TIGER Grants

Overview

The Dean’s Advisory Council of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences is pleased to announce a call for proposals for the Transformative Initiative for Generating Extramural Research (TIGER) grants program.

The purpose of this program is to provide financial support for the establishment, or expansion, of collaborations that are multi-disciplinary in nature and thus lead to the development of more competitive, center-type proposals and significant collaborative proposals. These efforts should support key areas that align with the strategic priorities in the Clemson Elevate Strategic Plan. Proposals need not be limited to computing, engineering, and applied sciences-specific domains. For instance, proposal areas can include educational or training initiatives or topics that are a convergence of traditional disciplines.

The sole outcome of successful TIGER grants is the submission of significant external research proposals, and as such, the TIGER proposals should clearly identify this as their primary outcome. It is well understood that a firm technological and organizational foundation must exist for competitive, multi-disciplinary, and perhaps multi-institutional proposals. TIGER funding is intended to serve as a catalyst to move these projects beyond the point of criticality for highly competitive submissions. The primary outcome of the TIGER program is the submission of a major research proposal. This proposal may be submitted to federal agencies, foundations, or corporate consortia. The evaluation criteria for the TIGER program are primarily based on the potential for the formation of competitive teams with organizational structures that provide confidence in the delivery of high-quality targeted external proposals. The focus of all TIGER efforts should be on pulling together collaborative cross-disciplinary teams that focus on convergence research, educational, and engagement efforts that can be sustained to have the maximum impact.

Large TIGER Proposal (up to $15,000) provides funding for teams who plan to submit large (>$1M for 3 years) external grants in the next 12 months. By the nature of the targeted funding, proposals should include multiple faculty from at least two different departments, and proposals with participation from across engineering and science are encouraged. Multi-institutional efforts may also be supported if Clemson is the primary/lead institution on the targeted proposal submission. Large proposals require the submission of a written proposal and an oral presentation.

Small TIGER Proposal (up to $5,000) provides funding for teams who are in earlier stages of team building for a large proposal or faculty submitting smaller external grants (<$1M). Priority will be given to earlier career faculty and proposals, particularly in educational, training, and outreach initiatives for CECAS students, faculty, and staff. If the PI still has startup funds, the justification for the need and use of the TIGER grant amount must be included. The small proposals require the submission of a written proposal only.

For all Tiger Grant submissions, the review process will be coordinated by the Dean’s Advisory Council and the ADR’s Office, with the assistance of campus leaders and others from across the institution as appropriate in proposal evaluation. The initial submission materials will be similar in format to the university-wide internal competitions, with simple boilerplate information, short and directed narratives, proposed budgets, and project timelines. Submissions will be limited to three pages in length. The timeline should include key dates for the targeted external proposal submission. If the target external proposal requires a letter of intent or internal competition to submit a full proposal, the TIGER proposal narrative and timeline should include alternative funding targets should the team not be selected for full proposal submission.

Small award (<$5,000) funding decisions will be made from written proposal reviews only. Proposing teams for large awards (>$5,000) will also be required to make brief (5 slides/8 minutes maximum) presentations to the evaluation panel on the vision and goals of the proposed effort and the specific outcome during finals week. PIs of current TIGER grants are not eligible to be PIs on new submissions unless they have already submitted the large external proposal targeted on their current TIGER grant.

Use of Funds:
The funds cannot be used to pay faculty salaries during the academic year or summer salaries, nor can they be used to cover GAD costs. No funds are available for sub-awards to other institutions.

The TIGER funds may be used for a variety of activities, including (but not limited to):

• Equipment or facility access to acquire key data
• Travel to engage program managers
• Travel to meet with collaborators from other institutions to work on proposal planning
• Hiring of proposal development staff or consultants

The TIGER grants are not intended to support graduate student stipends. However, in rare cases, graduate stipend support for specific project-related activities will be considered for funding only if there is a clear and detailed justification of how the student will fit into the multidisciplinary team, what the student will be expected to achieve in the limited time on the TIGER funds, how this work is necessary for the success of the eventual external submission, and why this work cannot be obtained with the student-funded on some other mechanism.

Funds will be available to successful PI’s as individual (numbered) accounts maintained at the college level. No F&A will be charged for these funds. They will not include funds to cover the cost of a GAD. Cost-share by departments, such as additional funds, instrument time, release time, staff, or student support, is allowed but not required. If departmental cost-share is being provided, please explain what is being provided in the budget justification section.

Questions about the rationale and practical matters related to the TIGER program can be directed through Tracy Dodson.