OSPR Funding Opportunities

Seed Funding for Grantseekers

FY26 Application Cycle is CLOSED.

The Office of Sponsored Programs & Research (OSPR) is pleased to offer the Seed Funding for Grantseekers program. The program supports activities necessary to advance competitive research/program proposals, such as performing preliminary work, gathering pilot data, and facilitating collaboration. 

It is expected that a competitive proposal for a sizable project (appropriate to the discipline) will be submitted to an external funding organization within a year of the completion of the Seed Funding period. In the event the proposal is unsuccessful, applicants are encouraged to resubmit a revised proposal that responds to reviewer comments.

Proposals to the Seed Funding program should identify the program and agency to which a future proposal will be submitted, describe the research/project in language understandable to faculty reviewers from various disciplines, delineate how the funding will result in a more competitive proposal, and include a budget for the use of the seed funding as well as a timeline for submission to an external funding organization. The project period will begin July 1 following the application deadline. Projects must be one year in duration or less.
 
Proposals may request an amount up to $10,000, and a minimum of $50,000 will be awarded this year. The program will be reviewed internally for success at meeting the objective of advancing competitive proposals. Applications submitted at least 24 hours prior to the deadline will receive a complimentary OSPR review for completeness and formatting; however, OSPR staff cannot be responsible for incomplete or non-compliant submissions.

OSPR Seed Funding for Grantseekers Program Guidelines (PDF)

Please review the guidelines carefully to prepare your materials and contact ospr AT_TOWSONwith questions.

Peer Review Incentive Program

Faculty members who serve on review panels gain knowledge of the breadth and most current scholarship in their field and insight into what makes a grant proposal succeed (or fail) during peer review. They also begin to develop professional relationships with agency personnel.

The program intends to support participation in a review panel for a program faculty plan to apply for in the future. Participation in review panels for a student program; for example, would not be eligible. Generally, a faculty member is eligible to receive $750 once, although a subsequent award will be considered after the applicant has submitted a proposal to a funding agency.

• A $750 stipend will be provided to a faculty member who serves on a federal review panel. This will be in addition to any compensation that is provided by the federal agency.
• To apply, submit a completed application to ospr AT_TOWSON. The application must be submitted four weeks prior to serving on the panel. These activities are subject to the availability of funds and the OSPR will not provide support for any activities that were not pre-approved.
• PRIP Application (PDF)

How to Apply to be a Peer Reviewer

agency	instructions
National Endowment for the Arts	Complete and submit a National Endowment for the Arts Application.
National Endowment for the Humanities	Complete and submit a National Endowment for the Humanities Application.
National Institute of Health	Send an email to the Enhancing Peer Review mailbox with a brief description of your area of expertise in the body of the email (1-2 sentences) and a copy of your biosketch as an attachment. For more information, visit the NIH website.
National Science Foundation	Send an email to the NSF program officer(s) of the program(s) that fit your expertise. Introduce yourself and identify your area of expertise, and let them know that you are interested in becoming a peer reviewer. It is most helpful if you also attach a 2-page CV with current contact information. For more information, visit the NSF website.
Department of Education	The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) often seeks Peer Reviewers. You must create or login to a G6 account in order to apply. For more information, visit the OPE website.