The Engineering Research Institute’s primary mission is to provide research-related services to College faculty to increase and diversify their research portfolios.
ERI staff focus on engaging with faculty in all Engineering departments to grow research areas of strength, develop compelling responses to funding opportunities, and increase the number of competitive submissions to new agencies and large programs.
When needed, ERI provides post-award project management support to ensure smooth execution of projects and research compliance, as well as appropriate engagement with Program Managers and Sponsors to position our faculty for follow-on funding.
Engineering Research Institute Services
ERI Service Request Form ERI Proposal Routing Deadline Calculator (XLSX)Faculty can discover federal and industry funding opportunities directly through the CoE website and subscribe to weekly ERI Funding Opportunities Blog.
The College of Engineering is committed to helping our faculty increase and diversify the sources of their research funding. We offer the following research development support programs:
1.) Exploratory Research Program – Applications will be accepted two times a year: March 15 and September 15 for the project start date to coincide with the next semester boundary. Application instructions, including fillable cover page are available by clicking the links. An Excel budget template for these projects is available here.
2.) The Catron Fellowship has been awarded annually since 1987 to students researching practical ways to use solar energy. The late William (BSEcon ’31) and Lenore Catron, formerly of Sunland, California established the grant. Information about the Catron Fellowship is available here. The fellowships are a yearlong commitment, running from August to August, for Ph.D. graduate students working in the area of solar energy. Applications are due June 15th, 2024.
3.) Pursuit Development Funds – This program is focused on providing the resources needed to write compelling proposals. Opportunities for multi-investigator teams, new research directions, or large proposals are more likely to need the support provided by this program. Application deadline is the first business day of every month.
4.) Faculty Travel Program – This program supports face-to-face meetings with sponsors, program officers, and collaborators for the purpose of establishing and expanding research funding. Applications are accepted any time, preferably 3 weeks in advance of the intended trip. Travel to a professional/scientific conference is not eligible.
5.) ACRI: Support for Developing Strategic Research Thrusts – There is no formal deadline for this program. Faculty interested in developing a proposal should contact Dr. Arun Somani.
6.) CoE Equipment Funding Proposal Requests will not be accepted in 2023.
A summary of pre-award services offered by ERI is available here.
Please review the Pre-award Services document; as with the ISU implementation of Streamlyne the timeline for services has changed. The timelines are outlined below:
Level 1: For projects with standard guidelines and forms, submit a Service Request (SR) to request support at least 15 business days (3 weeks) prior to the sponsor’s deadline.
Level 2: For projects with standard guidelines and forms that include subcontracts, submit a Service Request (SR) to request support at least 25 business days (5 weeks) prior to the sponsor’s deadline.
Level 3: For projects with non-standard guidelines and forms, and/or proposals including cost share, submit a Service Request (SR) at least 30 business days (6 weeks) prior to the sponsor’s deadline or more, depending on the complexity of the required forms and the number of Co-PIs and subcontracts.
Level 4: For projects with complex guidelines and forms, and complex cost share, submit a Service Request (SR) at least 45 business days (8 weeks) prior to the sponsor’s deadline.
Service Requests submitted after these deadlines will be evaluated; ERI support may be limited.
At the request of PIs and the concurrence of Department Chairs / Center Directors, ERI will provide post-award support for complex projects. Projects that may qualify are large, have multiple sub-contracts, and significant reporting requirements.
Key Points:
Review award terms and conditions for compliance issues
Brief and alert PI on any unusual requirements in the grant/award
Review and revise (if necessary) initial award budget
Evaluate whether costs are allowed to ensure compliance with regulations related to sponsored projects
Keep PI informed and updated of regulatory changes/issues
Prepare and submit timely financial analysis/reports on each award
Monitor cost-sharing during the award
Monitor effort reporting
Sub recipient monitoring and reporting
Plan and perform timely close-out process, including extensions and completion of all final reports
Schedule and lead (if necessary) routine project meetings
Assist with the preparation and submission of technical reports
Interface with Sponsor on the PI’s behalf
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT):
Annually, CELT offers funding through competitive grant programs to support innovative classroom practice in the range of learning environments including, face-to-face, blended, and online.
- Miller Faculty Fellowship Program
The Miller Fellowships provide faculty with opportunities to enhance their scholarly work in the undergraduate academic programs of the university and to develop innovative approaches to enhance student learning.
Who is Eligible to Apply? Any faculty member at Iowa State University (tenured, tenure-eligible, term, or a staff member with teaching appointment) may apply for a fellowship.
What Can you Propose to Do? Applicants can propose to develop innovative new approaches to the teaching of existing undergraduate courses or to develop entirely new courses that will enrich the undergraduate experience. We expect to award five Miller Faculty Fellowships at a maximum individual award level of $15,000. Awards are competitive. - Miller Open Education Mini-Grants
The Miller Open Education Mini-Grants program is a new program co-sponsored by the University Library, the Center for Excellence in Learning & Teaching (CELT), and the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost (SVPP). These grants provide instructors with opportunities to enhance their scholarship of teaching and learning by integrating Open Educational Resources (OER) into their courses.
College of Engineering Learning and Teaching grants. This annual call will come out every Spring semester.
Trainings and professional development opportunities:
- Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CELT) offers a number of events and Professional Development Opportunities. More information can be found at: https://www.celt.iastate.edu/events-registration/
- Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost offers faculty development for all faculty including new faculty, term faculty, tenure-eligible faculty (Tenure-track and tenured) and academic leaders. More information can be found at: https://www.provost.iastate.edu/faculty-success/development
- Consider becoming a member of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) to leverage trainings available through the society.
Produce the annual College research expenditure report for ASEE and the accompanying dashboard.
Provide non-routine research enhancement services such as conducting seminars, workshops, travel and conference/event coordination
Facilitate faculty research team building activities
