The National Security Research Institute (NSRI) Seed Grant Program is designed to catalyze innovative, interdisciplinary research addressing high-priority national security challenges.
The NSRI Seed Grant Program seeks to:
- Foster innovative, high-risk/high-reward research in national security domains.
- Encourage collaborative and interdisciplinary projects across UMN colleges and campuses.
- Support graduate student training and workforce development in national security–relevant areas.
- Position teams for external federal funding from agencies such as DoD, DOE, DHS, NSF, and others.
- Strengthen the University’s leadership and visibility in national security research.
The program also aims to enable early-stage concepts that can evolve into major externally funded efforts and strengthen partnerships across UMN, industry, and government. Proposals will be reviewed by members of the NSRI Industry Advisory Board (IAB). Finalists will be invited to deliver a 30-minute presentation at the February 2026 IAB meeting. The program anticipates funding at least six awards of up to $100,000 each in 2026.
Funding Cycle
NSRI expects to fund up to six awards with total budgets of up to $100,000 for a 12-month period.
The cycle opens in early December 2025 and closes in mid-January 2026. The award period begins March 9, 2026 and runs through March 9, 2027.
Timeline/Deadlines:
- December 1, 2025: RFP Opens
- January 21, 2026: Proposal Submission Deadline
- February 9, 2026: Finalists invited to give 30 minute presentation at the IAB meeting
- Week of February 23rd: Finalists Present to IAB
- Week of March 2nd: Anticipated award notification
- March 9, 2026: Award Period Begins
Eligibility & Requirements
PI Eligibility
Principal Investigators (PIs) must be University of Minnesota faculty (tenured, tenure-track, or research faculty). Collaborative proposals involving multiple departments, campuses, or external partners are strongly encouraged.
Student Requirement
Each proposal must include funding for at least one U.S. citizen or permanent resident MS or PhD student actively engaged in the research.
Research Focus Areas
The focus areas for 2026 competition are hypersonics, microelectronics, and PFAS-free alternatives. In the appendix section (coming soon), a list of topics are included that are of interest to the IAB. Proposals should address one or more of these topical areas.
Evaluation Criteria
All proposals will be reviewed by members of the IAB based on the following criteria:
- Relevance to national security priorities and potential for impact.
- Innovation and technical merit of the proposed research.
- Feasibility of the plan, including resources, timeline, and milestones.
- Potential for external funding and long-term research sustainability.
- Student engagement and contribution to the national security workforce pipeline.
Finalists will be invited to give a 30-minute presentation (20-minute presentation + 10-minute Q&A) during the February 2026 IAB meeting. All funded projects will have to comply with the Institute policy and guidelines [these will be shared in January with all the PI's invited for the in-person presentation].
Program Evaluation and Reporting
Each funded project will be subject to ongoing evaluation to ensure measurable progress and alignment with NSRI goals.
Progress Presentations
Funded PIs are required to present updates at the quarterly IAB meetings (February, May, August, and October). Each update should highlight progress, results, student contributions, and external engagement efforts.
Milestone Tracking
Each proposal must include specific milestones for:
- Half-year (6-month) progress
- One-year (12-month) completion
These milestones will serve as the basis for evaluating project success and determining potential extensions or follow-on opportunities.
Final Deliverable
A brief final summary report (2–3 pages) will be required at the end of the funding period, documenting accomplishments, student outcomes, and plans for external proposal submissions.
How to Apply
Proposal Submission Guidelines
- Proposal Length: Maximum 1.5 pages, include items listed under proposal template below.
- Formatting: 11-point font, single spacing, 1-inch margins.
- File Format: Single PDF file named “NSRI_Seed2026_[PI LastName].pdf”
- Submission Method: Email proposals to [email protected] by 11:59pm on January 21.
Questions: Direct inquiries to [email protected].
