RSI Explorer Grant Proposal Submission

The Spring 2023 submission period is now closed. Check back here for more information in the fall.

RSI Explorer Grant proposals (up to $150K in total direct costs over a period of two years) will prioritize proposals that address significant challenges and opportunities associated with climate change and the stewardship of natural resources.

Proposals may seek support for fundamentally new or existing research projects that are taking a new direction, including (but not limited to): research projects that might grow into larger research projects; proof-of-concept research that might enable follow-on federal funding; funds to support process engineering, scale-up or development of first lab prototype devices based on existing research results; or instrumentation that would support an individual or multiple research projects.

The call is limited to lead PIs who have their primary affiliation with one of Caltech's academic divisions and the ability to conduct research on campus. Only one application per lead PI is allowed.

The full proposal must include:

1. A completed Application Form, including the following information:
   1. Lead PI name/affiliation/e-mail;
   2. Co-PI name(s)/affiliations(s)/e-mails(s);
   3. Proposal title;
   4. One-sentence proposal summary;
   5. Research initiative focus area;
   6. Sustainability challenge statement (50 words). The Sustainability Challenge statement should describe the particular sustainability challenge that the proposal addresses, and how the research might address that challenge if successful;
   7. Statement of impact (500 words). The impact statement needs to describe a sustainability challenge that the proposal addresses, a description of how the research might impact that challenge, and an explanation of how the research outcomes might be translated to realize that impact. If at all possible, the application should identify a relevant metric for global sustainability (e.g., Gt CO₂ emission reduction, cubic feet of water purified) that provides a quantitative analysis of the project's potential for impact over some specified time frame;
   8. If applicable, description of leverage of unique or timely internal/external resources, or key personnel. (300 words);
   9. Budget Justification (500 words);
2. A Proposal Technical Narrative - 3 pages (11 pt font, 1 in margins, single-spaced), inclusive of figures and references.
3. A completed RSI Proposal Budget Worksheet. The budgets can be uploaded by grants managers to the secure Caltech box folder. For any questions or issues with uploads or access, please contact the RSI grants manager. (Note: Indirect Costs are not assessed on RSI Research Grants.)
4. A signed Division Approval Form.

The Application Form, the Proposal Technical Narrative, and the signed Division Approval Form should be sent as e-mail attachments to xenia@caltech.edu with copy to ramonae@caltech.edu. The Proposal Budget Worksheets must be uploaded into the secure Caltech box folder.

The Spring 2023 submission period is now closed. Check back here for more information in the fall.

General queries may be submitted to resnick@caltech.edu.

Review Criteria:

The following criteria will be among the factors considered in the selection process. Note that we are especially interested in projects that can have a broad impact on sustainability, and research teams are encouraged to have talked with practitioners to demonstrate interest in the outcomes of their work.

• Mission/sustainability challenge – How well aligned is the proposal with the overall mission of the RSI (or any specific initiatives)? How do the research outcomes connect with the sustainability challenges identified?
• Intellectual strength – How strong is the proposal as a science or engineering research project? Does it appropriately identify the risks and feasibility of the work? If the proposal is to investigate scaling previous work or applied/translational feasibility, does it appropriately identify market/technoeconomic risks?
• Potential for impact – Do the proposal's research outcomes provide a short or long term path to catalyze change, through commercial actions, policy recommendations/support, new educational opportunities, or other? On what timeline? If the proposal is to pursue application/scaling, Has the team identified a primary commercial path or partnership with an organization that can implement the outcomes?
• Leverage of internal/external resources or key personnel – Does the proposal make use of timely internal or external resources, key personnel or expertise? Does the proposed work seed new collaborations or enable critical infrastructure? If the proposal is for instrumentation, is there a plan for long-term management or broader campus access?

You may view a sample of the evaluation form here.