Transcend Initiative Grants

Transcend Initiative Grants: Growing University-Wide Research

Formerly the “Tier 3 University-Wide Research Initiative (URI),” Transcend Initiatives bring together researchers with diverse backgrounds and disciplines from across multiple schools and departments.

Examples of research groups that may benefit from establishing a Transcend Initiative:

  • Interdisciplinary groups that have started collaborative discussions and projects around a critical challenge. Initial outputs from the group may include a white paper, publication, or submitted proposal.
  • Interdisciplinary groups that have previously received some external sponsored funding to support collaborative research and other activities, such as symposiums, but need URI funding to broaden the group’s activities and support elevating it to a nationally recognized research group.


A Transcend Grant supports interdisciplinary collaborative effort to conduct research across multiple schools. They are expected to include multiple faculty members (e.g., generally 10 or more) that are actively engaged in its activities. New Initiatives should not duplicate, substantially overlap with, or subsume the mission of existing URIs. These interdisciplinary Initiatives may be at an early phase of development, formed in response to anticipated specific funding opportunity announcement, or some may be more advanced in their formation (e.g., have had some demonstrated success) and need support to sustain their activities.

Centers, institutes, consortia, and programs that are housed within a single school are not included in the definition of a Transcend Initiative. Transcend proposals should not duplicate, substantially overlap with, or subsume the mission of existing Initiatives or school-based centers.

See Awarded Transcend Initiatives

Competition Details

Award Period: Up to 3 years from award

Award Cap: Up to $150,000 per year for 3 years

Cycles: Required LOIs will be accepted at anytime starting in August of 2024. Full proposals will be reviewed quarterly.

Submit a Transcend Initiative Grant LOI

Transcend Initiative Grant Application Information

Specific instructions for the Letter of Intent application and the full proposal are contained within the CFP in InfoReady.

  • Required Letter of Intent
    Faculty seeking to establish a new TI should first submit a required LOI through the InfoReady Portal. You will be asked several questions about your proposed Transcend Initiative, your TI’s leadership structure, proposed activities to grow research around the initiative, and plans for sustainability.
  • Associate/Vice Dean Review
    Applicants must socialize their initiative with their department chairs, deans, and administrators in their school(s) prior to submitting an LOI. Submitted LOIs will undergo preliminary review by the Vice/Associate Deans for Research of the schools represented by the leadership team of the Transcend Initiative. The Associate Deans will confirm that the LOI and the team meet the criteria for a TI and provide guidance relative to each school’s institutional priorities and objectives. The Seed Grant program manager will coordinate this review.
  • Meet with Research Development Office
    The leadership team of the proposed Initiative will meet with the Research Development office, usually the Here and Next Seed Grant Program Manager and the Senior Research Development Associate who is leads RDO support of Transcend Initiatives. In this meeting, RDO will deliver any feedback from the Associate/Vice Deans for Research as well as provide guidance on the development of the full Transcend Initiative proposal.
  • Develop & Submit a Full Proposal
    After meeting with RDO, you will be sent a link to the full proposal portal. The team can then submit their proposal and submit via InfoReady based upon their own timeline. Please consult the timeline for review below.
  • Panel Review
    The reviewers are selected from a) the different disciplines associated with the Here and Next priority areas of research excellence, and b) successful team researchers and center directors. Please note: The panel is composed of senior researchers who will not be experts in the fields associated with your proposal. It is in the team’s best interest that you define all acronyms, keep your plan free of jargon, and to ensure that it is understandable and compelling to a non-specialist.
  • Provost Office Approval
    Panel recommendations will be passed along to the Provost’s Office for the final funding decision.
  • Decision and Award Notification
    Teams will be notified of their status as soon as possible. Before the official Award letter and Terms and Conditions are issued, the team will meet with RDO to transition to the awarded initiative. In this meeting, RDO will discuss any feedback from the panel for the team, finalize the budget, and make any amendments to the plan. Once the award is issued, the Senior Research Development Associate will schedule a subsequent Needs Assessment meeting with award teams.

Review Schedule

Please keep in mind the below schedule when submitting your LOIs and full proposals. Full proposals will not be invited until the LOI has been approved by the Associate Deans and you have discussed your proposal with RDO. Please also keep in mind that these are our best estimates. We treat proposals individually, thus there may be some delays as this is an iterative process.