Do you have a question about the Small Grant Program that isn’t listed below? Reach out to one of our Research Development Managers or email us at CSBScience@illinois.edu.
How are the proposals reviewed?
Each proposal is reviewed by three social and behavioral science researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. Based on these reviews, the CSBS team selects proposals with attention to interdisciplinarity as well as ensuring the support of a breadth of disciplines.
Can a person be an investigator on more than one project?
Yes, but someone cannot serve as PI on more than one funded Small Grant at a time. PIs must wait five years before applying for another Small Grant as a PI.
Can PIs from other institutions be included on proposals?
CSBS’s goal is to support research on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. Although this does not preclude collaborations with other universities, it puts applications at a disadvantage if there is only one Illinois researcher or unit applying for a grant with a collaborator or collaborators from other institutions. To the extent that PIs can gather a team of researchers from the Illinois campus, their chances of earning CSBS funding will be enhanced, particularly if the team is interdisciplinary.
Can Small Grants be used by graduate students to fund master’s or dissertation projects?
No, the Small Grant funds are intended to support Illinois faculty so that they may ultimately apply for external funding.
Does the Small Grant Program fund reviews of research?
No, the program does not fund reviews, even when they may be intensive—for example, in the case of meta-analyses or AI-assisted reviews.
Does the Small Grant Program fund the development of apps or technology?
The program may fund the development of apps or technology only if the project is explicitly rooted in social and behavioral science and includes a systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of the app or technology. We strongly encourage applicants to prioritize research that evaluates these tools through a social and behavioral science framework.
Does the Small Grant Program support publicly engaged work?
The program supports publicly engaged research that creates and/or contributes to generalizable knowledge. The program, however, does not support the development of publicly engaged programming, unless it is explicitly informed by social and behavioral science and has a systematic evaluation of its effectiveness.
Do I need to reference previous theory and/or research in my pre-proposal?
The best pre-proposals indicate how the proposed research is informed by and moves forward knowledge. Thus, it is important to situate the proposed research within the current theoretical and empirical context, which involves referencing prior work.
Given space limitations, do I need to be specific in my methodological and analytic plan in the full proposal?
Yes, a key component of the review of proposals is the evaluation of whether the planned research can answer the questions or test the hypotheses guiding the proposed research. Without a clear methodological and analytic plan, it will be unclear to reviewers if this is possible.
Is it possible to get feedback on my proposal?
The CSBS staff are available to provide feedback on your proposal. To ensure we have enough time for a thoughtful review, we recommend submitting pre-proposals at least two weeks and full proposals at least three weeks in advance of the deadline. While we do our best to offer feedback, please note that we cannot guarantee it for every submission.
How do I find external funding sources that may be a good fit for my proposal?
The CSBS staff can help by conducting a targeted grant search to find funding opportunities that match your research interests. To request this service, email us at CSBScience@illinois.edu. We also encourage you to subscribe to the CSBS newsletter, which features a list of upcoming grant deadlines.