Funding

2018 MnDRIVE PhD Graduate Assistantship Program

The MnDRIVE research assistantship program provides funding for PhD graduate students currently pursuing research at the University of Minnesota at the intersection of informatics and any of the four MnDRIVE areas: Robotics, sensors and advanced manufacturing; global food ventures; advancing industry, conserving our environment; and discoveries and treatments for brain conditions. The program will support up to ten 12-months research assistantships at the level of a 50% graduate research assistantship (departmental rate applies), including tuition for up to 14 credits each semester (fall and spring) and subsidized health insurance through the Graduate Assistant Health Plan. The assistantship must start no later than June 1, 2018, and can start as early as Spring 2018. Graduate students are expected to have completed their preliminary oral exam by the start of the appointment. The award includes up to $1500 for travel to a conference or research support for the proposed research. A final report of accomplishments is expected after completion of the award.

Complete applications are due by November 10, 2017, 5:00 pm. Fellowship awards will be announced by December 15, 2017. See detailed application instructions.

Other Funding Opportunities

Additional funding opportunities through UMII funding sources are listed below. The funding applications below at a minimum must:

• be accompanied by the Value Matrix.
• have a proposal written in single-spaced, 11-point Calibri or Arial font, with one-inch margins.

On the Horizon Call for Proposals
Deadlines: Submit at any time

Large extramural funding opportunities are often preceded by workshops at funding agencies, NRC reports, or requests for information. The On the Horizon Call for Proposals provides funding to faculty and staff to convene larger group and prepare for major anticipated funding opportunities. Examples of developing funding initiatives or initiatives with deadlines sufficiently far into the future can be found here. Funding is limited to up to $50,000 per application for MnDRIVE related projects and up to $20,000 per application for other projects for the duration of up to twelve months. To apply, submit up to two pages to UMII with a plan for responding to an extramural funding opportunity. A detailed budget with budget justification on a separate page must be included, in addition to a list of collaborators and the Value Matrix (sign in required).

Updraft Call for Proposals
Deadlines: Submit at any time

Like a small-scale current of rising air, Updraft funding enables researchers to reach a higher "altitude" by addressing immediate and short-term needs. For example:

• A PI needs a data set reformatted prior to analysis and hires an undergraduate student on an hourly basis for this task.
• A group of graduate students and postdocs want to bring a speaker on campus to learn about a newly developed genome analysis tool.
• A small group of researchers need travel funds to attend an Open Session organized by the NIH to learn more about an upcoming funding opportunity.
• A PI needs travel funding to send a graduate student to a course at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
• A PI wants to send a postdoc to a data mining course and needs funds to cover the tuition.
• A doctoral student in the social sciences received an NSF SBE Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement grant and needs assistance with data analysis.

Funding is limited to up to $7,500 per application for MnDRIVE related projects and up to $5,000 per application for other projects. To apply, submit a single page to UMII explaining your needs. A detailed budget with budget justification on a separate page must be included, in addition to the Value Matrix.

Matching Funds for Extramural Grants in MnDRIVE Related Areas (Ongoing)
Limited matching funds are available for extramural grant applications that are related to MnDRIVE research. Contact UMII directly.

Faculty in Industry Fellowships (Ongoing)
This is an ongoing program that provides funding to faculty who collaborate with industry partners on projects at the interface of informatics and an application or in core informatics areas. This program addresses primarily MnDRIVE areas. UMII engages with industry to develop collaborative projects and facilitates recruiting of faculty into these projects. Faculty can also initiate collaborations on their own and receive support from UMII. There are no deadlines for application. Solicitations for specific solicitations are disseminated through colleges, schools, and system campuses to faculty. If you are interested in this program, please contact UMII directly.

Seminar Speaker Support (Ongoing)
UMII has set aside limited funding for seminar speakers in departmental seminars for up to $1,000 per speaker. Speakers must present on a topic relevant to informatics. Presentations must be announced broadly to the University community and announcement must clearly indicate that the seminar is cosponsored by UMII. To apply for funding, submit a single page to UMII with a description of the seminar series, the presentation, the speaker, and its relevance to informatics. The application must be accompanied by a support letter of the chair or head of the sponsoring department. Applications are accepted at any time. (Funding can only be requested for reimbursable expenses, such as travel or hotel.)

