Early-Stage Research Development Grants

I. Program Overview

The A&M System announces the inaugural call for proposals under the Research Excellence Fund (REF), a bold initiative to elevate the research enterprise across all A&M System member institutions. The REF provides competitive funding to accelerate discovery, strengthen collaboration, and enhance national competitiveness.

Strategic Initiative 6: The Early-Stage Research Development Program Grants under the REF provides competitive funding to support idea development, team formation, and proposal preparation for major research opportunities. These grants are designed to help A&M System investigators lay the groundwork for large-scale, interdisciplinary, and high-impact proposals to federal, state, and private sponsors. By investing in early-stage planning and coordination, this program aims to increase the A&M System’s success rate in securing major awards and to foster collaborative research teams across the A&M System that are prepared to compete at the highest levels.

II. Program Objectives

The objectives of the Early-Stage Research Development Program are to:

• Seed Innovative Research Ideas: Provide resources to refine novel research concepts into competitive proposals for large-scale funding.
• Build Collaborative Teams: Support the formation of interdisciplinary, inter-institutional teams across A&M System institutions to pursue major funding opportunities.
• Enhance Proposal Readiness: Enable pre-award planning, workshops, pilot data collection, and preliminary research needed to strengthen future submissions.
• Increase Competitiveness for Large External Awards: Position A&M System researchers for success securing funding from major federal, state, and private sponsors.
• Align Strategic Research Priorities: Align early-stage development with areas of System-wide importance and state or national relevance.

III. Eligibility

• Eligible Institution: Any A&M System member university.
• Eligible Applicants: The lead principal investigator (PI) and other PI and co-PIs must be PI-eligible and hold a full-time faculty or research staff appointment at an A&M System member university or agency.
• Collaborating Members: Proposals must include at least two A&M System member institutions as substantive partners to the lead institution.
• Proposed activities must be clearly linked to a specific future funding opportunity with significant potential for external support (generally $1 million or greater).

IV. Award Information and Allowable Costs

• Total Funding Available (FY26): $1,000,000
• Maximum Individual Award: Up to $100,000 (no less than $25,000)
• Project Period: 12 months
• Expected Number of Awards: 10 – 40 annually
• Limited Submission: Submissions limited to five lead proposals per A&M System university as approved by designated university Chief Research Officer (CRO) (i.e., Vice President of Research). Note: A&M System agencies are included under Texas A&M University (TAMU) led submissions.
• Cost Share: Not required but encouraged to leverage the REF investment and demonstrate institutional commitment.
• Allowable Costs:
  • Planning meetings, team workshops, and travel for collaboration development
  • Collection of pilot data or preliminary experiments
  • Technical writing, editing, or grant development support
  • Research coordination, administrative assistance, or proposal management
• Non-allowable Costs:
  • Routine operational expenses
  • Salaries for faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral staff, or administrative staff
  • Long-term equipment or infrastructure purchases

All funds must be expended within 12 months of award unless an extension is approved.

V. Proposal Requirements

A. Proposal Components

Proposals must include the following sections, combined into a single PDF document:

1. Cover Page (1 page)
   • Title of proposed project
   • Lead and partner institutions
   • Lead PI and other PIs and Co-PIs
   • Lead PI contact information
   • Total amount requested
   • Target external funding program or agency
2. Project Summary (1 page)
   • Overview of proposed research concept
   • Alignment with state and national research priorities
   • Anticipated impact
3. Project Description (up to 3 pages)
   • Detailed description of research concept and its significance.
   • Clear articulation of project goals, methodologies, and expected deliverables (i.e., Statement of Work).
   • Identification of the external funding opportunity.
   • Specific early-stage activities to be supported.
   • Anticipated outcomes and plan for future proposal submission.
4. Collaboration Plan (1 page)
   • Description of team, planned collaborations, roles and responsibilities of each participating A&M System institution and mechanism for coordination.
5. Milestones and Deliverables (1 page)
   • Timeline with key activities, decision points, and expected outputs.
6. Budget and Cost-Share Details (1 page)
   • Detailed itemization of proposed expenses.
   • Institutional cost share commitment to leverage the REF investment.
7. Biographical Sketches (Key investigators – PIs and co-PIs)
   • Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) format.
8. Letters of Commitment (up to 5 letters; 1 page per letter) from collaborating A&M System member institutions.
9. Memo of Support (1 page) from CRO endorsing this proposal for submission.

VI. Review Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated by an independent peer-review panel composed of internal and external experts using the following weighted criteria:

VII. Reporting and Expectations

Awardees will be required to:

• Submit a mid-year report describing milestones achieved, collaborations formed, and preliminary outcomes.
• Submit a final report summarizing accomplishments, outcomes, proposals submitted, and funding results.
• Participate in the annual A&M System Research Excellence Meeting and present key findings and collaboration impacts.

Renewal proposals will be considered. Funding for subsequent years will be contingent on demonstrated progress toward external funding and project deliverables.

VIII. Submission Instructions

• Submission Portal: Submit single PDF document to ref@tamus.edu
• File Format: Single PDF document, 12-point font, 1-inch margins.
• Deadline: May 1, 2026, 11:59 PM CST
• Questions: Contact E-mail: ref@tamus.edu

IX. Program Governance

The Early-Stage Research Development Program will be administered by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research under guidance from the REF Advisory Committee, composed of representatives from A&M System member institutions.
 
Proposals will be reviewed through a competitive independent peer-reviewed process. Decisions on funding will be approved by the Vice Chancellor for Research and endorsed by the Chancellorof the A&M System.

X. Key Dates

XI. Summary Statement

The Early-Stage Research Development Program Grants of the Research Excellence Fund represent a foundational investment in the creative and collaborative potential of A&M System researchers. By supporting the development of high-impact research concepts and strong interdisciplinary teams, this initiative ensures the A&M System remains a leader in securing transformative funding and advancing knowledge that benefits Texas, the nation, and the world.