, applicants are required to identify a specific targeted funding mechanism and demonstrate how their proposed activities will increase their chance of success.
Funds may be used to support various proposal development costs such as:
- Proposal and Project Management costs
- Grant Writing and Editing Services
- Mock Review, such as Red Team Reviewer compensation
- Graphic Design and Scientific Illustration
- Stakeholder outreach and engagement
- Meeting and Collaboration costs (to develop the team’s relationship with collaborators, program officers, etc.)
Unallowable costs are:
- Salary Support
- Project Support (materials, equipment, staff, and student support)
FY 2025 Call for Proposals
The Call for Proposals document contains the full information about the Spark Funding: Proposal Development Grant program, application procedures, review criteria, reporting requirements, etc. Please reach out to researchseedfunding@wustl.edu with any questions.
Application Information
All applications must be submitted via the InfoReady system. Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis for the duration of the Academic Year, as long as funds allow.
Proposal Questions
After submitting the demographic information, you will be asked the following questions in the InfoReady portal. See CFP for full details.
- Identify the solicitation or opportunity that your team is preparing a proposal for, your estimated budget request, targeted submission deadline.
- Explain your proposed project and how it is aligned with the targeted opportunity selected.
- Who is on the team and how does each member of the team contribute to the proposal? What role will they play in proposal development and project execution?
- Please describe any communication with funding agency (communication from Program Officer, feedback on prior submissions, etc.)
- What are the activities you plan to undertake with the Proposal Development funds? How will these activities move the needle toward your proposal’s success with the sponsor?
Budget Information
List the top-line budget items for the proposal development grant. Explain those high-level expenses and their necessity to the proposal submission in the justification.
- Up to $20,000 over 9 months, with smaller amounts suggested
- Funds may be used to support proposal development costs such as project management, grant writing, editing, mock review, graphic design and scientific illustration, and stakeholder outreach and engagement activities
- Funding may be used to support meetings, workshops, symposia, developing relationships with collaborators and program officers, and other mechanisms to bring people together.
- Salary support is not allowed
- Indirect costs are not allowed on Here & Next Seed grants.
Spark Funding: Proposal Development Awardees
2023-2024 Awardees
- Environmental Humanities Working Group
Environmental Research: Stephanie Kirk, Arts & Sciences; Bret Gustafson, Arts & Sciences; Derek Hoeferlin, Sam Fox School; Diana Montano, Arts & Sciences; Patricia Olynyk, Sam Fox School; Ila Sheren, Arts & Sciences - Developing a Measure of Trust in Crisis Mental Healthcare Services
Public Health: Morgan Shields, Brown School; Chih-Hung Chang, School of Medicine; Karen Joynt Maddox, WUSM - Refugee Success: Developing a refugee-grounded measure and understanding determinants
Public Health: Ilana Seff, Brown School; Margot Moinester, Arts & Sciences - Building partnerships to support LGBTQ+ asylum in Mexico
Public Health and Global Health: Lindsay Stark, Brown School; Jeremy Goldbach, Brown School; Julia Lopez, WUSM - Strengthening community partnerships to improve mental health in South Africa and globally
Public Health and Global Health: Lindsey Filiatreau, WUSM; Byron Powell, Brown School - Engineering targeted Soil Microbiota Transplants for restoring health of depleted agricultural soils
Environmental Research: Arpita Bose, Arts & Sciences; Joshua Blodgett, Arts & Sciences; Fangqiong Ling, McKelvey School of Engineering; Christopher Topp, Arts & Science - Addressing Substance Use Disorder Among Survivors of Human Trafficking
Public Health and Global Health: Theresa Anasti, Brown School; Nathaniel Dell, WUSM - Race, Education, and Place: Mapping the Non-Profit Landscape in St. Louis
Public Health and Research Impacting the St. Louis Community: Michelle Purdy, Arts & Sciences; Kia Davis, School of Medicine; Kelly Harris, School of Medicine; Nadirah Farah Foley (Arts & Sciences); Seanna Leath (Arts & Sciences); and Bronwyn Nichols Lodato (Arts & Sciences) - Federated Casual Inference for Reliable Real-world Evidence Generation in Medicine
Digital Transformation and Public Health: Linying Zhang, School of Medicine; Xuming He, Arts & Sciences; David Liss, School of Medicine; and Adam Wilcox, School of Medicine