STAC calls for Collaborative Research Grant proposals

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Science & Technology Advisory Council is now accepting proposals for its 2014 Collaborative Research Grant Awards program.

The council will award approximately $450,000 in competitive funding to joint research projects with the potential to license new intellectual property, attract follow-on funding, develop private-sector partnerships and bring new product lines to market.

This year’s grant program mark the eighth round of awards as part of STAC’s partnership with the National Science Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR. To date, STAC has awarded $8.5 million in grants that have brought in $36 million in follow-on grant funding, according to the council.

The Collaborative Research Grants are designed to encourage joint projects among the state’s universities, hospitals and other research organizations. Project teams applying for a grant must include investigators from at least two distinct entities, including at least one Rhode Island higher education institution or hospital that will serve as the primary grantee.

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“So many issues are multidisciplinary,” STAC Executive Director Christine Smith told Providence Business News in August. “You won’t find answers to challenging questions unless you’re at an intersection of multiple disciplines.”

Proposals must clearly show how the combined efforts of the investigators can lead to results that could not be achieved by either alone, according to the council. The maximum amount of any award is $75,000.

Applicants must submit an electronic copy of a preliminary proposal by Jan. 23, 2014. Preliminary proposals will be reviewed for eligibility and suitability to the program’s objectives, and the most qualified projects will be invited to submit a full proposal, due by March 20, 2014.

The view the complete guidelines, visit www.stac.ri.gov.

For more information regarding grant guidelines, contact Christine Smith by email at csmith@riedc.com or by phone at (401) 278-9197.

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