 

Past Funding Opportunities

2017 MnDRIVE PhD Graduate Assistantship Program
The MnDRIVE research assistantship program provides funding for PhD graduate students currently pursuing research at the University of Minnesota at the intersection of informatics and any of the four MnDRIVE areas: Robotics, sensors and advanced manufacturing; global food ventures; advancing industry, conserving our environment; and discoveries and treatments for brain conditions. The program will support up to ten 12-months research assistantships at the level of a 50% graduate research assistantship (departmental rate applies), including tuition for up to 14 credits each semester (fall & spring) and subsidized health insurance through the Graduate Assistant Health Plan. The assistantship must start no later than June 1, 2017, and can start as early as Spring 2017. Graduate students are expected to have completed their preliminary oral exam by the start of the appointment. The award includes up to $1500 for travel to a conference or research support for the proposed research. A final report of accomplishments is expected after completion of the award.

Complete applications are due by November 11, 2016, 5:00 pm. Fellowship awards will be announced by December 15, 2016. For detailed application instructions, click here.

UMII Informatics Graduate Summer Fellowships: "Critical Data Studies: Where is the Human in the Data?"

The University of Minnesota Informatics Institute announced its Informatics Graduate Summer Fellowship program for University of Minnesota graduate students. The competition is focused on the theme: “Critical Data Studies: Where is the Human in the Data?” The program supported ten graduate summer fellows ($5,000 each). Awardees presented at the Fall workshop (Friday, September 30, 2016) on “Critical Data Studies: Where is the Human in the Data?”. This workshop was co-sponsored by the Institute for Advanced Study.

MnDRIVE PhD Graduate Fellowship Program
The MnDRIVE fellowship program (sign in required) provides funding for PhD graduate students currently pursuing research at the University of Minnesota at the intersection of informatics and any of the four MnDRIVE areas: Robotics, sensors and advanced manufacturing; global food ventures; advancing industry, conserving our environment; and discoveries and treatments for brain conditions. The program will support up to 10 fellows for 12 months and will be at the level of a 50% graduate assistantship, not exceeding $50,000. Fellowships must start no later than June 1, 2015. Graduate students are expected to have completed their preliminary oral exam by the start of the fellowship. Fellowships include up to $1500 for travel to a conference. A final report of accomplishments is expected after completion of award. Complete applications are due by November 14, 2014, 5:00 pm. Fellowship awards will be announced by December 15, 2014. 

UMII Informatics Graduate Fellowship Program
The Informatics Fellowship program provides funding for PhD graduate students currently pursuing research in areas of informatics that focus on the development of methodologies, including, but not limited to algorithm development, mathematical foundation of data analysis, and statistical advances for big data. The program will support up to four fellows for 12 months and will be at the level of a 50% graduate assistantship, not exceeding $50,000. Fellowships must start no later than June 1, 2015. Graduate students are expected to have completed their preliminary oral exam by the start of the fellowship. Fellowships include up to $1500 for travel to a conference. A final report of accomplishments is expected after completion of award. Complete applications are due by November 14, 2014, 5:00 pm. Fellowship awards will be announced by December 15, 2014. 

Opportunity for technical development assistance with text-based research projects
In conjunction with the Zooniverse@UMN initiative (see Zooniverse for overall information), UMII is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals posted here, soliciting project proposals from UMN-affiliated research groups that have text-based projects, which would benefit from hundreds of thousands of online volunteers transcribing or metadata tagging your digitally imaged collection. Proposals due date window: November 24 - December 15, 2014. Expression of Interest due date: November 3, 2014. Questions should be submitted to zoomanities@umn.edu.

UMII Transdisciplinary Research Fellowship
Deadline: April 15, 2014

The goal of the UMII Transdisciplinary Research Fellowship is to position recently1 promoted associate professors to provide leadership in transdisciplinary collaborative projects at the interface of informatics and an application area. With the help of their college/campus, fellowship recipients will build a network of researchers and scholars across University of Minnesota academic units and connect to Minnesota industry or organizations. Fellows are expected to leverage this network for research/funding opportunities that address societal challenges and leverage Minnesota’s competitive advantage. UMII will award up to six fellowships (four of the fellowships will address MnDRIVE areas). The award provides salary and fringe benefits for two consecutive semesters starting Fall 2014 or Spring 2015 plus discretionary funds of up to $75,000 for the two-year period. Applicants must be nominated by the dean of their college/school or the chancellor of a system campus. All funding applications must be accompanied by the Value Matrix. 

UMII Faculty in Industry Fellowship

Deadline: March 31, 2014

The goal of the UMII Faculty in Industry Fellowship is to enable faculty to build a strong partnership with businesses, NGOs, agencies, and other organizations in Minnesota to develop long-term projects or initiatives that address challenges of critical societal need at the interface of informatics and an application area. The fellowship provides summer salary of up to two months to University of Minnesota faculty who arranged for spending time in industry during the summer of 2014. Candidates must be nominated by their unit heads/chairs. All funding applications must be accompanied by the Value Matrix.