The Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) is a collaborative center advancing a new model for education and research that will cultivate, retain, and attract new economy talent; expand the diversity of the tech workforce; and increase the impact of research and development on the economy. The primary R&D goal for DPI is to connect top researchers and research assets with industry to solve pressing, complex challenges in high-value areas that impact employers and society on a local and global scale. To realize its objectives, DPI must establish specific clusters of activity that align DPI university partners' key research competencies with industry and society needs to create centers of excellence.
DPI invites you to join your colleagues in helping to build DPI's research and development agenda and portfolio by applying for a DPI R&D Cluster Seed Grant. DPI research and development clusters are groups of researchers whose expertise has a focus on the application of computing, data science, and/or analytics across sectors of strength and opportunity in the Illinois economy. For this funding opportunity DPI is seeking proposals in DPI's initial areas of focus: food/agriculture/environment/water; health and wellness; finance and insurance; and transportation distribution logistics. Proposals should demonstrate the ability to build external connections (with industry, federal agencies, civic organizations etc.) to broadly impact the economy and support the land-grant mission of the University of Illinois.
Eligibility
RESEARCH TEAM ELIGIBILITY
- Proposals are expected to reflect substantive involvement of multiple investigators from different disciplines, departments and/or campuses.
- Proposed clusters are strongly encouraged to include members from multiple partner universities
- Teams must include a minimum of two members with the lead from a U of I campus.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR ELIGIBILITY
- Each proposal will identify a lead principal investigator (PI) who assumes organizational leadership for the project.
- PI must have a minimum of a 50% appointment on a University of Illinois campus.
PI Requirements
- The PI and his/her unit are fully responsible for any overages if the funding request is calculated incorrectly
- The PI is responsible for consulting with the relevant offices and meeting all requirements
- To the best of the PI's knowledge, all the information provided in the application is correct.
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation