The School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) invites proposals to seed “Clusters of Excellence,” faculty-led research communities that increase external visibility and strengthen internal connectivity across SEAS. Seed funds are intended to jump start coherent clusters from the ground up, bringing faculty together from across multiple departments and disciplines. Ideas for clusters that explore new or untested ideas that include a pathway to institutional partnerships or external funding are welcome.
Eligibility
- Lead PI must be a SEAS faculty member.
- Participation from non-SEAS faculty is allowed but not required.
- Teams should include at least four faculty members and two departments.
Funding
- Award size: $50,000 per cluster
- Budget duration: 12 months with possible renewal
- Allowable costs:
- Seminar series (speaker travel and workshop costs)
- Student/postdoc lunch talks (reasonable meals), where Princeton students and postdocs present their research to others on campus
- Website design/content support
- Unallowable costs: PI salary, graduate student stipend/tuition, equipment, subawards, general lab supplies, etc. This is not a research grant!
Program Requirements
- Launch a “Cluster of Excellence” webpage (on the SEAS website in coordination with the SEAS Communications team) with a vision, people, events and content.
- Host a seminar series to be shared and promoted in advance within SEAS and the broader University research community.
- Run student/postdoc lunch talks (at least monthly) during the academic year.
- Track simple metrics, outcomes, impact and next steps to be summarized in an annual report.
Proposals should include:
- A one-page description of the Cluster of Excellence. This should include why the field is important, how it spans departmental boundaries, what Princeton’s unique strengths are, and how efforts could grow over the coming years.
- A detailed budget outlining how the funds will be used. Budgets will be reviewed carefully for reasonable and appropriate expenses.
- Two-page CVs for the lead PI and faculty team members.
Guidelines
- Awards will be issued to SEAS departments only.
- SEAS expects that funds will be spent according to the proposed budget. Any major change in budget allocation should be discussed in advance with SEAS.
- Proposals selected for funding will be required to submit an annual report.
- Any unspent funds must be returned to SEAS.
Contact:
Email questions/comments to seasresearch@princeton.edu
Submission Deadline:
Monday, November 17, 2025