Proposal Template (Maximum 1.5 Pages)
Title: (Concise, descriptive title of the proposed project)
Focus Area(s): (list from the Appendix)
Principal Investigator(s): Name, Department, College, Campus, and Email: [email address]
Collaborators (if any): List names, affiliations, and roles
1. Project Overview and Motivation (~½ page)
Briefly describe the problem or opportunity addressed, its relevance to national security, and how it aligns with NSRI’s mission. Highlight the novelty and innovation of the proposed research.
2. Technical Objectives, Approach, and Milestones (~½ page)
State clear research objectives, key tasks, and methods. Describe major milestones for:
- 6-month progress checkpoint, and
- 12-month final outcomes. Include metrics or deliverables that will demonstrate success.
3. Impact, Collaboration, and Future Funding (~¼ page)
Describe the anticipated scientific, technological, or operational impact. Identify potential partners, sponsors, or funding agencies (e.g., DARPA, AFRL, ONR, DOE, DHS) for follow-on proposals.
4. Student Involvement and Workforce Development (~¼ page)
Specify the M.S. or Ph.D. student (U.S. citizen or permanent resident) who will participate and describe how this experience supports their preparation for the national security workforce.
5. Budget Summary (brief paragraph or table)
Provide a concise breakdown (not to exceed $100,000):
- Graduate student stipend/tuition
- Personnel (PI/Co-PI) support
- Materials and supplies
- Travel or collaboration costs (if applicable)
- All budgets will have to include 5% of the time for Research Program Manager
A detailed budget may be requested from finalists. All funded projects will have to comply with the Institute policy and guidelines [these will be shared in January with all the PI's invited for the in-person presentation].
Expenditures
General areas of support include personnel, operating supplies and services; equipment; and limited travel.
All budgets should include 5% support for the research program manager.
Personnel
Allowed:
- Salary/fringe support for graduate or undergraduate research assistants; partial support for post-doc and civil service personnel and non-faculty P&A
- Faculty or NSRI fellow salary support
Not allowed (examples):
- Support for personnel to edit or index publication material or to word process manuscripts or proposals
- Subcontracts
- Non-UMN personnel collaborating on the project
- Consulting for external experts
Operating Supplies & Services
Allowed:
- General operating supplies and services (including core facility use charges) for this project, including computer supplies and software, if clearly necessary for the project.
- Publication costs for journal fees are limited to $1,000.
- Professional or lab services outside the UMN. May not exceed $5,000 or 10 percent of the total project cost, whichever is smaller.
Not allowed:
- Routine maintenance/repairs of equipment
- Books, subscriptions, reprints
- Utilities (e.g., phone lines)
Travel
Allowed:
- Transportation and/or per-diem expenses to a) gather data or use resources otherwise not available, or to b) work with other colleagues on research of mutual interest. Note: Most scholarly meetings and conferences intended primarily to report on research are not appropriate.
- Visits to NSRI member industries to specifically discuss the project.
- See rates and other travel information. Rates should be reduced proportionately for visits longer than one month in one locale, when it should be possible to make more economical arrangements. An explanation of long-term arrangements must be included in the budget justification section.
Not allowed:
- Travel to sabbatical and single semester leave sites from Minnesota and return. Travel and per-diem expenses for single-semester leave and sabbatical sites to another site (“side trips”) for strictly research purposes may be considered.
- Travel expenses associated with professional meetings, conferences, and short courses
- Fees and expenses associated with conferences
Equipment or Rents and Leases
Allowed:
- Minor equipment, including computer equipment, if specifically needed for the purpose of the proposed project (needs to be approved by the research program manager). Note: It is expected that departments or other University resources (e.g., Office of Information Technology and Minnesota Supercomputing Institute) will provide computer support.
- The justification for a computer request must include the following: 1) Specify the special features of the computer that are necessary and integral for supporting the project. 2) Explain why other University computing resources (e.g. MSI, departmental computers) cannot meet the needs of the project. 3) Explain what will be done with the computer when the research is finished.