Research Infrastructure/SEED Program

Research Infrastructure Announcement of Opportunity

Holland Engele, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Funded through Research Infrastructure Program, 2024-2025
Principal Investigator, Eric Compas
Credit: Holland Engele

Award Amount:
• Major Awards: up to $10,000
• Minor Awards: up to $5,000
(subject to funding availability)

The Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) Research Infrastructure Program supports faculty and research staff at WSGC universities and colleges seeking to initiate new or continue current research programs, as well as WSGC industry affiliates working to enhance research capacity, establish collaborations, and increase research opportunities aligned with NASA Mission Directorates. Click here for more information and to apply to the Research Infrastructure Program.

Projects should demonstrate at least two of the following:
• Initiate new lines of space-related research
• Increase research capability or infrastructure
• Establish collaborations among institutions, industry, or NASA Centers
• Link academic and industrial affiliates through workshops, seminars, internships, or technology transfer
• Integrate students into high-quality, meaningful research experiences

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• Consistency with the goals of this Announcement of Opportunity
• Alignment with one or more NASA Mission Directorates

PROPOSAL CONTENT

• Clarity, quality, and overall strength of the proposal
• Soundness of research methodology, effective use of resources, and feasibility of the timeline
• Demonstrated background knowledge of the topic by the investigator(s)
• Potential of the project to generate future funding opportunities

BUDGET

• Appropriate use of funds to support the proposed work
• Evidence of institutional commitment through required matching support

This funding opportunity is made available for the pursuit of space-related research and/or activities through the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program: NASA Educational Cooperative Agreement #80NSSC25M7122. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for this award is 43.008.

All awards are fully competitive awards of opportunity in which applications are reviewed by the WSGC Technical Advisory Panel and other experts as needed. Awards are made by the Assistant Director based on recommendations from the Associate Director.

Current and Past Award Winners

• Create a NASA STEM Gateway account: nasa.gov/public/s/login/
• Create a WSGC account: carthage.edu/about/login/
• Log in and complete the Research Infrastructure Program application

Applicants must:
• Be faculty or research staff at a WSGC academic affiliate, or an industry affiliate working with a member campus
• Ensure graduate students funded are U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals
• Have institutional affiliate award agreements on file with WSGC
• Align the proposed project with at least one NASA Mission Directorate

Note: Faculty members in the first five years of their first tenure-track appointment and a full-time faculty member at a WSGC affiliate university or college should apply to the Early-Stage Investigator (ESI) funding program. WSGC will consider all ESI applicants for the Research Infrastructure Program award.

• Proposal (≤15 pages) addressing:
  - Introduction/Summary
  - Background and Prior Research (include prior RIP awards if applicable)
  - Proposed Activities, Objectives, and Expected Outcomes
  - Timeline and Milestones
  - Budget/Use of Funds (using WSGC budget template) with quarterly spend-down plan
  - CV/Personnel (2-page PI CV; brief qualifications of collaborators/students)

BUDGET/USE OF FUNDS
• A minimum 1:1 cost-share commitment is required.
• Budget must include eligible categories (labor, travel, participant support, supplies, other direct costs).
• All projects must include a plan for faculty and/or student presentation at the Wisconsin Space Conference.
• Overhead is not funded (but may be included as cost-share).
• Equipment purchases are generally not supported.
• Laptops require pre-approval and must demonstrate use solely for the funded grant.
• Travel will be considered if fundamentally important to the project. Foreign travel is generally not allowable.

Recipients must:
• Submit award acceptance materials (Award Agreement, W9, biography, photo).
• Provide quarterly invoices/cost-share documentation.
• Submit interim (if >6 months) and final reports.
• Submit award mid- and closeout materials (interim and final reports, student/alumni/faculty stories, project photos/video, and awardee publications, presentations, patents, and technology transfers report.
• Complete NASA reporting requirements (STEM Gateway activity acceptance).
• Present research at the Annual Wisconsin Space Conference (Aug. 2026 for Spring/Summer awards; Aug. 2027 for Academic Year awards).

Please direct questions about the RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM Program to: