NOTICE as of 5/05/2025: Due to the need to reserve funds for the recently announced EMERGE emergency funding program, all FY26 OVPR Internal Funding Programs are on hold for at least the first few months of the new fiscal year-we will provide updates as more information becomes available.
The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) supports faculty research, scholarship, and creative endeavors through a wide range of internal funding programs. OVPR internal grants serve as high-leverage, strategic investments in outstanding faculty research projects that are at critical stages of development. Our internal funding mechanisms are designed to competitively identify projects that fit our key funding criteria–projects that meet the highest disciplinary standards for excellence and are at a “tipping point” where specific work can lead to breakthroughs, external funding, and/or significant recognition. Recognizing that those crucial moments occur at various stages of the research process (and require different levels of funding to address, depending on your discipline), OVPR internal funding programs include large and small dollar mechanisms that focus on seed funding, completion/publication funding, and commercialization funding.
If you are a UConn/UConn Health faculty member who has a project that is ready to move to the next level, we invite you to browse our program guidelines to learn more. You are also welcome to contact us (research@uconn.edu) to ask questions and to discuss which mechanisms are best suited to meet your needs.
The OVPR-Research Development Services (OVPR-RDS) team is excited to host (virtual) Teams Internal Funding Office Hours where faculty can share their novel seed grant project ideas and ask questions about the internal funding competitions. Email research@uconn.edu to schedule a meeting with an Internal Funding Program Team member.
Overview of FY 25 – FY 26 Internal Funding Opportunity Timelines (Last updated 6/20/25)
Program |
Applications open |
Applications due (12 noon) |
Target for Notifications |
| UConn Quantum Technologies Translation Award (QuTech) Program | 5/15/2025 | 6/30/2025 | 8/2025 |
| Scholarship Facilitation Fund – SFF Fall (Storrs/Regional Campuses only) FY26 | on hold | on hold | FY26 budget is paused |
| UConn Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI FY25) Research Initiative | 1/6/2025 | 3/3/2025 | 6/2025 |
| Research Excellence Program –REP FY25 | 9/16/2024 | 12/16/2024 | 5/2025-delayed |
| Scholarship and Collaboration in Humanities and Arts Research – SCHARP FY25 | 9/16/2024 | 12/16/2024 | 5/2025-delayed |
| SPARK Commercialization Technology fund – SPARK FY25 | 9/16/2024 | 10/28/2024 (LOI) – 2/24/2025 (Full proposal due by invitation only) | 5/2025 |
| Convergence Awards for Research in Interdisciplinary Centers – CARIC FY26 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Clinical Research and Innovation Seed Program – CRISP FY26 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Table Key:
| Complete / not yet open |
Open for Applications | In Review |