Carnegie Mellon University
Crosswalk Seed Grants

ProSEED/Crosswalk Seed Grants

Next Call for Proposals: TBD.

See details below for evaluation and review criteria. If you have any questions, please contact ProSEED at proseed@andrew.cmu.edu

Overview

Interdisciplinarity, collaboration, innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit are elemental core values of Carnegie Mellon University.  ProSEED/Crosswalk grants have been established to further opportunities for interdisciplinary and boundary-breaking initiatives in and out of the classroom. These funds, primarily aimed at programs impacting students, will seed greater connections and collaborations across campus to inspire bold creativity and entrepreneurial action throughout the campus community.

ProSEED/Crosswalk funding is particularly designed to support new ideas or ideas at the early stage of their implementation.  Examples of the types of initiatives for which Crosswalk funds may be applied are:

  • Quality of life activities that support social or cultural connections across student organizations, academic units and/or house communities;
  • Service learning in the community, in partnership with off campus groups or organizations;
  • Support for student competitions or cross-campus teams, either newly established teams or existing teams seeking to explore new features, approaches or methods;
  • Development of new courses or the development of new tools or methods to enhance existing courses (Note: Those interested in these types of activities are also encouraged to consider applying for a ProSEED/Simon Initiative Seed Grant)
  • Entrepreneurial pilot projects for the development of new tools or systems that have the potential to benefit multiple communities inside and/or outside of the CMU campuses;
  • Student research projects with substantive engagement and collaboration between two (or more) departments or colleges:
    • Undergraduate students seeking funding for interdisciplinary research activities should review the information and complete the SURG/CW proposal process - Questions can be addressed to Stephanie Wallach, Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (sw4s@andrew.cmu.edu).
    • Graduate students seeking funding for interdisciplinary research activities should review the information and complete the GuSH/CW proposal process - Questions can be addressed to Suzie Laurich-McIntyre, Assistant Vice Provost for Graduate Education (slaurichmcintyre@cmu.edu).

These examples are designed to inspire but not limit proposals. We look forward to reviewing all applications that further Crosswalk's mission.

Criteria

Successful applications will demonstrate most or all of the following:

  • The ability of the proposed initiative to impact multiple communities inside and/or outside CMU;
  • A clear indication of what is new in the proposed initiative and how Crosswalk funds will enable its development;
  • Sustainability of the initiative beyond the Crosswalk grant allocation. Where possible, applications should indicate how the Crosswalk grant can be leveraged to seek additional funds;
  • A budget and detailed plan for execution of the proposed initiative that is feasible and reflects consideration and consultation with appropriate authorities at the departmental, college and administrative levels;

Funding Available

While there is no set limit on the amount of funding that can be requested, it is expected that typical grants will be in the range of $500 - $2500 for the duration of one year (Note: Please refer to the GuSH and SURG websites for details on funds available for research projects through the GuSH/CW and SURG/CW grants.)

As part of the application process, applicants  are required to submit an itemized budget with supporting justification of expenses.  Please view the 2017 ProSEED/Crosswalk Proposal Template for more details on budget requirements and eligible expenses.

Eligibility

All CMU Students, faculty and staff are eligible to apply for a ProSEED/Crosswalk grant.  Preference will be given to proposals that significantly involve students and/or have an impact on the CMU student experience.

Funds will not be given for the direct support of the development of for-profit ventures. Proposals that are incorporated, or intend to be incorporated in the near future will not be considered.

Application Process

For projects that are not research-oriented, ProSEED/Crosswalk Applications consist of three components and should be submitted using the online submission form:

Proposals (prepared according to the TEMPLATE provided) with the following content:

  • Summary page (1 page)
  • Project Narrative (3 page limit)
  • Project Timeline (1 page)
  • Budget (2 page limit)
  • Other Resources and Current Support (1 page)
  • References (1 page)

Letters of Support:

Letters of support are not required for consideration. HOWEVER, student-led proposals that do not originate from a recognized student group are strongly encouraged to identify and submit a letter of support from a faculty or staff mentor. This letter should confirm that the faculty/staff mentor will periodically meet with the students and act as a supervisory resource for the student(s).

Prior to submission, applicants are encouraged to consult with relevant faculty and staff to help structure their proposed activities.  For proposals with support from other entities (departments, colleges, divisions or outside organizations), a brief letter detailing the commitments is welcome. 

Compliance & Conflict of Interest Screening Questions:

Applicants are asked to answer basic questions regarding the potential need to provide additional guidance and assistance on regulatory and conflict of interest issues. Answers to these questions are NOT expected to adversely affect the likelihood of funding. 

For undergraduate or graduate research activities:

  • Undergraduate students seeking funding for interdisciplinary research activities should review the information and complete the SURG/CW proposal process - Questions can be addressed to Stephanie Wallach, Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (sw4s@andrew.cmu.edu).
  • Graduate students seeking funding for interdisciplinary research activities should review the information and complete the GuSH/CW proposal process - Questions can be addressed to Suzie Laurich-McIntyre, Assistant Vice Provost for Graduate Education (slaurichmcintyre@cmu.edu).

Deadlines

Next Call for Proposals: TBD

Questions?

Contact proseed@andrew.cmu.edu with any general questions about the application, eligibility or criteria.