Tufts Collaborates

The Tufts Collaborates Seed Grant Program seeks to encourage the essential first steps in interdisciplinary collaboration by supporting new faculty pilot projects that engage at least two disciplines and cross institutional lines.  The goal of this program is to establish collaborative research efforts that will likely result in competitive research proposals to federal and foundation granting agencies.

Any Tufts faculty active in scholarship, research, and/or creative works with a primary appointment at a University school or unit is eligible to apply to the Tufts Collaborates Seed Grant Program.  While Tufts faculty members with a primary appointment at the Medical Center and a secondary appointment at a University school or unit are encouraged to serve as collaborators, the lead principal investigator on a grant application must be a Tufts University employee.  Faculty members who have served as principal investigator on a Tufts Collaborates award within the past 2 years will not be eligible to submit a proposal as lead investigator for the upcoming round of funding.  However, these faculty members may serve as a collaborator on other proposals.

Seed grant awards are expected to range from $500 to $50,000. Funding decisions are made through a peer review process including faculty and administrative staff, and based on several criteria, including degree of innovation and collaboration, potential for external funding, likelihood for sustainability and impact, and viability within departmental, school and/or programmatic frameworks.