The University of Delaware General University Research program provides full-time UD faculty with seed funding for research or creative projects that will grow and sustain their scholarly development. The program is open to all professorial ranks; however, preference is given to early career faculty. These merit-based grants are administered by the Vice President for Research, Scholarship, and Innovation, who is advised by the Research Committee of the Faculty Senate. The Research Committee of the Faculty Senate recommends allocation of the funds available for the year, evaluates applications, and confirms those to be supported. Proposals involving interdisciplinary research, scholarship, or creative projects are especially encouraged.

Refer to the published GUR 24-25 Guidelines for detailed information about proposal preparation, application requirements, and submission.

A webinar to discuss the GUR proposal process will be held on Monday, December 9, 2024 at 1:00 pm: Registration Link  

Full proposals are due 02/28/2025, 11:59 pm.

Eligibility: All full-time faculty members are eligible and encouraged to apply for GUR grants. Preference will be given to faculty who have not received awards previously, however, there is no restriction on the number of awards an individual may receive over the years. Applicants who received a GUR that started between June 1, 2022 and June 1, 2024 are ineligible to submit this cycle. Review of proposals from prior GUR awardees will include consideration of performance on their past GUR award(s). Applicants who failed to complete previous GUR final reports will not be considered for a GUR award.

Application Information: The GUR Proposal Template must be used for formatting the proposal which should be submitted as a single PDF document. Complete proposals include an Executive Summary; Project Description; Timeline; References; Budget and Budget Justification; PI and Co-PI NSF-style Biosketches; and PI and co-PI NSF-style Current & Pending Support.

Review Criteria:  Each proposal will be reviewed by one Faculty Senate Research Committee member and two UD faculty disciplinary experts. Given the diversity in backgrounds of committee members, applicants must prepare applications that are understandable by a broad audience. 

Selection for funding will be based on:

• Significance of the Problem (15 points): Does the scholarship clearly address an unmet need of high importance, or is the scholarship extraordinarily novel or a creative innovation? 
• Intellectual Merit of Approach/Adequacy of the Plan for Scholarship (30 points): Are the research plans and methods well developed, and are the activities clearly defined? Is there high alignment of the proposed activities with the identified significance of the problem?
• Student Involvement (10 points): Does the plan for scholarship include actionable steps for student involvement? Is a well-developed training plan included?
• Qualifications of the PI (10 points): Is the proposed research aligned with PI’s background, training, and/or previous work? Is it clear how the proposed research will advance the PI’s professional career?
• Justification of Resources (15 points): Is the budget well defined and justified based on the allowable budget items and research plan? Is the timeline clear and reasonable?
• Likelihood of Future Sponsorship (10 points): Does the proposal clearly articulate future resource streams that could sustain the effort beyond the grant period?
• PI Professional Rank (10 points)