Funding Opportunities

Research Computing offers funding opportunities for faculty, researchers, and graduate students at U of M. RC funding enables U of M faculty and graduate students across all disciplines to advance their informatics research by supporting research proposals that are innovative, align with new or existing initiatives, seek to develop new multidisciplinary collaborations, and identify means to sustain University of Minnesota-based research. More information on funding opportunities and instructions on how you can apply is provided below.

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RC-MnDRIVE PhD Graduate Assistantship Program

Eligibility: Applicant must be a current PhD student at the University of Minnesota. Applicants must have completed their preliminary oral exam by the start of the assistantship. Post-docs are not eligible for these awards.

The RC-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 five MnDRIVE areas: Robotics, sensors and advanced manufacturing; global food ventures; advancing industry, conserving our environment; discoveries and treatments for brain conditions; and cancer clinical trials. 

RC Seed Grants

Eligibility: The primary applicant must be faculty or research staff (P&A) at the University of Minnesota. Adjunct faculty are not eligible for funding under this program.
Funding Limit: Up to $120,000

In 2020, UMII's Updraft and On the Horizons programs were merged to form the RC Seed Grant program. RC Seed Grant funds are intended to promote, catalyze, accelerate and advance U of M-based informatics research so that U of M faculty and staff are well prepared to compete for longer term external funding opportunities. Proposals from all disciplines are encouraged to apply, with special consideration given to proposals that align with one or more of the five areas of the MnDRIVE initiative. Seed grants are divided into three funding levels; Small, Medium, and Large. Small seed grants can be used to cover immediate, short-term needs, whereas medium and large seed grants may be used to cover mid-term needs over multiple years.

Apply for Funding

To create a new application, or to view more information on funding opportunities, please follow these instructions:

  1. Visit the RC Funding Portal.
  2. Log in with your UMN credentials by selecting UMN Login from the dropdown in the top right corner of this page. If you do not have a UMN login, you will need to create and log in with a SurveyMonkey account by clicking "SurveyMonkey Apply" in the login dropdown.
  3. Once you are logged in, click Programs to view all programs. Select one of the available programs to submit a proposal.

To find and continue an existing application:

  1. Log into the the RC Funding Portal (following the instructions above).
  2. In the top right, select My Applications.
  3. On the My Applications screen, select the application that you wish to continue.

See past programs and funding recipients on our Past Awards page. 

Other Funding Opportunities

Research Computing provides funding in support of other programs administered by our partners. Please see the links below to learn more about these opportunities.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Human in the Data Fellowships (IAS)