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; 860.486.6378) to ask questions and to discuss which mechanisms are best suited to meet your needs.
Overview of FY 21 Internal Funding Opportunity Timelines (Last updated 9/30/2020)
Program |
Applications open |
Applications due |
Target for Notifications |
| SPARK FY20 | June 15 | July 24 (LOI), November 2 (Full app by invitation only) | December 15 |
| START Q1 | Cancelled in FY21 | Cancelled in FY21 | Cancelled in FY21 |
| COVID-RSF | August 28 | September 11 | September 18 |
| COVID-RSF2 | September 30 | October 16 | Early November |
| START Q2 | October 1 | November 1 | December 1 |
| SFF Spring (Storrs/Regional Campuses only) | October 1 | December 1 | January 1 |
| REP | October 1 | December 15 | End of April |
| CARIC | October 1 | December 15 | February 1 |
| SCHARP | October 1 | December 15 | February 1 |
| START Q3 | January 1 | February 1 | March 1 |
| START Q4 | April 1 | May 1 | June 1 |
| SFF Fall (Storrs/Regional Campuses only) | April 1 | June 1 | July 1 |
| SPARK FY21 | May 1 | June 15 (LOI), August 15 (Full app by invitation only) | November 1 |
Table Key:
| Complete | Open for Applications | In Review |