Dear Colleagues,
The University of California is pleased to announce a research funding opportunity for UC multicampus collaborations. Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPIs) are multicampus or systemwide research collaborations that go beyond individual Principal Investigator (PI)-driven projects to benefit the UC research enterprise; strengthen UC's position as a leading public research university; launch pioneering research in thematic, multidisciplinary, or interdisciplinary areas; enhance education and training; and benefit California and its people. The competition is open to all fields of research and scholarship. Applicants will have an opportunity to indicate which disciplines or interdisciplinary or thematic areas best describe the proposed collaboration. The MRPI opportunity is intended to fund unique collaborations not otherwise supported at the systemwide level. The total funding portfolio of active MRPI grants is approximately $35 million, providing a significant investment in UC systemwide research.
MRPI awards should be directed to research that fulfills the following three principles:
1) Research that enhances UC's systemwide research capacity, influence, and advantage by providing access to the facilities, resources and opportunities available across the UC system.
2) Research that enhances multicampus collaborations, and fosters multicampus engagement, in order to achieve outcomes not available through (or duplicative of) a single campus and discipline.
3) Research that mutually benefits UC and California, its people, environment, and economy.
To fulfill these principles, MRPI funding is intended to support:
· Areas in which seed-funding could lead to future extramural funding, especially in areas where UC campuses are underfunded relative to other comparable research institutions;
· Areas that are underfunded by the government in relation to their perceived importance to the state or the nation; and
· Emerging fields of study, innovative or multidisciplinary research that could increase UC's research competitiveness.
The MRPI program is accepting application for two award types:
1) “Planning/Pilot Awards” open only to new multicampus or systemwide collaborations for planning, capacity-building and/or establishing the research infrastructure and pilot data to launch novel, cutting-edge inter-disciplinary, or multidisciplinary research. These awards are intended to create or strengthen collaborative research capacity in novel or cutting edge fields, for new inter-disciplinary or multidisciplinary collaborations, or multicampus collaborations that have not previously received MRPI, Organized Research Unit (ORU) or Multicampus Research Unit (MRU) support. This award type provides funding to launch new collaborations across the UC enterprise to address gaps in critical research areas that would strengthen UC and benefit California. Awards will enhance the ability of new multicampus collaborations to launch initiatives and successfully compete for extramural awards. Applicants may request one or two years of funding; $150,000/year maximum.
2) “Program Awards” open to both new and established multicampus collaborations (without concurrent systemwide support). These awards are intended to stimulate novel and compelling multicampus or systemwide research. Program awards may support new collaborations, or established multicampus endeavors that demonstrate both compelling benefit to UC and compelling justification for ongoing systemwide support. Awards will advance UC's research mission and impact through support of novel faculty research, genuine multicampus engagement and collaboration, public engagement, comprehensive opportunities for graduate student support and training, and benefit to UC and California. Awards will enhance the ability of new multicampus collaborations to launch initiatives and successfully compete for extramural awards. Applicants may request two years of funding; there is no specified total budget request limit.
Both award types require the collaboration of at least three UC campuses. UC ANR may participate as an eligible collaborating site where academics may serve as collaborating Co-Principal Investigators. UC ANR is not eligible to lead a MRPI proposal.
For additional information, please review the full solicitation available on the program's website:https://www.ucop.edu/research-initiatives/programs/mrpi/index.html
Required Letters of Intent are due on Thursday, May 24, 2018 at 12:00 noon Pacific Time. Project teams will be notified with a LOI outcome decision by Tuesday, June 12, 2018.
Please contact the Office of Contracts and Grants should you have questions regarding this funding opportunity.
Thank you.
Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)