School of Data Science and Society releases RFP for seed grants
The UNC School of Data Science and Society (SDSS) is shaping the evolving field of data science through data-driven discovery—the iterative process through which innovations in the collection and modeling of data generate valuable, problem-solving insights, which can in turn lead to further theoretical and applied innovation across Carolina's data science ecosystem.
SDSS is excited to host a rolling seed grant program designed to link and grow the existing culture of interdisciplinary data science research and excellence at Carolina. The SDSS Office of Research Strategy will manage the SDSS Seed Grant program on behalf of the school.
These non-renewable, 12-month seed grants will be reviewed by the school's Research Advisory Council (RAC) on a rolling basis.
Projects should propose one of the following:
- Research in Data Science: Innovations in data science techniques, algorithms, and methods made possible by bringing together multiple data science disciplines.
- Data Science for Interdisciplinary Research: Projects that apply data science to solve a problem in a non-data-science discipline.
- Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) of Data Science: Projects that explore the larger ELSI in data science.
SDSS Seed Grants will generate new collaborations and resources to catalyze data-driven discovery at Carolina. Projects may propose new data collection and/or secondary analyses; they can generate new software, algorithms or models; and, projects may yield products that share new ELSI insights into data science. Seed funding is intended to unlock new research with a clear path towards extramural funding or commercialization.
SDSS anticipates awarding between 0-5 seed grants for a combined total of ~$200,000 each fiscal year. If selected, funds will be available as soon as ~3 months post full proposal submission. It is expected that much of the budget will be direct costs for research.
Key Dates
| Open Invitation Posted | Oct. 30, 2023 |
| Concept Note Invitations | Rolling, reviewed monthly during the academic year |
| Funding Decisions | Rolling |
Eligibility
Team leads (PI or co-PI) must be eligible to serve as a Principal Investigator as per UNC Office of Sponsored Programs policy. Applicants are highly encouraged to partner with individuals outside their home unit (department, school, center or institute) to pursue an interdisciplinary project. An investigator may be listed as Principal Investigator on one concurrent application; there are no limits to the number of applications where an investigator may be listed as a co-Investigator or other, non-PI supporting role.
The FAQ page covers frequently asked questions. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any additional questions.
Visit datascience.unc.edu/seed-grants-rfp for application instructions.
