Research Infrastructure/SEED Program

Applications Open: October 26, 2022
Submission Deadline: December 12, 2022
Award Announcements: February 24, 2023

Research Infrastructure Announcement of Opportunity

Multi-institutional Awards: up to $15,000**
Major Awards: up to $10,000
Minor Award: up to $5,000

Faculty members in the first five years of their first tenure-track appointment and a full-time faculty member at a WSGC affiliate university or college should apply to the Early-Stage Investigator (ESI) funding program. WSGC will award one ESI applicant up to $10,000. The remaining applicants will be considered for the Research Infrastructure Program award.

*Based on availability of funds.
**Projects demonstrating collaboration between two- and four-year campuses or multiple four-year campuses will be eligible for the multi-institutional award.

Current and Past Award Winners

The Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) Research Infrastructure Program is designed to provide support to faculty and research staff from the WSGC universities and colleges seeking to initiate a new or continue a current research program, as well as from the WSGC industrial affiliates to establish a space-related research program. The awards provide faculty and research staff support for a variety of activities related to developing space science, aerospace, and space-related research infrastructure.

Programs should do two or more of the following:

• Emphasize new lines of space-related research.
• Increase research capability.
• Build research infrastructure.
• Establish research collaborations.
• Initiate research opportunities in line with the NASA Mission Directorates (For more information on NASA Directorates, see spacegrant.carthage.edu/about/mission/directorates).
• Enhance research collaborations, mentorships, and other opportunities with NASA Centers.
• Establish collaborations among faculty from liberal arts colleges with faculty from research-intensive doctoral universities, Wisconsin aerospace industries, and NASA Centers.
• Implement research activities linking academic and industrial affiliates, including workshops, seminars, internships, data transfer, and technology transfer.

Successful proposals will combine a robust, relevant research project with a plan that fully integrates students into meaningful, high-caliber, significant research experiences from 10 weeks to a full or academic year, culminating in a presentation. Awards will be based on the proposal topic, quality, credentials of the investigator(s), the probability of success in developing space-related research infrastructure, and specific plans on how this seed funding will help to build this research program.

meet at least two or more of the following: 

• Emphasize new lines of space-related research.
• Increase research capability.
• Build research infrastructure.
• Establish research collaborations.
• Initiate research opportunities in line with the NASA Mission Directorates (For more information on NASA Directorates, see carthage.edu/about/mission/directorates).
• Enhance research collaborations, mentorships, and other opportunities with NASA Centers.
• Establish collaborations among faculty from liberal arts colleges with faculty from research-intensive doctoral universities, Wisconsin aerospace industries, and NASA Centers.
• Implement research activities linking academic and industrial affiliates, including workshops, seminars, internships, data transfer, and technology transfer.

Successful proposals will combine a robust, relevant research project with a plan that fully integrates students into meaningful, high-caliber, significant research experiences from 10 weeks to a full or academic year, culminating in a presentation. Awards will be based on the proposal topic, quality, credentials of the investigator(s), the probability of success in developing space-related research infrastructure, and specific plans on how this seed funding will help to build this research program.

All funds should be expended prior to March 31, 2024.

• Register on the WSGC website (https://spacegrant.carthage.edu/forms/account/login) Returning applicants will be prompted to update registration information annually.
• Sign in and submit the Grant Application Form(applicants may apply to multiple funding programs) and supporting documents.

• Faculty and research staff at all WSGC universities and colleges and staff at WSGC industrial affiliates are eligible.
• Students funded through this grant must be U.S. Citizens.
• Affiliate member institutions must have affiliate award agreement documents on file with the WSGC Program Office.
• Research initiatives must align with at least one of NASA’s Mission Directorates: Aeronautics Research, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, Space Operations Mission Directorate, Science, and/or Space Technology.
• Research initiatives must focus on NASA-related activities including: earth and atmospheric sciences, astronautics, aeronautics, space sciences, and any other space-related fields (e.g. agriculture, business, law, medicine, nursing, social and behavioral sciences, space architecture, and space biology).
• The Consortium especially encourages applications from women, minorities and persons with disabilities.
• Minimum 1:1 match

Submit a proposal addressing each of the six elements listed below. Be sure to clearly identify each element within the proposal. Applicants will be asked to upload the proposal at the bottom of the application. It should not exceed 15 pages, including figures (see the Announcement of Opportunity for more details.

• Introduction/Summary
• Background
• Proposed Activities
• Timeline
• Budget: Grant Budget Proposal and Invoice Reporting Template Form
• CV/Personnel*
  *Note: This grant only allows one Principal Investigator to be listed on the application.

As part of the award acceptance, awardees will be asked to attend the Annual Wisconsin Space Conference as outlined in the award agreement and submit the following documents on the WSGC application website under Manage Applications/Current Grant Cycle Applications.

• Award Agreement Letter
• Institution W9
• Media Release Form
• One-Paragraph Biography
• PI Professional Photo
• Quarterly Invoices/Cost-Share Report with Supporting Documentation
• Office of Education Survey must be completed by November 15, 2023, and updated with Final Report
• Interim Report (if period of performance is greater than 6 months)
• Summary/Final Report (due 30 days after the project end date)
• Present project at the Annual Wisconsin Space Conference
• 2-3 project photos featuring faculty/students/program participants
• Alumni Story

Please direct questions about the Research Infrastructure Program to:

Gubbi Sudhakaran
Associate Director for Research Infrastructure
Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium
Associate Dean, College of Science and Health
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Phone: 608-785-8431
Fax: 608-785-8403
gsudhakaran@uwlax.edu

Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium
Carthage College
2001 Alford Park Drive
Kenosha, WI 53140
Phone: 262-551-6054
E-mail: spacegrant@carthage.edu