SPEED in Research

Seeding Projects for Enabling Excellence & Distinction (SPEED): A program to stimulate innovative new scholarship in Arts & Sciences

The SPEED in Research program was created to stimulate innovative work that leads to significant outcomes in research, scholarship, and creative practice.

Arts & Sciences tenure-track and research faculty are invited to submit proposals for this semiannual internal seed funding program. Yearlong seed grants range up to $50,000 and will support work that leads to a variety of measurable outcomes, such as submissions for external grants; scholarly publications; and significant work disseminated through other methods, such as presentations or performances. 

Eligibility & Proposal Guidelines

Eligibility 

Principal investigators must have positions in Arts & Sciences as tenure-track or research faculty. Collaborators may have positions at other schools at Washington University or at other universities, but all funds must be spent through Washington University accounts.

Proposal Guidelines

  • Proposals should describe research, scholarship, and/or creative practice that is not currently supported by internal or external grant funds.
  • The proposal category should be specified according to the funding range requested.
    • Category A: up to $15,000
    • Category B: $15,000-$50,000
  • Each proposal must include the necessary completed cover sheet that includes contact information for the principal investigator(s), units/departments, date of submission, funding period, and amount requested.
  • Proposals are limited to three pages in length (single-spaced, with font no smaller than 12 pt Times or Times New Roman) and should include these five sections:
    1. Introduction/background that describes how the new work relates to the current work of proposers and provides broader perspectives on its significance
    2.  Description of proposed new work
    3. Anticipated outcomes (e.g., publications, performances, new external grant proposals) with the inclusion of a timeline
    4.  List of representative research, scholarship, and/or creative practice products produced by PI(s) from within the past 10 years (publications, performances, etc., as appropriate)
    5.  Budget for work

Deadlines & Submission

Proposals should be submitted by March 1 or September 1 via email to William Tolman, vice dean of research and entrepreneurship, at wbtolman@wustl.edu. Please use the email subject line: SPEED PROPOSAL

Award Review & Administration Process

  • Submissions will be considered on a semiannual basis, with due dates of March 1 and September 1 for funding to begin the following June 1 and December 1, respectively.
  • Review of all proposals will be performed by a Board of Faculty Research appointed by the dean of Arts & Sciences, with the vice dean of research and entrepreneurship to serve on an ex officio basis. Additional reviewers may also be consulted as needed. The final decision on funding will be made by the dean of Arts & Sciences.
  • Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the perceived significance and quality of the proposed work as well as the anticipated outcome(s). Preference will be given to work that will lead to a publication, creative presentation/performance, or external grant submission.
  • Preference will be given to proposals that are not to be a good fit for funding through other established mechanisms (e.g., Center for the Humanities, Weidenbaum Center, Living Earth Collaborative, McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences). Applicants are encouraged to discuss the project with the leadership of these other programs if any overlap is possible. 
  • Grant duration will be one year. Awarded funds must be spent three months after the end date of the grant. Funds remaining after that period will be returned to the dean's office.
  • A final one-page report on the outcomes of the supported work is due six months after the end date of the grant. Failure to submit the final report by the deadline will result in loss of eligibility for future SPEED program grants.
  • Yearly funding for this program will be determined by the dean of Arts & Sciences.

The SPEED program aims to seed new efforts that may not fit into the established centers or funding sources at the university, yet they represent exciting new directions with real potential for significant outcomes. This is an important opportunity to strengthen research innovation within Arts & Sciences, in line with the goals of our strategic plan.

―William TolmanVice Dean for Research and Entrepreneurship

Download the cover sheet for proposal submission.

Cover Sheet