IMPACT Funding

• AWARD AMOUNT: Awards will not exceed $35,000 for projects of one year or less.
• SCOPE OF THE AWARDS: Funding can support a variety of expenses, including but not limited to salaries to support graduate students, prototype development costs, materials and supplies, and equipment usage. Faculty salaries are not allowed. Award recipients are required to submit a proposal for competitive external funding, based on the project conducted with IMPACT funding, within 24 months of the award start date.
• ELIGIBLITY INFORMATION: All faculty whose appointments allow them to submit external proposals through the UB Sponsored Projects Services Office are eligible to apply. Proposals must involve at least two faculty members, preferably from different disciplines.
• REVIEW PROCESS: Proposals will be reviewed by Ad hoc panels of faculty who will make recommendation to the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, which will make the final selection. The proposals will be reviewed according to these general selection criteria (100 point scale):
  • Scientific, scholarly, or creative merit (25 points)
  • Innovation and potential impact (25 points)
  • Project investigative team (25 points)
  • Potential for generating external funding (25 points)

In addition to these general criteria, proposals will be evaluated based on quality and the extent to which the project truly employs interdisciplinary and collaborative strategies. Budgets will be reviewed for reasonableness in relation to the proposed project. Leveraging current resources or departmental/school cost-sharing to ensure the success of the project is encouraged.

• AWARD TERMS: Applicants can request funding up to $35,000 for projects of no more than a 1-year duration. Prior to issuance of the award (Research Foundation funds), all regulatory approvals needed to conduct the work must be in place. A progress report must be submitted midway through the project and a final report is due within 60 days after the conclusion of the funding period summarizing the results in relation to the stated goals of the application. External funding success related to an IMPACT award will be tracked. The awardees will be required to report annually on proposals submitted and awards granted for three years. The application for extramural funding required within 24 months of the project start date should be sent to the VPRED, as well as reviews from the sponsor. Award recipients are expected to serve as reviewers in future IMPACT funding rounds.
• SUBMISSION: Apply by email as a single PDF to Kenneth Tramposch ovpr.impact@research.buffalo.edu.

APPLICATION FORMAT: Applications, single spaced using 12 point font and 1-inch margins, must include:

1. 250-word abstract using lay terms accessible to a broad audience. In addition, include the names, departmental affiliation and contact information for each investigator.
2. 5-page proposal (maximum) plus 1-page of references. The proposal must include sufficient detail to convince reviewers of the project's scientific, scholarly, or creative merit and relevance, and written in language understandable to non-specialists. The proposal should provide the information to demonstrate to reviewers the merit of the project and potential for external funding, including the following elements:

       a) Introduction

   • State a clear research question that defines the purpose of the project
   • Describe how the project is innovative and distinct from other activities ongoing at UB
   • Provide background/rationale that addresses the significance and impact of the project to the field
   • Describe the project's short-term objectives and how meeting these objectives will lead to a larger externally-funded project

       b) Proposed plan

   • Describe the research/scholarly methods that will be used to conduct the project
   • Describe the expected results or outcomes
   • Describe what the IMPACT grant will accomplish that cannot be achieved through other means
   • Describe the role of each investigator on the project

       c) Timeline for external funding proposal submission (< 24 months)

   • Identify specific external funding opportunities (program and funding agency), submission deadlines, and submission timelines
   • Articulate the fit of the proposed project, explaining how the project aligns with the funding opportunity

       d) If the project was submitted to an external funding agency and declined, the reviews must be attached.

3. Key Personnel: Attach a 2 to 4-page biographical sketch/vitae summary for each investigator participating in the project including current and pending funding.
4. Project Budget: Attach a 1-page line item budget and a 1-page detailed justification including a description of other resources or cost-sharing that will be applied to the project. The budget justification is important since budget reasonableness will be considered.