Research Acceleration and Catalyst Programs

Office of Research supports research program development and the SIRF team manages capacity-building internal funding programs focused on priority research areas and initiatives.  We offer strategic, proactive, & catalytic research funding opportunities meant to increase the competitiveness of UC Davis researchers in attracting extramural funding.

Quick Links: Seed Funding | Conversations | Faculty Fellows | Past IRC Awardees

Seed Funding Programs

There are no Strategic Initiatives-managed seed funding programs currently open for applications.

Search for internal UC Davis funding opportunities and Limited Submissions (CAS login required).

Interdisciplinary Research Catalyst

The Office of Research offers two Interdisciplinary Research Catalyst (IRC) programs to enable, facilitate, and support faculty to pursue large scale interdisciplinary funding opportunities.  IRC applications are accepted on a rolling basis using the InfoReady Review platform.

IRC: Conversations

Conversations catalyze engagement and collaboration by concentrating interested stakeholders around a particular large interdisciplinary theme and promoting informal discussions and network building in a manner similar to a bespoke conference.

The Office of Research will award up to $5,000 to be dedicated to event development and production.  Events usually take the form of a half or full day workshop, sometimes with an invited external speaker, combining presentations with creative facilitated activities (e.g. brainstorming exercises, small group prompts). The SIRF team is available to consult while developing materials and can work with awardees to develop an agenda. If requested, the SIRF team will also provide information on what resources are available from the Office of Research (usually in the form of a PowerPoint presentation) during the event and help plan follow up.

Conversations Eligibility

All UC Davis faculty members and multi-/trans-/interdisciplinary research topics are eligible.  Prospective applicants MUST contact the SIRF team prior to submitting an application in order to receive approval of the selected topic and event. Applications which have not received approval may be delayed or returned.

Funding may not be used to cover salaries, stipends, or other personnel costs associated with proposal development – these should be submitted under the IRC: Faculty Fellows program below.

Read the full RFP and instructions on how to apply on InfoReady Review:

IRC: Conversations application portal

IRC: Faculty Fellows

The Faculty Fellows program facilitates, supports, and enables faculty to pursue large scale interdisciplinary funding opportunities by supporting proposal development and submission.

The Office of Research will award each proposal up to $25,000 per fellow on a matching basis with corresponding School or College dean’s office. A faculty member may be jointly nominated by multiple deans.  Allowable uses of the funds may include, as appropriate: direct support in the form of one course buyout or summer salary equivalent (when supported by the department chair and dean); supporting additional research support or development personnel; and travel, partnership building, or other proposal-related activities as appropriate.

In addition to financial support, concentrated program development assistance will be made available where requested and warranted, including aligning efforts from various units across campus.  The duration of the fellowship award is variable depending on the project needs, and most awards will range from 3 to 12 months.

Faculty Fellows Eligibility

Outstanding faculty members in any interdisciplinary field may be nominated by the Dean of their respective School or College in consultation with the Office of Research.

Read the full RFP and instructions on how to apply on InfoReady Review:

IRC: Faculty Fellows Application Portal

Past Awardees

IRC: Conversations in…

Not sure which resources you need?  Read answers to our frequently asked questions.

Need assistance applying to any of the above programs?  Email [email protected].

SIRF Staff Directory