ISSR provides seed grants to faculty seeking external funding in the social sciences. Social Science Research is done across many fields including the traditional fields of sociology, anthropology, psychology, social psychology, economics, and political science, but also in communications, criminal justice, law, journalism, education, nursing, medicine, gerontology, social work, environmental science, computer engineering, and more. Seed grants of up to $8000 are available to researchers on all four ASU campuses.
Proposals must include:
Brief summary of the work to be done (no more than 1500 words)
The following PDF upload fields will be required in the submission form
Bibliography
Budget, with justification - please include ERE/ASC and any other fees and expenses in your total requested funds
Name and website of granting agency you plan to apply to after completing seed award project
Name, email address, or phone number of program officer, and a summary of your conversation re: future funding
Awardees are expected to submit a proposal to an external granting agency within 12 months of completion of seed funded project.
When submitting proposals through ASU's ERA system, as an ISSR seed grant recipient, we ask that you list ISSR on the "center" line with 1% recognition (REC). No monetary distribution is required (0% in the IIA and RID fields).
Criteria for Evaluation of Proposals: The criteria applied by reviewers for NSF and NIH proposals are useful guidelines for researchers who are applying for seed grants from the ISSR. Reviewers for NSF proposals, for example, ask whether the proposed research has the potential to advance knowledge and understanding within a field or across different fields. This is the criterion known as intellectual merit. Reviewers also look for creative and original ideas and ask whether the plan for carrying out proposed research is sound. Reviewers ask if the investigator(s) are qualified to conduct the research proposed and whether the PI (either at the home institution or through collaboration with others) has the resources needed to carry out the research. Proposals to NSF also must have a statement about the broader impacts—the benefits to society—of the proposed work.
ISSR supports the development and launching of new methods courses in the social sciences. ISSR does not support course buyouts or summer pay for the development of courses. ISSR can support the salary of a Faculty Associate (FA) to cover a course for a semester. This will give regular teaching faculty time to develop and launch a new course. Hiring an FA requires buy-in from the unit director.
New methods courses supported by ISSR must add to the list of courses already available at ASU that have been approved for either the graduate or undergraduate certificate program.