OVPRI Internal Funding Opportunities

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI) offers support for faculty research and scholarship across all disciplines. These programs are designed to support and foster the research enterprise at UO.

The internal award programs seed new research initiatives and collaborations, help translate research innovation into commercial success, support creative endeavors and scholarly projects in disciplines with limited external funding opportunities, and provide other support to further our research mission.

New Seed Grant Programs: To learn more about the OVPRI's new seed grant programs, please watch this recorded webinar (passcode: 2.LM4+su) for this presentation. Please consult this one-page synopsis for an overview of all programs.

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Research Programs

Faculty Research Awards
New Junior Faculty Research Awards Program
Research Seed Grant
UO Foundation Trustee Excellence Grant

Other Funding Programs

Bridge Funding
Funding to Support Grant Proposals
Strategic Investment Fund
Translational Opportunity Fund

Recognition Awards

Outstanding Research Awards
UO Sustainability Award

Departmental Programs

Undergrad Research Programs

Types of Research (Definitions for internal grants)

Archived Programs

Research Programs

Faculty Research Award (FRA)

Faculty Research Awards (FRA) are made annually through the Office of the Vice President for Research & Innovation to UO faculty from all disciplinary backgrounds. Learn more about FRA funding.

New Junior Faculty Research Awards Program (NJFRA)

The NJFRA provides up to $3,000 to support research expenses for all eligible faculty members in the first year of their appointment. No application is required. Learn more about NJFRA funding.

Research Seed Grant (RSG)

Research Seed Grants are designed to support faculty in acquiring preliminary data and developing a competitive proposal for significant external funding. A clear justification of funding need and a specific target(s) for future funding opportunities is required. Learn more about RSG funding.

UO Foundation Trustee Excellence Grant (UO Trustee)

UO Trustee aims to advance exceptional research, scholarship, or creative work by UO faculty in ways that translate to significant impact—be those contributions to their field of scholarship, the discovery of new knowledge, and/or meaningful connections and partnerships with communities. Learn more about UO Trustee funding.

Other Internal Funding

Bridge Funding Support for Research

The competitiveness of the federal funding climate presents unique challenges to principal investigators, especially as unanticipated gaps in funding have negative effects on the continuation of active research programs. The Bridge Funding Support program provides interim resources to mitigate a challenging federal climate and to facilitate the ongoing viability of federally funded research projects. Learn more about Bridge Funding.

Funding to Strengthen Grant Proposal

RDS has funding to help make your proposal content stronger. We can help coordinate and help pay for external review of proposals by content experts in your field or provide funding for visualization and graphic design for proposals. Learn more about Proposal Funding.

Strategic Investment Fund (SIF)

The Strategic Investment Fund is designed to support and build capacity to position research teams for success in securing a major, center–scale grant opportunity or creating a series of investments (federal, state, philanthropic) in a strategic research area. Learn more about SIF funding.

Translational Opportunity Fund (TOF)

The TOF program provides funds to UO innovators for services, tools, and other resources needed to successfully translate their research and launch new UO research-based startup companies. Learn more about TOF funding.

Recognition Awards

Outstanding Research Award (ORA)

The OVPRI, the Office of the Provost, and the Division of Graduate Studies annually host and sponsor the ORAs. Awardees receive commendations from the OVPRI. The awards include $1,000 (or $2,500 for a team) in research support, a recognition memento, and a highlight of their work in internal and external communications. Learn more about the ORAs.

UO Sustainability Award

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation is seeking nominations for individuals or research teams for the UO Sustainability Awards. This award program aims to recognize individuals whose contributions deepen our culture of environmental sustainability across a range of institutional activities. The OVPRI sponsors two of the Sustainability Awards: one for research and scholarship, and one for innovation and impact. Award recipients will receive $500 in research funds ($1000 will be provided to a team), and will also be featured in a video produced by the Office of Sustainability.

The nomination should contain a one-paragraph description of the nominee’s contributions to sustainability in research and scholarship or innovation and impact, along with the nominee’s CV. If nominating a research team, please include CVs for all faculty team members. Preference is given to interdisciplinary environmental projects for the research and scholarship award. Though the award is not limited to faculty, a student is unlikely to be competitive as an individual nominee.

Nominations (self-nominations are welcome and encouraged) via the online nomination form. The deadline for submission is February 20, 2024.

The OVPRI executive team will review the nominations and select award recipients. The awards will be presented in a ceremony hosted by the Office of Sustainability - time and format to be announced.

If you have any questions, please email RDS.

UO Departmental Support Programs

Below is a selection of departmental funding programs, and a button to take you to Pivot for a more comprehensive list of UO's internal funding programs.

Center for Asian and Pacific Studies - multiple programs
Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies - Faculty and Graduate Grants
Center for the Study of Women in Society - Research Grants
College of Education - Research and Professional Development Grants
College of Arts and Sciences Internal Awards - multiple programs
Global Studies Institute - multiple programs
Oregon Humanities Center - Faculty Research Fellowship
Presidential Fellows in Humanistic Study - Research Fellowships
School of Law - Consumer Protection Research Grant
Wayne Morse Center for Law & Politics - multiple programs

Pivot List of Internal Awards

Undergraduate Research Internal Funding

The UO offers numerous research funding programs, including fellowships, grants, and internships, targeting undergraduate students. These programs foster research experiences that allow them to explore and clarify their academic and professional goals while developing critical thinking and important workforce skills. Learn more about Undergraduate Research Opportunities.

Type of Research

We track the types of research being conducted through internal OVPRI awards. Below are the definitions of the three types of research categories:

Basic Research

This is experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new general knowledge and understanding of nature and its laws, without thought of application or practical ends. Also called “fundamental research”. Basic Research can include research that builds on previous knowledge and seeks to expand or deepen our knowledge and understanding.

Examples:

USDE award to study early childhood academic needs.
PI receives an NIH R01 (Research Project Grant) to study stress response in humans.
NSF funding to explore an area and improve our fundamental understanding of that area.

Applied Research

Systematic inquiry involves the practical application of science. It accesses and uses some part of the research community’s accumulated theories, knowledge, methods, and techniques, for a specific, often state-, business-, or client-driven purpose, usually resulting in the creation of new products or processes or improvements to existing products or processes. Expanding on previous knowledge with the intent to expand or deepen our knowledge is not Applied Research.

Examples:

Development of an iPad-based app to enhance reading skills in underprivileged school districts.
After learning inflammation is a primary stress response, PI leverages existing studies to advance new theories in biomarker identification of inflammatory response and proposes developing a device to aid in active monitoring and treatment.

Experimental Development

The systematic application of knowledge or understanding, directed toward the production of useful materials, devices, and systems or methods, including the design, development, and improvement of prototypes and new processes to meet specific requirements.