How are the proposals reviewed?
The proposals are reviewed by a panel of senior social and behavioral science faculty from across the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) campus.

Can PIs from other institutions be included on proposals?
CSBS’s goal is to support research on the UIUC 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 UIUC campus, their chances of earning CSBS funding will be enhanced, particularly if the team is interdisciplinary.

Can a person be included on more than one project?
Yes, but someone cannot serve as PI of more than one small grant at a time. PI’s must wait five years before applying for another small grant as a PI.

Can small grants be used by graduate students to fund master’s or dissertation projects?
No, funds are intended for UIUC faculty and staff so that they may ultimately apply for external funding.