Graduate Collaboration Grants

ICSD Graduate Collaboration Grants are intended to support graduate students in developing interdisciplinary research projects. Eligible graduate students must pursue the project with a faculty member outside of their home department. The student must either be working on the project with a Core member or be normally supervised by a Core member. Projects may be on any topic covered by the ICSD, broadly construed.

Awards will be two months of salary, this can be used for summer support or relief from other duties. Students are responsible for coordinating how this will be used with their normal advisor, host department, and ICSD. In some cases, the amount can be converted to cover research expenses.

Interested students should submit a one-page description of the research project by email to the ICSD Director. They should also provide the name of their normal departmental supervisor and the proposed supervisor(s) for the project. Students are expected to seek approval from all relevant faculty prior to submitting the application.

Applications before February 1 of each year will be given full consideration. After this deadline, any additional applications will be considered if funding remains available.

Faculty Seed Grants

ICSD Faculty Seed Grants are intended to support early stage collaborative interdisciplinary research by members of the Institute that would otherwise be difficult to fund. Successful applications will...

1. involve topics and methods that are under the purview of the ICSD.
2. be conducted by at least two faculty from two different departments. For the purpose of this requirement the ICSD postdoc always counts as “from a different department.” Faculty may be from outside CMU.
3. involve at least one core member of the ICSD.
4. not have sufficient alternative sources of funding.

Funding may be used for research expenses, travel, salary, to arrange visits for collaboration, or for any other purpose approved by the ICSD.

Interested faculty should submit a one page description of the project along with a budget by email to the ICSD Director. Typically seed grants will be around $5,000, but larger amounts will be considered if the additional expense is warranted. Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis.

Visiting Scholar Program

The ICSD has funding available for visiting faculty or students to visit the Pittsburgh campus and work with Core Faculty on a project related to the ICSD. We cannot provide salary or a stipend, but we can offset some of the cost of housing and travel to Pittsburgh for the collaboration.

Interested visitors are encouraged first to contact a Core Faculty member who can then inquire with the director about what funds are available. Applications for the Visiting Scholar Program are evaluated on a rolling basis.