Collaboration for Unprecedented Success and Excellence (CUSE) Grant Program

Applications are now closed for the 2020 CUSE Grant Program.

For those project needing no-cost extensions for COVID-related pauses in research:

  • 2018 projects: Please e-mail Christina Leigh Docteur (cdocteur@syr.edu) with an explanation for the request. Detailed descriptions of project changes will be required in the second annual report.
  • 2019 projects: No extensions requests are required at this time. Please use the first project report, due June 1, 2020, to describe project impacts and anticipated budget changes. If an extension is still viewed as necessary by Spring 2021, requests may be made to Christina Leigh Docteur.

CUSE Grant 2020 RFP Document

Slides from the 2020 General Information Session
Note: A closed captioned recording of this session is posted below

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Narrated guide on using the Syracuse University Application Portal

2019 CUSE Grant Program Results

2018 CUSE Grant Program Results

Deadline

5:00 PM February 17, 2020  

Purpose

Syracuse University’s Office of Research is pleased to announce the 2020 funding cycle for the CUSE (Collaboration for Unprecedented Success and Excellence) Grant Program. The purpose of this intramural grant program is to enhance interdisciplinary collaborations, to grow the research enterprise and enhance scholarship at Syracuse University in order to increase extramural funding and high-quality scholarly output. The program is designed to support faculty in becoming competitive in securing external funding and sponsorship. CUSE Grants should not be viewed as funds to conduct or complete projects, but rather as seed funding for faculty to build interdisciplinary teams, to produce preliminary data, and/or to seek help to obtain extramural funding that will advance knowledge and technologies through basic, translational, and applied research. The grant program will support faculty research in all disciplines that span across basic, translational and applied sciences, social sciences, physical and life sciences, engineering, liberal arts, humanities, professional schools, creative research, and various forms of all scholarly activities. The expectation is for CUSE Grant Program-funded faculty members to seek extramural support that will increase the national and international recognition of the awardees, their programs, and the university.

In the 2019 round, the CUSE Grant Program funded 69 projects in the humanities, social sciences, creative research areas, and STEM research areas. For the 2020 funding cycle, the CUSE Grant Program will continue to focus on enhancing the reputation of Syracuse University and leveraging extramural funding and prestigious awards by providing four types of intramural grants: 1) the Seed Grant (Seed); 2) the Innovative and Interdisciplinary Research Grant (I2); 3) the Good to Great Grant (G2G), and 4) the Interdisciplinary Seminar Grant (Seminar). See below under “V. Types of application and Funding Levels” for a description of each type of grant.

Applicant Eligibility

Syracuse University encourages collaborations, particularly multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborations. However, for accountability, the primary responsibility for project oversight is on the lead principal investigator (the first name on the grant).

  • For all grant categories, Principal Investigator (PI) eligibility follows the institutional requirements set forth in the University’s Statement of Principal Investigator Eligibility.
  • As CUSE Grants are awarded for a two-year period, no submission of CUSE proposals is allowed for any individual serving as a PI on an active CUSE Grant. PIs on CUSE Grants received in 2018 are eligible only if: 1) The PI has not requested an extension (2018 CUSE Grant funds must be expended by April 30, 2020); and 2) The PI can demonstrate significant results from the 2018 grant, as discussed in section V.2.B. Results from Prior Cuse Grant. If you are a PI on a grant received in 2019, the earliest you can apply again will be 2021.
  • Each eligible applicant may submit only one Seed, I2, or G2G proposal serving as the lead PI, but can serve as Co-PI or Co-Investigator (Co-I) on as many projects as the investigator wishes. In addition, an eligible applicant may submit a second proposal as the lead PI for a Seminar Grant.
    Collaboration with researchers outside of the University is permitted; however, CUSE Grant funds may not be subcontracted to other institutions.

Types of Applications and Funding Levels

  • Seed Grant: The funding level of the Seed Grant is capped at $5,000 per grant for a period of up to two years. Applications may be submitted by individuals or teams.
  • Innovative and Interdisciplinary Research Grant (I2): The funding level of the I2 Grant is capped at $30,000 per grant for a period of up to two years. Applications may be submitted by individuals or teams. If individuals are applying under this category, the applicant must demonstrate the competitiveness of the PI, her/his past success in extramural grants, and the potential for continued success without the need of collaboration.
  • Good to Great Grant (G2G): The funding level of the G2G Grant is capped at $30,000 per grant for a period of up to two years. Applications may be submitted by individuals or teams. For G2G Grant, the lead PI for the G2G proposal must have submitted an unsuccessful (not funded) extramural grant as lead PI, which received “Outstanding”, “Excellent”, or “High priority for funding” reviews from an extramural grant review panel. If a CUSE grant was already awarded under this category for a project, the lead PI is ineligible for this funding category with the same or similar project in the future.
  • Interdisciplinary Seminar Grant (Seminar): The funding level of the Seminar Grant is capped at $10,000 per grant. The application may be submitted by individuals or teams. This grant is designed to cover the costs of an interdisciplinary seminar series (e.g. refreshments, space rental, travel and/or honoraria for invited speakers). The Seminar Grant is not intended to fund research activities of the PI, Co-PI’s or Co-I’s, or costs for departmental seminars.

Proposal Submission

Please visit the Syracuse University Application Portal at https://syracuse.infoready4.com/ and select the 2020 CUSE Grant Program link.

Questions

For questions about the CUSE Grant RFP, please contact Christina Leigh Docteur cdocteur@syr.edu. For questions regarding use of the Application Portal, please contact Jeff Falchi jtfalchi@syr.edu.

Forms

CUSE Grant 2020 – Program Budget Template (Updated 6/12/2020) – FY21 FB Rates
CUSE Grant 2020 – Current and Pending (Updated 2/12/2020)
CUSE Grant 2020 – Conflict of Interest Listing Template
CUSE Grant 2020 – Sample Budget Justification
NSF-BioSketch
NEH-NSF hybrid biosketch Format Example

General Information Sessions

Thinking about submitting a proposal for a 2020 CUSE Grant? Come join us for a general information session, to learn more about the program and the online submission process through Syracuse University’s Application Portal.