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Catalyst Grants

Catalyst Grants

Catalyst Grants

No new applications are being accepted

To upload a proposal, use the unique link in your LOI confirmation email or visit your user profile, then click on the "activity" tab to get to your application.

View/download RFP (PDF)

Resources

Information Session Video

Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)

A new round of catalyst grant funding is available for faculty at the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses to pursue projects that address critical sustainability challenges by:

  • Developing new, user-driven, collaborative research ideas, and/or
  • Translating existing research for real-world application.

Catalyst Grants offer up to $15,000 for projects lasting up to 12 months. Approximately five grants will be awarded in this cycle. Proposals may address any sustainability topic but must adopt a user-driven approach. Applications from all disciplines are welcome including, STEM fields, social sciences, professional schools, humanities, and the arts. 

All catalyst grant projects:

  • Advance sustainability – Sustainability here is defined by the problems it addresses, not the disciplines involved. While sustainability may be broadly understood, all catalyst grant projects advance sustainability by applying solutions-driven scholarship and practice to safeguard the planet's life-support systems and enhance the well-being of present and future generations. They incorporate environmental, economic, and sociocultural dimensions (though these need not be equally emphasized), and draw from diverse disciplines, including natural, social, engineering, design, and health sciences, as well as the humanities, arts, professions, and practical experience in business, government, and civil society.
  • Adopt a user-driven approach – Projects identify and engage “intended users”—partners outside academia who will apply the project’s outputs (e.g., findings, tools, information) to influence real-world decision making and practice. These users should actively inform the proposal and have ongoing, meaningful opportunities to shape the project throughout its development to ensure it remains relevant to their needs. Users can come from sectors such as government, industry, NGOs, or community groups, and there should be a clear connection between the project’s focus and the intended users’ roles or needs. 
  • Collaborate across disciplines – Projects bring together a strong team of faculty from multiple disciplines and at least two U-M academic or research units. All disciplines and fields are eligible.
     
Key Dates
  • November 1, 2024 Extended to November 6, 2024 - Letter of Intent deadline (required) 
  • January 27, 2025  - Proposal deadline
  • Early March 2025 - Award decisions
  • May 1, 2025 - Anticipated project start date   

How to Apply

U-M faculty from the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses are eligible to serve as Principal Investigator (PI). Submit materials through the online application system accessible via the "Start an Application" link on this webpage, and provide all elements described in the Catalyst Grant Request for Proposals (RFP).

 
Proposal Documents

To submit the LOI, click on the application link on the catalyst grant webpage (graham.umich.edu/catalyst/grants) then click “Apply.” Once you have logged in, enter the team information into the online form, upload your LOI as a single PDF, and save your application. All entries in the form can be updated at the proposal stage. You will receive a confirmation email when you first successfully save your LOI. Save this email – it will include a unique URL to access your application to make any edits to the LOI and to submit a full proposal.

You may continue to edit your LOI application by updating the form fields and uploading revised PDFs until the deadline, at which point your saved application will be submitted automatically. You will not receive subsequent confirmation emails. If you do not receive an initial confirmation email, your LOI was not saved properly, and you should resave or contact us directly at [email protected].

To submit a proposal, access your application using the unique URL from your LOI confirmation email and the same UM login credentials. Once logged in, you will need to do the following: 1) Expand “Team Members and Partners” to make any changes to your team, 2) Expand the “Project Information” section to upload your proposal as a single PDF, and 3) Click the "save" button.

You will receive a confirmation email the first time you successfully upload and save your proposal. You may continue to make edits to your application until the deadline, at which time your saved application will be submitted automatically. You will not receive subsequent confirmation emails.

 

More Information

Contact Us

Do you have questions about the upcoming Catalyst Grant opportunity? Please feel free to reach out to Maggie and Sarah directly, or schedule a 30-minute consultation call via Calendly.