Incubator for Research Excellence

Call For Proposals

The Ostrom Workshop is pleased to issue a call for applications for a new initiative, the Ostrom Incubator for Research Excellence (OIRE). The OIRE will bring interested and committed faculty and graduate students together to facilitate and support the development of transformative, interdisciplinary research proposals to be submitted for external funding. Specifically, we will provide up to $25,000 to support groups of 1-4 faculty members working together regularly in the Ostrom Workshop space to develop innovative grant proposals with the support of one or more advanced doctoral students and a dedicated grants specialist. Upon completion of an OIRE fellowship, project teams must have a drafted grant proposal or white paper submission, which they will present to the Workshop community for input. Supported interdisciplinary teams are then expected to run resulting grant proposals through the Ostrom Workshop. The Workshops goal for this new initiative is to help support impactful, interdisciplinary research teams tackling complex, real-world problems using novel approaches and methodologies, while also helping to mentor and support interested graduate students with the training they need to be successful with their own grant submissions.

Resources

The Ostrom Workshop will provide approximately $25,000 per OIRE Project Team. OIRE Project team funding must be used to a) support at least one advanced doctoral student to aid in the preparation of the grant for one semester b) end-stage project development costs (such as final stages of proof of concept), including if applicable travel support to participate in relevant funding agency events. Faculty applicants include the name of a doctoral candidate to be the OIRE graduate Student Fellow for their project. The OIRE Graduate Student Fellowship will include graduate student support in the form of stipend, fees, and tuition to cover enrollment in G901 – thus OIRE Graduate Fellows will not teach during the OIRE fellowship. The Workshop will also provide space for regular bi-weekly meetings, grant proposal development services, implementation, dispersal and accounting support, along with planning timelines to ensure timely completing of all deliverables.

Selection Criteria

• OIRE Project Teams must include at least one TT faculty member
• The OIRE Project Team must work with a doctoral student in the drafting of the grant proposal (the doctoral student must have reached candidacy at the time of the OIRE Project Fellowship)
• Research must fall broadly with the themes of the Ostrom Workshop, which includes governance, trust, and institutional analysis, and/or the IU campus priorities for interdisciplinary research in the social sciences
• OIRE teams should be based at IU-Bloomington but may include partners from other U.S. institutions outside of IU (though doctoral students must be at IU-Bloomington).

Application Components

• Project Title, Abstract (150 words), Personnel, External Funding Agency target and specific grant opportunity (e.g., funding opportunity number)
• Project Overview (500-1000 words)
  • Research question and methodological approach
  • Intellectual Contribution
  • Relevance to Ostrom theme and demonstration of interdisciplinarity
  • Current stage of the project
• Proposed Budget (including proof of concept component if applicable)
• CVs of OIRE Project Team (faculty members)
• Signed OIRE ICR Agreement (click here to download)

Deliverables

• Draft grant proposal prepared for submission
• Presentation of grant proposal to Workshop faculty and affiliates

For questions, please contact Jess Steinberg (steinbjf@indiana.edu).

APPLY HERE

FAQs

Can I use the funding for a faculty course buy-out?

No, funding must be used to a) support a graduate student and b) proof of concept requirements for the grant application.

Is the funding only available for one semester?

The funding is initially available for one semester. However, funding agency deadlines vary, and we will work with you to ensure you are able to access and use awarded funding up until the submission of your grant application.

What do you mean by ‘white paper’?

It is the draft document often required for submission to a funding agency before the formal grant is submitted (not a policy note).

What if I have a specific graduate student I’d like to work with on this project?

Great, you may work with a graduate student of your choosing, so long as they are an advanced PhD candidate.  OIRE funding will cover tuition (along with stipend and fees) for enrolment in G901 for advanced PhD candidates.

What if I do not have a specific graduate student in mind?

We will help you to select a qualified graduate student to help develop the grant proposal.

What if my project involves faculty from outside IU?

You may include external faculty, so long as the PI is faculty at IU. Doctoral students supported through the OIRE fellowship must be at IU.

Is this opportunity open to faculty of all ranks?

The OIRE is open to all tenured and tenure-track faculty pursuing interdisciplinary research on a subject that relates to the Ostrom workshop.