Revise & Resubmit Seed Funding
Request for Proposals
Program Description.
Securing NSF funding is highly competitive, and many strong proposals are declined due to limited program resources or specific reviewer concerns.
Data analysis on funding patterns shows that PIs submit, on average, 2-3 proposals for every one award they receive. Furthermore, the NSF's own policy of requiring a "substantially revised" proposal means that a simple resubmission is not enough; new data or a new approach is often required. A well-reviewed but unfunded proposal is not a dead end; it is a critical opportunity to build on a strong foundation.
To help faculty capitalize on this opportunity, the Office of the Vice President for Research is launching a new, comprehensive Revise & Resubmit (R&R) Initiative. This initiative is designed to provide you with the insider's perspective, expert consultation, and critical resources needed to move your proposal from "nearly funded" to "awarded."
This internal grant is exclusively for faculty who have attended the workshop and are revising their NSF proposal. The funds are designed to be a rapid, strategic investment to generate the necessary data and/or refine the proposal's scope to overcome the weaknesses identified in the reviewer's comments. Additional eligibility and proposal submission criteria will be provided to workshop attendees.
Eligibility Information.
This program is specifically designed to support early-career faculty in securing their first major NSF award. It is ideal for PIs who meet the following criteria:
- Seven (7) years or less in a tenure or tenure-track faculty position.
- Have not yet received major NSF funding as a PI.
- Have had a proposal declined by the NSF within the last 18 months that included reviewer comments.
- Attended “Reimagining Your NSF Proposal” workshop held on December 9, 2025
Award Information.
A limited number of proposals will be funded by the Office of the Vice President for Research. Awards are for single investigators in the amount of up to $15,000 for a project period of one year. Funds may be used for activities that strengthen the resubmission and address the reviewers feedback.
Due Date.
Proposal documents are due by January 30, 2026.
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
Submission of the NOIS -
Prior to submission of your proposal the following will need to be completed by December 23, 2025, in RIT’s grant management system, Novelution:
- Create a New Proposal Record (instructions found HERE)
- Project title must start with “R&R2026: __” followed by a concise title that conveys the primary purpose of the proposal. Using the “R&R2026” prefix is necessary to confirm your intention to submit an NSF resubmission.
- Submit Notice of Intent to Submit (NOIS) (instructions found HERE)
- Due December 23, 2025
Seed Funding Proposal Submission Instructions.
To submit your proposal all components of the Proposal Sections will need to be completed by January 30, 2026, in Novelution. Please make sure you navigate to the correct proposal record.
Allowable Activities.
Examples of activities supported by seed funding include:
- Conducting additional experiments or data collection
- Hiring graduate assistants for research support
- Travel for collaboration or fieldwork
- Developing broader impacts components
- Refining research design or methodology
- Hosting stakeholder engagement sessions
Proposal Sections:
Screening and Compliance Questions.
Complete all Screening and Compliance questions asked in the proposal record in Novelution. Instructions on how the complete this section the can be found HERE.
Project Narrative.
The project narrative may be up to four pages long and should be written in plain language for reviewers who are not specialists in your field. A single pdf file using the following naming convention: [PI last name]_[College acronym]_R&R2026.pdf is required. Upload the Project Narrative to “Draft Scope of Work / Project Narrative / Research Strategy / Project Description” under the Research Content and Other Proposal Documents section in Novelution.
The narrative should contain the following sections:
- Cover sheet. Include a cover sheet with the project title, name of the investigator, position title, department and college, and email address. Cover sheet is required and is not included in the four-page Project Narrative limit.
- Summary of Original NSF Proposal (1 page).
- Reviewer Feedback and Response Plan (2 pages).
- Resubmission Strategy (2 pages). This should include timeline and specific aims.
- References. References are required and are not included in the four-page Project Narrative limit.
Budget and Justification.
Use the R&R Budget Template HERE to develop your budget and the Budget Justification Federal Template HERE for your justification. Amend as appropriate. Upload the Budget and Budget Justification to the “Other Proposal Documents” within the Research Content and Other Proposal Documents section in Novelution. Later, it will be uploaded to the correct location by the assigned SRS pre-award representative. Align expenses with your resubmission strategy. Include with your submission a budget and justification for the following allowable costs:
- Students. Include any student assistants, noting the hours and the hourly rate used in your department.
- Equipment and Supplies. Identify items to be purchased and their purpose and the cost of each item. Seed funds may not be used to purchase computers. Avoid equipment over $5,000.
- Travel. Describe the purpose of any travel and identify the destination, airfare/mileage costs, lodging, meals, and other costs using institutional rates. Only domestic travel allowed.
- Other Costs. Include costs that do not fit in the above categories, with a description.
- Indirect Costs. Are not to be included.
- Unallowable Costs. This program will not fund PI salary, entertainment, nor international travel. Reasonableness of the budget is a review criterion.
RIT Community Abstract.
A non-confidential, non-technical description of the work to be conducted at RIT. 1000-character limit (spaces included). Include this in the “RIT Community Abstract” within the Research Content and Other Proposal Documents section in Novelution.
Personnel.
Upload your Biosketch in the Personnel section by clicking the pencil icon under Action. Provide a biosketch in a similar format used by NSF other sponsor as appropriate to the proposer’s area of research. A compliant Biosketch can be prepared via https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sciencv/ .
Department Chair/School Head Commitment Letter.
A letter of endorsement from your Department Chair/School Head is required as a part of participation in the RFP. Under “Letter of Commitment Type” in the Research Content and Other Proposal Documents section select “Nonstandard letter of commitment to be signed”. Then upload the required Department/School Commitment Letter. Letters must follow the format indicated in the template letter HERE.
Evaluation Criteria.
Proposals will be evaluated based on:
- Clarity and feasibility of the resubmission plan
- Responsiveness to review feedback
- Potential for securing NSF funding
- Strategic use of seed funding
Notification of the Award.
The number of seed funding awards is subject to the quality of proposals received. Funding decisions will be announced in April. Awards are expected to run from June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027.
Terms and Conditions.
A grant to the National Science Foundation (NSF) must be submitted by the end of the project period. The Seed Funding proposal record in Novelution will be linked to the external funding proposal record to confirm this term has been met. If an NSF external grant is not submitted the PIs department/school will be responsible for any funds expended.
Contact.
Any questions please email preaward@rit.edu.
Templates.
Department Chair/School Head Commitment Letter